Take a beating every winter as they protect above ground pools from the nastiest of elements: rain, ice, snow and especially wind can take a toll on your pool if not winterized and covered correctly. In particular can cause lots of problems if not properly installed. Haphazardly placed covers are a sure-fire way to shorten the lifespan of the cover and possibly your pool. To protect your cover and your pool 5 aboveground pool winter cover tips. ABG Pool Cover Tip #1: Pool Air Pillows Above ground pool owners will be relieved to know that most of these tips involve very simple and affordable solutions, perfectly exemplified. Winter cover air pillows are used to keep a solid ice sheet from forming on the surface of your pool water.
Air Pillows are placed in the center of the pool, with the pool cover pulled tight over the pillow to press it into the water. Is a $10 accessory to hold the air pillow in the center of the pool. Tip: Inflate your air pillows in seconds with a Shop Vac.
Winter Pool Cover Tip #2: Beware the Wind Wind is possibly an above ground pool cover’s worst enemy. Can be trashed if winds gets under the edges and begins to whip and flap the cover. Secure the winter cover cable tightly with the wench (included with all above ground winter pool covers). However, that’s not enough to stop strong wind. Some folks weigh down the cable, with milk jugs or use our, which is fine for moderate winds. The best options to keep out heavy winds are either (shown) or, both made for this purpose, with the added benefit of keeping your cover taut and smooth all winter. Winter Pool Cover Tip #3: Mind the Water Level It’s important to keep an eye on your pool’s water level.
If it drops more than an inch, it can stress the cover and the pool. If the pool loses 6-12″ of water, with rain water pooling on top of the cover, it will damage the cover and possibly the pool. Fix leaks before closing, or add water under the cover if needed. Also important to mind the water level on-top of of your winter cover. A small bit (1/4″-1/2″) of rain water is OK, but more than that could stress the cover, and 6-12″ of water will push pool water over the edges, lowering pool water (see above).
Pump regularly with a pool cover pump like our manual or automatic pump or the non-electric siphon pump (shown). Pump the water a good distance, to avoid over-saturating ground near the pool,and be careful not to pump out pool water through holes in your winter cover! If the cover has small holes, place the pump far from holes, or use upside-down Frisbee as a pump base. Winter Pool Cover Tip #4: Leaf it Alone Leaves on the pool cover can get real messy, real fast. Trying to remove leaves and sticks with a skimmer net or pool brush is not very effective. Instead use a to scoop it off – much more effective, but not easy, definitely not fun, and sharp sticks could damage a pool cover.
If your pool has large trees within 50 ft. – take a look at our. Place this over your pool cover when closing, and remove after all leaves have fallen. Two people can remove every leaf in seconds, and easily carry it away.
Super durable carbonized mesh can also be used spring and fall, to keep an open pool clean. Winter Pool Cover Tip #5: Cover Checks If you are like me, once you winterize, and you know you’ve done it right, you probably try not to think about your pool until the spring. I’ve learned that this is a huge mistake. Tending to your above ground pool is essentially a year round responsibility.
Final Tip: you can’t just set it and forget it. You will need to visit your pool cover regularly, not just for dewatering and dredging activities, but to tighten-up the cover to pull out slack, correct wind gaps, readjust the air pillow(s). It only take a few moments a couple of times a month to run a quick check. The money you save via damage control is worth the effort.
Of course, using those aforementioned products – Leaf Catcher, Pillow Pal, automatic cover pump and Cover Clips or Cover Seal, goes a long way towards an (almost) maintenance-free aboveground pool cover. Now You’re Ready to Close the Pool! These above ground pool covering tips are affordable, simple, and do not require a whole lot of your time – which makes them easy to neglect. As a pool owner, the cheapest, quickest path isn’t always (almost never) the best path. An is an investment that protects a much larger investment: your pool! Spend a few extra bucks for a good cover, and spend time to do things right, along with the right winter cover accessories, and you can avoid!
Ryan Dornan InTheSwim Staff Blogger. Swimming pools are beautiful: sparkling blue water, and inviting pool decks can be just as aesthetically pleasing to look at as they are fun to swim in. Pool equipment, not so much. PVC plumbing, pumps, filters and heaters are obvious necessities for all of us pool owners but any pool owner can attest that we would rather see the results of the equipment without the constant reminder of their presence.
I’ve tackled the topic of in a previous blog with a nuts and bolts approach to building walls around pool pump and filters. Today we approach hiding pool equipment with a greener approach: with Plants. Landscaping Ideas to Hide Pool Equipment There are a number of ways to use the landscape or enhance the landscape to hide pool equipment and redirect sound from noisy pool pumps. A combination of grading and planting can be used to block the view and the sound. Hills & Valleys One of the oldest landscaping tricks is to sculpt the land to make it more pleasing to the eye. Whether an entire dump truck full of fill dirt, or a few yards of topsoil, you can make a nice cerrito, or small hill to hide the pool equipment, and deflect pool pump noise.
