Closing Your Pool for a Connecticut Winter

Start with a clean pool

A pool that goes under a cover dirty comes out dirty. Leaves, pollen and the film that builds along the waterline keep feeding algae and stains through the months when nobody is looking at the water. Brush the walls, vacuum the floor, skim out debris and clean the filter before you close, so the cover sits over water that is already in good shape.

Water chemistry matters just as much, and it is the one part we won't put a number on here. The right targets depend on your finish, your sanitizer and your source water. Have the water tested and balanced shortly before closing, and ask your service technician what the winter plan should be for your particular pool.

Why the plumbing is the real winter risk

Water expands when it freezes, and a Connecticut or Westchester winter will freeze anything that is left holding water. A skimmer, a return fitting, a pump housing or a length of buried pipe can crack, and you won't know until the pool is opened and something leaks. That is why closing a pool involves a lot more than dropping a cover over it.

The water level is usually lowered below the skimmer and return fittings, with the exact height depending on the type of pool and the type of cover. The lines are then cleared with air, drained and plugged so that no water is trapped where it can freeze. A good closing treats the plumbing as a system and leaves nothing to chance in the low spots.

Equipment needs attention too

Pumps, filters, heaters and chlorinators all hold water inside them, and they are the most expensive things on your pad to replace. Each one has its own drain points and its own correct way of being put to bed for the winter. If you have never closed a pool before, this is the part worth handing to a professional.

• Pump drained, with the strainer basket cleaned and stored dry.
• Filter cleaned and drained, with the multiport valve left in the position the manufacturer recommends.
• Heater drained, since a cracked heat exchanger is a costly surprise in April.
• Chlorinator or sanitizer feeder emptied and rinsed.
• Ladders, rails, handrails and loose accessories removed, cleaned and stored.
• Automatic cleaner brought inside, rinsed and dried.

The cover is part of the system

A cover keeps leaves, sunlight and debris out of the water, and a properly fitted and anchored cover also keeps people and animals from getting into the pool. A cover that is loose, torn or the wrong size defeats the purpose. Check it for damage before you install it, and make sure it is secured all the way around.

Snow and rain collect on top of a cover over the winter, and standing water on it needs to be dealt with. A small pump on the cover, kept clear, handles it on many pools. Ask whoever closes your pool how they handle this on your cover type, since solid covers and mesh covers behave differently.

What a careless closing looks like in spring

The signs are easy to recognize once you have seen them. The water is green and cloudy when the cover comes off, there are stains on the finish, and a fitting or a pipe leaks as soon as the pump is switched on. Most of it traces back to something that was skipped in October: dirty water, a level that was too high, or lines that still held water.

Closing well is also what makes the opening simple. A pool that was left clean, balanced and drained properly can usually be reopened without a long list of repairs. That is the whole point of putting in the effort in the fall.

Who should close your pool

Plenty of owners close their own pools, and a few tasks are fair game for a careful homeowner. But the plumbing, the heater and the chemistry are where mistakes get expensive, so many people prefer to have a certified technician do it. All American Custom Pools & Spas started its Service Department in 1977, and that department has been looking after pools in Fairfield County and Westchester ever since.

Their technicians are APSP/NESPA trained and certified, licensed, bonded and insured, and they service every major brand of equipment, including Hayward, Pentair and Zodiac. Service can be a single visit or a year-round routine, so you can have the closing done for you or ask for a full seasonal plan. If you aren't sure which fits your pool, they will talk it through with you.

If you would like your pool closed properly this fall, or you want to talk about a year-round service routine, call (203) 433-6808 and speak with the Service Department in Bridgeport. You can also ask for a design meeting if you are thinking about a bigger project.