As pool season comes to an end, it’s time to start thinking about closing down your pool. See complete instructions and videos, as a new pool owner talks with our Doheny’s Pool Pro about must-know tips and tricks for closing their pool.

Closing Your Above Ground Pool in the South

When closing your above ground pool in a warmer climate, you’ll follow the same steps observed in ‘How to Close Your Above Ground Pool in Colder Climates’, but with a few subtle differences. Depending on where you live, you may only need to partially close your pool. This is only the case if the coldest weather in your region isn’t too severe and the temperature never drops below freezing. Read on to find out more!

***DO NOT COMPLETELY DRAIN YOUR POOL***

It’s important to leave water in your pool, especially if you have an above ground pool with a vinyl liner, as they can be easily damaged if left dry. Once a vinyl liner tears or is otherwise damaged, it must be completely removed and replaced.

  1. Clean up Around the Pool. Be sure your entire pool area is free of dirt, debris, leaves, branches and other materials that could blow in and change the chemistry of your pool water.
  2. Check All Pool Equipment. Before those temps really start to drop, check your pool equipment for signs of weather damage or items that need to be replaced or repaired. If you happen to notice any issues with your pool liner, filter, pool heat pump or other equipment, repair or replace them as needed. Doheny’s has a full selection of pool liner repair kits, plumbing repair kits and other products available for all of your pool repair needs.
  3. Clean Pool Walls and Floor. However you decide to clean and scrub down your pool walls and floor (using either a hand held vacuum or an automatic cleaner), make sure the walls and floor of the pool are completely clean before continuing with the pool closing process.
  4. Balance the Winter Chemicals. Before you can officially ‘winterize’ your pool, you need to ensure that the water is correctly balanced. Test the water with a Doheny’s winter test kit, which contains Algaecide, Metal Out and Pool Shock, and adjust the chemicals as needed. Be sure to distribute each chemical evenly throughout the water supply. We recommend doing this 24 hours in advance to get the full effect.
  5. Flush the Filtration System. Your filtration system is responsible for keeping your plumbing and water clean and free of all bacteria and invisible organic matter. It is recommended that you run the system to flush everything out of the plumbing lines before closing.
  6. Lower the Water Level. Read the manufacturer’s recommendations for lowering the water level in your pool, and lower it to about two inches from beneath the surface of the skimmer. This prevents freezing and expansion when the temperatures in your area start to drop. Consider adding a skimmer plug to keep water out.
  7. Clean the Filters. For D.E filters, flush out the D.E. and thoroughly clean out the grid. For cartridge filters, clean the cartridge and the inside of the tank. For sand filters, run an extra-long backwash to make sure the sand is clean. After your filter is clean, remove all filter hoses and remove the drain plugs from the pump, filter, and heater to make sure no excess water is trapped. All equipment should be stored in a safe, dry place for next year.
  8. Cover it Up. Consider our equipment covers for your pool heaters, filters, and plumbing lines. This is a great way to keep them safe from dropping temps and wind damage.
  9. Use a Tablet Dispenser. After you have used a pool closing kit to balance the chemicals, gently slide a winter oxidizing tablet dispenser into your pool. Don’t just throw it in, as this could release too much of the oxidizing agent into your water at once and create an uneven chemical balance.
  10. Use Skim Insure. Apply Skim-Insure directly to your skimmer. This will prevent freezing water from causing internal damage if or when the temperatures in your area drop. Even if below 0° temps aren’t something you need to consider, using Skim Insure is still a great preventative measure for all pool owners.
  11. Cover Your Pool. When closing your pool, make sure your winter pool cover is clean and free of tears and holes. Use a pool cover repair kit to fix any damage. To install winter pool covers:
    • Read the directions carefully and make sure the entire cover is evenly spread over the pool’s surface.
    • If you live in a windy area with occasional bad weather, consider placing air pillows underneath the middle of your cover to prevent any excess water, snow, and rain from damaging it. This will put less stress on the cover because it will be evenly distributed throughout the pool’s surface.
    • Check out our Pool Pillow Pal to help you install the air pillows and cover correctly.
    • Don't forget the cable and ratchet to properly secure your winter cover.
    • Cover clips are a great way to really secure your above ground pool cover. They are able to hold everything down, even in the windiest weather.
  12. Use Seal Wrap. Check out our seal wrap to seal all areas of your pool so that no dirt, debris, or even strong winds can take away all of the hard work you put into this pool closing. No Seal Wrap? No problem! Our sturdy, water filled wall bags are a great alternative. Fill them approximately ¾ full to allow the freezing water to expand.
  13. Add a Winter Pill. Doheny’s Winter Pill will help keep pool water clean all winter long and is safe to use with other pool winterizing kits.
  14. Observe and Remove. Throughout the season, keep an eye on the pool cover and pool area and remove any debris that you find. Allowing debris to collect will cause unnecessary wear and tear and greatly reduce the life of the cover, and it could damage the frame of the pool as well. Staying on top of the winter preparations and keeping an eye on your pool all year long is the best way to protect it from harm.

