We’re going to talk about lowering the water in your pool when you close it? How far down should you drain it? Do you even need to lower the water level?
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⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Lowering Your Pool Water
00:23 - How To Protect Your Inground Pool
00:39 - How To Protect Your Above Ground Pool
01:00 - When To Lower Your Pool Water
01:28 - Bonus Tip: Use A Soda Bottle To Protect Your Skimmer
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Swim University®️ has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University®️.
😎 Visit our website for more in-depth information on swimming pool maintenance: https://www.swimuniversity.com/
💦 Get 10% off our pool maintenance video course and ebook by using the promo code VIDEO: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Lowering Your Pool Water
00:23 - How To Protect Your Inground Pool
00:39 - How To Protect Your Above Ground Pool
01:00 - When To Lower Your Pool Water
01:28 - Bonus Tip: Use A Soda Bottle To Protect Your Skimmer
🏊♂️ Our Favorite Pool Maintenance Gear: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/
📺 Subscribe to our channel if you want more information on swimming pool and hot tub maintenance: https://www.youtube.com/swimuniversity
Swim University®️ has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University®️.
😎 Visit our website for more in-depth information on swimming pool maintenance: https://www.swimuniversity.com/
On this episode, we're talking about lowering the water in your pool when you close it, how far down do you have to lower it? Do you even need to lower it? There is a lot of opinions out there, but i did some research and i think i got the answer. The lowering the water level debate is all about freezing and cracking of your skimmer. If you have an in-ground pool you must you must blow out the lines? If you don't want to do it yourself, i recommend that you hire a professional to do it and to make sure that you plug the return jets and you install a gizmo in the skimmer to protect it from cracking. If you have an above ground pool just make sure you remove the hose off the bottom of the skimmer and make sure you install a winter cover plate on your above ground pool.
Now, if you do these things on either an above ground or in ground pool, you do not have to drain it. In fact, keeping the water level at a normal height will be better for your winter cover. However, if you have a tile border around your pool, you will need to lower the water at least four inches below the tile just to protect it bonus tip. Today's bonus tip is brought to you by the art of pool care, which is a downloadable illustrated guide that i created that teaches you everything you need to know about pool maintenance.
You can get your copy at swimuniversity.com art and if you enter the promo code video you will get five bucks off now. In my last episode, my bonus tip was all about using that gizmo in your skimmer to protect your skimmer from freezing and cracking during the winter. Now, if you can't find a gizmo or you don't know, you don't have one, you don't know what to do. If you plug up your skimmers, you can use an empty two liter soda bottle with the cap on.
That is an alternative to using the gizmo. However, if you do that, you have to make sure that the skimmers are plugged and remember that you should, if you have an in-ground pool, make sure your lines are blown out. That is absolutely important, and if you have an above ground pool, you don't even need a gizmo if you install that winter cover plate and you remove the hose off the skimmer so that it can drain and no water will get in there freeze and crack for More information, of course you can go to swimuniversity.com and i suggest you, if you're on youtube right now you just click the subscribe button wherever it may be and uh you go, you get these videos every single week, hot tubs and pools. So that's it guys.
Thanks again and happy swimming, you.
We have an inground pool with the autocover. With autocover we need to keep it at normal water level. The way they close our pool is using a gizmo in the return that has the blowout hole. It basically extends the intake pipe above the water line. Then they push air through the pipe with a blower to remove all the water. They pour antifreeze down the blowout hole, then squish the antifreeze jug, cap it and stuff it in the door of the return. It prevents the ice from cracking the door and return.
They then blowout the main drain and pour antifreeze in the line by the equipment and blow air again slightly until they see the antifreeze come up from the drain. They quickly close the line creating an airlock.
They blowout all the equipment and other lines.
I have 18 ft above ground Coleman pool with windows. Do I lower the water below the windows to winterize it?
If you don't lower it, you'll be a slave to draining the cover all winter long. Are you in Nepean ?
This is awesome now I know how to work my pool thanks for the tip
Do you still need to pump air through your plumming and plug the returns and skimmer if you live where temperatures never drop below zero?
Great Video Matt. One in ground pool question. I always lower the water level below the jets before I blow out the lines, which is a hassle. I assumed that was the only way to do it, since you can see the water draining from the lines. If the jets are under water when I blow out, how do I know water is not filling back into the pipes? Are you in Kanata ?
What do you mean by blow the lines out??
When do you normally close your pool? Service area Barrhaven??
An empty bottle will float and not help anything, but a bottle half full of water would just freeze also and not relieve anything.. but a bottle half full of antifreeze would work well I would imagine. You can also stuff some pool noodles in the skimmer all curled up to add some extra protection.
I do not use a skimmer box cover plate in PA and have had no problems as long as you use a Gizmo. Water WILL get in the skimmer box anyway. The key is blowing out the lines and using a Gizmo with a good O-ring on it.
I have an above ground pool. Can I use a Gizzmo and not drain any water out of the pool? Will it be OK to have the water in the skimmer all winter long during a freeze if the Gizzmo is applied?
You don't really need a pillow either.
I closed my above ground pool and it has rained so much the water is all the way at the top of the pool. Do I need to lower the water level? Any suggestions on how to do that now that the pump has been removed already? Service area Ottawa??
With an inground pool it is also important to pour in antifreeze (for campers, not auto!) to winterize the lines! Did this for 15 years in upstate NY where the frost line is 42 inches below ground and never had a problem.
Oh and don't use an empty bottle with a cap on it'll just float on top of the water. Put a half full jug anti freeze with cap on in there instead it'll float half above and half below and it won't freeze
If u have a good enough blower you can blow your return lines out underwater. As long as you leave the blower running through the line as you plug them. Might take 2 people one holding the blower one plugging. We rug it to the line with a tapered nozzle. Or you can tape your hose to the line if it can be disconnected. If you're using a compressor then easy enough. Just be sure you plug the closest line first. Then the air will force the water out and when you're plugging it you'll know it's sealed when you sw no more bubbles
I have an easy set Intex pool with the inflatable ring on top… my pool guy said I can winterize it… so I am having trouble keeping a lo of water off the top of the cover… I lowered it below the inflatable ring because i was told the ring could puncture… should I add water back in so the water can't accumulate because of the lower water level??
Unrelated question, what software do you do your video editing with? Nicely done
what about the pool returns??
it will be better if you lower the water to ensure that you blow those returns, water level rises during winter anyway, why must you take the chance on those lines, as for the skimmer, you only a well placed plug and some antifreeze in it
have a question i have an intex pool witch has 2 hoses for it.. how do i plug them up… we can take the hoses off and shut the flow
wait…so lower the water below the skimmer or not for an above ground pool with a skimmer plate on in the cold Northeast climate of MJ? The blurb at the bottom seemed to contradict.
Great information Matt! Thanks for the tips.