Maybe it's your first year owning an above-ground pool. Maybe you've moved somewhere with a colder climate or maybe you've just been slacking on winterizing your above-ground pool for a while. Now it's okay, I won't tell what I will tell you is that there is no reason to slack when you can winter as your above-ground pool in just a few steps, don't believe me: well, you should roll the thing quick disclaimer. Everyone has their own way to close an aboveground swimming pool, but in the end we all just want to make sure that your pool is clean, clear and properly winterized, so that you open it in the spring.

It's nice and clear. The information in this video is based on my personal experience in the pool industry and the research that we've done here at swim university comm. If I missed anything, please leave a comment to let me know and to help out your fellow pool owners. Ok, so the first question you probably have is: why do I even need to winterize my above-ground pool in the first place? Well, if you live in a mild climate, where you can swim year-round, you don't really have to.

But if you live in a climate that comes with frost, snow and freezing temperatures or kind of like where I live, winterizing, your pool is necessary to keep it in good working order and in good condition. Winterizing, your above-ground pool minimizes your risk of contamination and cold damage to your equipment and it'll, save you time, money and frustration, especially in the spring. So now that you know why you need to winterize your above-ground pool. The next question is when the ideal time is when the temperature falls below 65 degrees, Fahrenheit 18 degrees Celsius, even if you might get the odd warmer day in early winter, it's still a good idea to go ahead and get your winterizing done before the temperature drops And any damage is done, okay, so step number one.

You want to gather all your pool, winterizing supplies and you're gon na need a winterizing chemical kit or just a supply of winterizing chemicals. This includes pH a increase. Your a planet, E increase or calcium harness increase or pool shock algaecide and a clarifying winter enzyme supplement. Of course, this is optional, but I recommend it protective eyewear protective gloves an above-ground pool winter skimmer cover more on that later, expansion plugs return, line, plugs and above-ground pool winter cover the cover with the winch and the cable cover clips water bags.

If you have a walk around deck or a deck at all and a pool air pillow, which I believe is an absolute, must and I'll explain why in a little bit now I know that sounds like a lot of stuff, but once you've gathered your supplies, you're Right to close your above-ground pool so step number two: you want to clean your pool by vacuuming it brushing down the walls and skimming the surface to get rid of any leaves and other debris. And, yes, you need to manually vacuum it. You cannot use your automatic pool cleaner, I'm sorry, step number three test and balance the water using test strips or a water testing kit, and you want to try to get your pH between seven point. Four and seven point: six, your alkalinity between a hundred parts per million and a hundred and fifty parts-per-million with 125 parts per million being ideal, also make sure that the calcium hardness level is between 175 and 225 parts per million, and that your chlorine level is between One and three parts per million, ideally three parts per million - if you use a different sanitizer, just make sure that it's at the proper level for what you're using now since you won't be adjusting the water during the off season, it's better to be on the high Side of these ranges, when you close your pool, because they'll naturally decrease over time step number four, adding the winterizing chemicals to your water.

It's that simple. If you're using a kit, which is a lot easier, all you have to do is follow the directions on the label and you'll be good to go. If you decide to be more hands-on and add individual chemicals yourself, you'll need to go in a very specific order. First balance the alkalinity as if it wasn't already in the right place when you test the water, then balance the pH and then the calcium, harness that add your sanitizer once the water is balanced, give it a good shot to kill any algae or other remaining organisms That might be lurking in your pool, but before you use, pool shock, remember as always put on protective eyewear and gloves safety first, my friends safety first, and that pretty much goes for all pool chemicals as well.

Finally, you want to add a dash of algaecide. Well, I don't recommend using it on a regular basis. It's not a bad idea when you're closing it because it can help keep any new algae from forming while the water is covered and not being circulated. If you decide to use a clarifying enzyme treatment to go one step further to reduce algae and contamination now's, the time to add it step number five one of the keys to winterizing an above-ground pool is to keep the plumbing from freezing.

