It’s that time of year again: one moment you’re enjoying a fun pool day with friends, the next you’re pulling out a jacket and making hot chocolate to stay warm. As the season brings on colder weather, it’s ideal to winterize your swimming pool to keep it in great condition. 

Clean your pool one last time

Before bringing out the pool cover for your above ground pool, consider giving the pool walls a scrub one final time to make sure algae is cleaned up. If left, algae growth can spread and cause potential problems with the pool. 

Use a pool cleaning net to remove any items floating around in the pool water such as toys or debris. Once finished, store pool equipment away in a dry place, so it can be used once again in warmer seasons.

Protect your skimmer

To protect your pool skimmer, make sure to lower water levels below the skimmer line. If water freezes inside, it can leave cracks which damage the skimmers’ functionality. 

You can also purchase a skimmer tube for the winter, which becomes compressed when frozen, and takes the brunt of the damage.

Winterizing a saltwater pool

Preparing your salt water pool for winter takes roughly the same steps as a chlorine pool. However, in addition, it’s recommended to check the water chemistry every two months or so and adjust when needed. 

Breaking out the winter pool cover can be sobering, however when you winterize your pool, this makes sure it’s kept in crisp condition for you until warmer seasons arrive.