Closing Your Pool Before an Indiana Winter

Closing a pool isn't about being done with it. It's about handing it to winter in a shape that survives freeze and thaw. In central Indiana, water sitting in a pipe, a pump or a heater will freeze more than once between December and March, and ice does damage in places you can't see until spring. Most closing mistakes come from rushing the last day. Plan a weekend and start the week before.

Pick the right week

The usual advice is to close once the water has settled into cool temperatures and stays there, not on the first chilly night. Algae grows fast in warm water, and a pool closed while it's still warm can start the winter with a head start. Close too late and leaves pile up, and leaves left in the water turn into stains. Watch the weather and the pool, not the calendar.

Clean and balance first

Brush the walls and floor, vacuum, and empty the skimmer and pump baskets. A pool that goes under the cover dirty comes out dirty, with the stains set in. Then test the water and bring pH, alkalinity and sanitizer into their general ranges. Unbalanced water sitting for five months can stain surfaces, form scale or attack metal parts.

Bring a sample in the week you plan to close. Ask what your pool needs for winter. Winterizing chemicals come in several forms, and the right amount depends on the product and your pool's size, so use the label and the advice you get at the counter.

Lower the water, then drain the equipment

How low to go depends on the cover. Lowering the water to just below the skimmer opening is common with a standard winter cover. Other covers differ, so check the instructions that came with yours. One rule holds across the board for vinyl liner pools: don't drain one down far or empty it. The water weight holds the liner in place, and a liner without it can shift, wrinkle and tear.

Then go through the equipment pad piece by piece.

• Pump: drain the housing, pull the drain plugs, and store the plugs in the pump basket so they don't wander off.
• Sand filter: set the multiport valve to Winter or Closed so the gasket isn't left squeezed against its seat, and open the drain plug on the tank.
• Heater: drain it according to its manual. Heat exchangers hold water and crack when it freezes.
• Chlorinator or feeder: empty it, rinse it, and bring it indoors if it comes apart.
• Hoses, gauges, ladders and rails: pull what comes off, dry it and store it.

Blow the lines and plug them

Water left in plumbing is the most common reason a line cracks. Use a pool blower, or a strong shop vacuum set to blow, to push air through each line until the bubbles stop. Plug each return and the skimmer line while the air is still flowing, so no water creeps back in.

Threaded winterizing plugs are cheap, and it's worth buying new ones if the old ones have gone brittle. Some owners add pool antifreeze to the lines after blowing them out. If you do, use only a product made for pools, never automotive antifreeze.

Choose and fit the cover

Each type has trade-offs. A solid safety cover anchors into the deck and carries more weight, but rain and snowmelt collect on top, and you'll need to pump it off. A mesh cover lets water through and keeps leaves out, but fine silt can still reach the pool. A floating winter cover with water bags needs a look after every windstorm.

Whichever you have, make sure it's snug, with no gaps at the edges where wind can get under and peel it back. Check it after heavy storms and after thaws, not just once in November. A cover pump and a push broom are small purchases that save big headaches in February.

Stock up before the first hard freeze

Barker's winter hours run November through February: Monday to Friday, 9 to 4:30, closed Saturday and Sunday. That's a shorter week than in season, so if you're closing the pool yourself, sort out your winterizing supplies and call ahead before the cold sets in.

The store at 1565 E Main St in Brownsburg is family owned and has served the area since 1980. Its shelves hold pool and spa chemicals, covers, pumps and filters, and maintenance supplies. If something you need isn't in stock, they'll order it and have it delivered quickly. Call (317) 852-8979 if you're not sure what your equipment needs.

Closing well takes one weekend. Closing badly shows up in April as a cracked line, a split heater or a cover that's gone in the pool. The weekend is cheaper.