Closing Your Inground Pool in the South

If you happen to live in an area with a warmer climate year round, then your pool closing strategy will be slightly different than those looking for information on How to Close Your Inground Pool in Cooler Climates, as you don’t have to worry as much about the water freezing, expanding, and damaging your pool walls and floor.

***DO NOT COMPLETELY DRAIN YOUR POOL***

It’s important to leave some water in the pool, even if the temperatures aren’t expected to dip below freezing in your area, as the heat can still cause wear and tear to occur during the winter.

  1. Clean Up Around the Pool. Be sure your entire pool area is free of dirt, debris, leaves, branches and other materials that could blow in and change the chemistry of your pool water.
  2. Check All Pool Equipment. Before those temps start to cool off, check your inground pool equipment for signs of weather damage or items that need to be replaced or repaired. Doheny’s sells a variety of inground pool liner repair kits, pool plumbing repair kits, and other pool repair products to make the job easy.
  3. Clean the Pool Walls and Floor. However you decide to clean and scrub down your pool walls and floor either with a hand held vacuum or a robotic cleaner, make sure that every surface is thoroughly cleaned. This will help guarantee sparkling water when the weather warms up.
  4. Balance the Winter Chemicals. Test the water with a water testing kit, then use a Doheny's Winter Closing Kit which contains Algaecide, Metal Out, Pool Shock and slow-dissolve Winter Oxidizer in a dispenser, and adjust the chemicals as needed. Be sure to distribute each chemical evenly throughout the water supply. We recommend doing this 24 hours in advance to get the full effect.
  5. Flush the Filtration System. It’s a good idea to turn your filtration system on and run it for an hour after the winter pool chemicals have been added to the pool. The water circulation will remove any excess dirt and debris that still might be present in the water.
  6. Clean the Pool Filters. For D.E filters, flush out the D.E. and thoroughly clean out the grid. For cartridge filters, make sure to clean the cartridge and the inside of the tank. For sand filters, run an extra-long backwash to make sure the sand is clean. After your filter is clean, remove all filter hoses and remove the drain plugs from the pump, filter, and heater to make sure no excess water is trapped. All equipment should be stored in a safe, dry place for next year.
  7. Cover it Up. Doheny’s has a full selection of pool equipment covers that can protect your pool equipment, including heaters, filters, and plumbing lines, during the winter season.
  8. Use a Tablet Dispenser. After you have used a pool closing kit to balance the chemicals, gently slide a winter oxidizing tablet dispenser into your pool. Don’t just throw it in, as this could release too much of the oxidizing agent into your water and create an uneven chemical balance.
  9. Skim It! Apply Skim-Insure directly to your skimmer to prevent freezing water from causing internal damage if the temperatures in your area do drop. Even if below-freezing weather isn’t on your radar, using Skim-Insure is still a great preventative measure for all pool owners.
  10. Cover Your Pool. When closing your pool, make sure your winter cover is clean and free from any tears and holes, and use a pool cover repair kit to fix any damage. To install winter pool covers for inground pools:
    • Read the directions carefully and make sure the entire inground pool cover is evenly spread over the pool’s surface.
    • Consider leaf nets to protect the cover from leaves, branches, and other organic remnants
    • Safety covers are a great idea if you have small children or pets to protect during pool closing season.
  11. Add a Winter Pill. Doheny’s Winter Pill will help keep pool water clean all winter long and is safe to use with other pool winterizing kits.
  12. Observe and Remove. Throughout the season, keep an eye on the pool cover and pool area and check for signs of debris or damage. Allowing debris to collect during the winter will cause unnecessary wear and tear and greatly reduce the life of the pool cover. Staying on top of the winter preparations and keeping an eye on your inground pool all year long is the best way to protect it from harm.