So to keep that from happening, just remove all the hoses from your pump and filter and if it's possible, I recommend, storing your pump filter, hoses and other filter equipment in a warm dry place all winter long. If your pump and filter are too cumbersome or heavy to move, just make sure that you remove all the drain plugs so ice doesn't build up inside of these units and crack them. You can store those drain plugs right in the pump housing with the basket. That way, you know where they are when you open your pool in the spring.

Now, if you have a sand filter, you want to set the multi-port valve to winterize. If your multi-port valve has a bleeder valve or a sight glass remove those as well and store them in the pump basket along with your drain plugs. If you have a de filter, you want to drain it rinse off the grids or fingers. If you have a hayward filter with a hose to remove any excess de powder and then leave those valves open, that's all you got to do for that for a cartridge filter.

You want to drain it and then rinse the cartridge with a hose and spray nozzle leave all the valves open and store the cartridge indoors for the winter or, if it's too, dirty to clean and keep for next season, just throw it out and start with a New one in the spring, now, if your pool uses a saltwater system, switch to chlorine generator to the winter setting, if it has one and if it doesn't most chlorine generators have removable electrolytic cell, that you can access by unscrewing the end caps, remove the cell and Store it inside for the winter or you can just store the whole thing inside. If you want to another quick tip, take the time to clean the cell before storing it, it'll prolong its life and it'll help reduce the risk of hardware problems when it's time to reopen your pool in the spring now. The last thing you need to do is protect your skimmer. If the water builds up and freezes in it, well, I mean it'll crack and the easiest way to do this is with that thing I mentioned earlier, which is called an above ground skimmer cover.

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Don't forget about all your pool accessories like the ladder or any pool toys that you have remove them from the pool, clean them and then store them in a clean dry place directly out of sunlight step. Number seven step number seven pop quiz hotshot. Should you lower the water level in your above-ground pool before you close it? Well, the answer is like everything. It depends.

If you don't use that above-ground skimmer cover like I mentioned earlier, then, yes, you have to drain the water from the pool until the level falls. Just below the skimmer and the return lines, if you do use that skimmer cover that I highly recommend it just remove the hose from your skimmer and put the cover on. And then you don't have to drain the water from your pool by the way. Keeping your water at its normal level is better for your winter cover, because it'll keep the cover afloat and if you weren't, gon na, add a skimmer cover.

You might want to rethink that. Okay. This is super important, and I say this pretty much with every above-ground pool video never drain an above-ground pool completely when you close it, the vinyl liner can dry out making it susceptible to damage step number eight! Now that we've come to my favorite above-ground pool winterization tip it's time to use a pool, pillow quick warning. If you don't use a pool, pillow two members of your family might act like a a couple of holes and try to skate on it when it freezes and completely destroy your above-ground pool.

So I can't say you can't use it anymore. Actually, a pool pillow helps with ice compensation. If your water freezes the ice will expand into the pillow rather than into the pool walls, thus reducing the pressure on your pool and possibly saving your pool from total destruction. Consider it an insurance policy.

Now, here's a secret about a pool pillow: you want to inflate only 50 to 60 % of its capacity that gives the pillow some give to expand and contract in the cold weather and not to be popped by heavy snowfall step number nine. The last thing to do is cover your pool, just place the cover over your pool and don't forget the pillow and then secure it with the cable and winch. You can also secure it with clips and the cable, and I highly recommend you use both the cable and winch and the clips it's just extra secure. If your pool has a deck, you can use water bags to help secure the cover.

Just don't use anything like bricks or rocks or anything that can fall into the pool, and you know damage it. Keep water and debris off your covers throughout the winter to prevent damage and you can use a pool cover pump to remove any excess water or melted snow. All right here we are, I told you, we'd, get your above-ground pool winter eyes and just a few steps. Aren't you glad you stuck around? Aren't you if I miss anything or you have any other questions? Please leave a comment below and if you don't mind hit that like button, if you haven't done so already, if you want to learn more about pool maintenance, troubleshooting product reviews or even taking care of a hot tub subscribe to our channel for more videos like additional One and as always, happy swimming well you're closing your pool, so you're not really swimming in it.

Happy closing you.