How to winterize - above ground pool

[foggygoggles]

Hello,

This is my first winter with my first pool ever.
We were very successful this summer following the TFP chemical balancing process and we got a lot of good swimming in.

Here in central New Jersey it is getting towards time to close the pool for the winter, and I Wanted to tap the braintrust here to understand how to winterize. I have read the article Closing (Winterizing) Your Above Ground Pool and it seems complete, but I don't want to mess it up and break something the first time.

The pool:
- above ground
- 18' x 3.5' round, about 6700gal
- vinyl liner
- Hayward sand filter
- hayward pump

I have the following tools/parts:
- skim net
- brush
- vacuum triangle thing
- solar cover (bubble wrap looking)
- leaf net (black net with wire drawstring)
- cover (tarp with wire drawstring)
What should my closing process be, do I need to purchase a winter cover?

Attached is a photo of the pump & filter setup.

Thank you!
-foggygoggles

Edit: found cover

 

[Texas Splash]

That article really sums it up. But for some of your specific questions:
- Be 100% sure to drain the filter and pump REALLY well. You don't want any residual water to freeze and expand in either one. Leave the filter drain plug out for a while to let water from the sand continue to escape.
- Any small parts you disconnect (i.e. drain plugs, fittings, etc) keep together. Maybe place them in the pump pot. Just don't lose them.
- Disconnect the hose from the bottom of the skimmer. That should allow water water entering the skimmer to drain out. But I would place some pieces of a cut-up pool noodle in the skimmer just to be safe. I would consider covering the top of the skimmer too.
- Pool covers are not mandatory. Once all the leaves have fallen, it's one less thing to worry about. Your call.
- Water chemistry is key to keeping the water clean & clear through the next few months. If you have any doubts about algae, do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test now. If you pass, great. If you fail, do a SLAM Process now. Make sure you have a good elevated FC level before shutting it down for the season.

Hope that helps.

 

[Mdragger88]

I found the leaf net works kinda like a tea bag with the leaves when used without a solid cover. As they get wet & break down/get stuck & stuff gets in the pool.
If you plan on using it over your solar cover you may fare better. Although i am not sure how the solar cover will do over the winter- it may get pulled into the pool with precipitation being as you really can’t pump it off like a solid cover.
I use leaf net over the solid cover then after the bulk of the leaves have fallen I dump it & put it back. I do it again in the spring before opening. This keeps the cover quite clean & keeps the cover pump from getting clogged.

One note- I see you have an extension cord running your pump- it is dangerous to have the cord where it is hanging from the pool like that.

All power sources should be 6ft from the pool.
It must also be on a gfci protected circuit otherwise it is very dangerous. Water & electricity is a dangerous combination.
Also, depending upon how long that cord is & the gauge of the wire in the cord you may suffer from considerable voltage drop. This condition can/will burn up your motor & possibly the cord if sized inappropriately.
An appropriately sized cord on a gfci protected circuit with amps & length taken into consideration should still only be a very temporary solution.
It should be replaced with the appropriate permanent receptacle that complies with local & national electrical codes as soon as possible.

 

[foggygoggles]

Edit: I found a cover that I hadn't noticed before hiding in the corner of the shed.

Understood re: extension cord. It is on a GFCI and 12awg. I will consider a buried cable arrangement in the spring as I have another trenching project to do anyways.

More specific questions:

1. Am I supposed to pump the water off the top of the cover over the winter? What machine do people do this with?
2. do I have to put something floaty under the cover? The ice doesn't damage the vinyl liner?
3. I will drain the pump and take it into the basement. The filter appears to be buried past the drain plug. Is the answer "just dig it out"?
4. in the instructions it says "Remove muti-port/spider gasket." Is this the valve on top of the filter? I guess I could take that off and put it in the basement. Then the filter is just a bucket of sand.

Sorry for the noob questions. I am learning as I go.

Thank you!
-foggygoggles

 

[Texas Splash]

Am I supposed to pump the water off the top of the cover over the winter? What machine do people do this with?

That is best to prevent heavy accumulations from sinking the cover. There are small pool cover pumps available.

do I have to put something floaty under the cover? The ice doesn't damage the vinyl liner?

It's a good idea to help encourage water to roll off of the cover. The frozen ice won't hurt the liner as long as you don't try to break it or move it around.

The filter appears to be buried past the drain plug. Is the answer "just dig it out"?

If not, then you'll have to empty it form the top. Save the sand and use a ShoVac to help get it dry.

in the instructions it says "Remove muti-port/spider gasket." Is this the valve on top of the filter? I guess I could take that off and put it in the basement. Then the filter is just a bucket of sand.

Correct. The spider gasket is actually under the handle area (under those 8 screws).

 

[Mdragger88]

Edit: I found a cover that I hadn't noticed before hiding in the corner of the shed.

Fantastic

Understood re: extension cord. It is on a GFCI and 12awg. I will consider a buried cable arrangement in the spring as I have another trenching project to do anyways.

Also fantastic

More specific questions:

1. Am I supposed to pump the water off the top of the cover over the winter? What machine do people do this with?

Its called a pool cover pump - I have a nice electric automatic one (they range from $30 to $200 - some automatic & some not) but there are also manual siphon ones that cost about $20. I used one of those for many years - you just gotta remember to go get it going when the rain starts as its slowwwwww.
All of them should be removed in freezing conditions
You can also just use a hose & create a siphon to remove water. This gets tricky to prime when your hose bibs are winterized.
There’s lots of YouTube videos about how to do it.

1. do I have to put something floaty under the cover? The ice doesn't damage the vinyl liner?

You can use an air pillow if you want - many people do fine without them. Up to u!

1. I will drain the pump and take it into the basement. The filter appears to be buried past the drain plug. Is the answer "just dig it out"?

The bottom of the filter is probably round & is supposed to sit on a base to keep it upright which seems to be missing in your case which is why I suspect they buried it.
Look around in your shed for the base. I personally would uncover the drain plug so you can be sure it drains properly.
Perhaps you can dig a small trench to get to the plug & allow it to drain without digging out the whole thing if you don’t come across the plastic base. You can buy a base - but they are really expensive considering they’re just a piece of plastic with a hole in them.

1. in the instructions it says "Remove muti-port/spider gasket." Is this the valve on top of the filter? I guess I could take that off and put it in the basement. Then the filter is just a bucket of sand.

I do not remove my mpv - I just set it to the winter position.
I don’t remove my pump - I just drain it. There are usually 2 plugs.
I put all the equipment drain plugs in the pump basket so they are easy to find in the spring.
I do however remove my pressure gauge & bring it inside.
I also cover my mpv, filter, & pump with a small tarp so water/ice can’t accumulate on the parts.

Sorry for the noob questions. I am learning as I go.

Thank you!
-foggygoggles

No problem you won’t know unless you ask!