5 Questions about Pool Closings (Winterizing) in New Jersey

Q. What kinds of Chemicals are added to pool for closing?

A.  Most commonly used with Pool Professionals is a concentrated shock treatment along with a winter algaecide.  The water chemistry should be balanced at a minimum of 24 hours prior to the closing of your pool. Most importantly the PH and Alkalinity.

Q. Why do I have to lower the water in the pool?

A. In a concrete pool, the water level should be lowered to approximately 1′ under the tile line. The reason for this is that if the water is at or above tile line and it freezes, it an expand outwards and actually crack the tile. In a vinyl liner pool it is recommended to keep water level below the skimmer. The reason for this is “better safe than sorry”. As we all know in this world of modern conveniences, in this case a “Gizmo” as things age, they may fail to perform in the way they were meant to. I personally would not want to leave my water level up and find out when I open my pool that my Gizmo or a plug failed and now I have a leak in my pool plumbing, would you?

Q. Should I vacuum the pool before I close it?

A. Well, honestly this is totally up to you. If there is a lot of debris in the pool, then I wouldn’t recommend closing it like that, the pool will open dirty. If there are only a couple leaves and bugs then its really not a problem. As most pool owners vacuum once they open the pool, a little bit of dirt isn’t a problem.

Q. I lowered the water in my pool, so why when I check is the level high again?

A. Pool in NJ where we have hard freezes, snow, and lots of rain during the Fall, Winter, and Spring months, the pool will fill with water. I would recommend getting a submersible pump like a Little Giant to lower the water if you can. The water gets into the pool under the pool cover if a mesh type, if you are using a solid cover if there are any tears in the cover this will allow water into the pool or if your solid cover falls into the pool and had water on it.

  Q. In pool season I use a floater for my chlorine tabs, can I leave this in the pool over the winter so it can release chlorine after I close? 

 A. I do not recommend this as if the water freezes (highly likely in NJ) it could crush the floater causing the tabs to sit at the bottom of the pool causing damage to the pool’s finish. If you have a vinyl liner pool having the tabs sit on the bottom of the pool or if the floater becomes trapped against the wall of the pool, this can cause bleaching of the liner which is unsightly and the only way to repair is to install a new liner.

View Source


Interested in our pool services? Come check out some of our work!

Click Here