Common Pool Closing Mistakes

Swimming Pool Cover on Pool - Rising Sun Pools & Spas

Common Pool Closing Mistakes

When preparing to close your pool, especially for the colder winter months, there are quite a few common mistakes that pool owners tend to make. It is often recommended to allow a professional service company to close and winterize your pool for you. Don’t make these mistakes:

Draining the Pool

Part of winterizing your pool involves lowering the water level below the lowest return ports to blow all of the water from the plumbing system. This ensures that all water is evacuated from the pipes, and you can get a secure seal with winterizing plugs in use. However, some pools can not be winterized with this method without the risk of damaging the pool. All pools are designed to be full of water in order to hold them in the ground, so most can be drained below the returns, but some old concrete and fiberglass pools can not. Some vinyl liner pools may experience the issue of floating liner if you drain too much.

Closing with Dirty Water

Some pool owners attempt to close their pool while there is still debris in the water and/or the pool’s chemistry is not balanced. This all depends on personal cleanliness; some people keep their rooms clean every day while others don’t mind clutter. The same goes for pool care. The right thing to do before closing your pool is to skim, vacuum, and chemically balance it. Your pool will then be as clean as it can possibly be when you open it next season.

Incorrect Use of Leaf Net

If you have a lot of trees in your yard, a leaf net might be a good idea. Many pool owners install their leaf net and leave it until the spring, which is not the correct use. When spring finally rolls around, the leaves have rotted and can slip right through the leaf net. They are also incredibly heavy due to the water they are holding. Your leaf net should be put on your pool in the fall before the leaves begin to fall and removed after the leaves have fallen. The leaves should still be relatively dry and lightweight, so removing the cover is simple work.

Failing to Remove Pressure Gauge

Filter pressure gauges are carefully calibrated and are sensitive to damage from impact and freezing in those cold months. If you do not remove the pressure gauge from your filter, it is likely to become damaged or broken during the winter. You may not even notice that it is broken, which could lead to maximum system pressures being exceeded. You also won’t know when it is time to clean your filters. Unthread your pressure gauge from the filter and store it with the other plugs from the pump and filter when closing your pool.

Rising Sun Pools & Spas

For over 46 years, we’ve been the pool builders of choice for home and business owners in North Carolina. No pool company has more customers, more experience or more expertise than Rising Sun Pools. There’s no pool construction, design or renovation project that we haven’t encountered (and solved)! Contact us today!