Adding a berm or mound in front of the equipment won’t work for everyone, you need to have extra space, a big wheelbarrow and a strong back. Shown here is a delivery of 5 yards of topsoil, but just 1 yard of topsoil can be used create a 3′ x 8′ berm about 12″ high, that can be planted with grasses or bushes. Ornamental Grasses Tall native grasses like Karl Reed Forester can be an affordable solution to hiding your pool equipment area. Many grow tall enough to thoroughly screen the largest of pool heaters, and they are relatively low maintenance. Installing a low and tight fence, 2-3 ft high, between the grasses and the filter system, serves to separate the two, and also will reflect pump noise away from the house. Some of the best grasses for screening purposes are: Maiden Grass – Miscanthus gracillimus The most common of all the tall grasses.
Maiden Grass has a narrow green leaf blade with a white stripe in the middle. Maiden can grow up to 5’ or 6’ tall and up to 5’ wide and each year that it grows back it grows a little bit bigger. It plumes in late September in a nice shade of maroon and then fades to silver. Morning Light Grass – Miscanthus sinensis Maiden grasses little sister is Morning Light.
If your space isn’t big enough for a robust grass like Maiden Grass, Morning Light is very similar only much smaller! They take a few years to come in, faster with water and fertilizer. Prune them back in the early spring to remove dead wood, and they’ll push out new shoots in place. Plume Raven Grass – Saccharum ravennae Plume Raven is similar to Pompas grass or Fountain grass, but is more hardy for colder winter climates.
Plume Raven has a wider blade than Maiden and is a lighter shade of green but it grows much taller, up to 8’ tall in just a few years. Puts forth later summer growth, and can actually jump-up another 4’ when displaying its purple plumes in September. Zebra Grass – Miscanthus zebrinus The blades of Zebra Grass are wider than Maiden and noticeably a brighter shade of green.
It can grow 5’ to 8’ tall and up to 6’ wide. It has a light pink plume appears in late August. It’s a bit floppier than the previously mentioned grasses but can add a unique accent.
An alternative to Zebra Grass is Japanese Silver Grass. It’s much lighter in color but similar in size. Other notable ornamental grasses are Switch Grass, Giant Miscathus, Ravenna Grass, and Giant Feather Grass. Most ornamental grasses are hardy for zones 5-9 (which is most of the US), and can be cut back and mulched-over for winter in northern zones 3-4. Bushy Bushes The big brother of grass, bushes are a step up from tall grasses and can serve as a much denser natural screen. Evergreen bushes work year round and many bushes offer the versatility of thriving in large planters giving you opportunities to flash your style. Ask at your local nursery, some bushes can get messy and produce debris that lands in your pool, and others can grow too big, too fast.
So there you have it America! If you want to soften the backyard, add bushy bushes and fluffy grasses to hide your pool equipment and reduce pump noise. Just be sure to give lots of room for the plants to grow, without blocking sunlight and air flow to the equipment. Or if needed, grasses and bushes can be easily pruned, any time of year. Sheryl Sollis InTheSwim Staff Blogger. If you have closed your pool already, then I say congratulations and sorry at the same time – congrats for getting it done already and sorry your summer is over.
This blog post however, is not about crying for the season passed, but for folks out there with a pool, thinking they might leave their pool open for the winter. You may want to close your pool before the weatherman gives frost warnings in your area – we’re about to show you what happens if you don’t close your pool and have even just occasional winter temperatures below the freezing mark. Fair warning, it’s not pretty.
Some of the images might make you break out in a cold sweat and give your wallet and bank account a case of the shivers. Q: What happens if I don’t close my pool? A: It falls apart. There you have it in plain terms. Don’t believe me?
I’m not trying to scare you, but there are a whole host of potential damage that could occur to pools – if the pumps aren’t running when temperatures dip below freezing. Let’s move on to specifics. PIPE DAMAGE One of the most important things you do when closing a pool is ensuring the pool water level is below the your pool filter system intake along with getting all the water out of your and pipes. If there is any water left in the pipes of your pool plumbing, the water will freeze, and Physics 101 class tells us water expands when it freezes, up to 10%, and that’s enough to crack pipes, pumps, filters, heaters, skimmers, and other things – that are full of water. If pool pipes or equipment is only half full of water for example, there may be enough space for the ice to expand into, maybe. But until you’ve done some winterization, your pool equipment and pipes are likely very full of water.
If you have an with the pool filter system and plumbing above ground (like nearly all above ground pools), pipes and pumps can freeze up in less than an hour of minus 32 degrees. The same is true for inground pool equipment that is not running when temperatures are below freezing. As long as water is moving through all pipes and all equipment, nothing will freeze. Water in underground pipes won’t freeze right away, it takes several days of below freezing temps before the soil freezes.
I’ve been told that the frost goes into the ground about an inch per day, when temps remain below 32°, day and night, for long periods of time. Daytime warm-ups can thaw soils just as rapidly, however. As such, it can take a week or two of consecutive days below freezing, before (well-buried) pipes are in danger of freezing. PUMP DAMAGE This is what a pool pump looks like when you turn it on after it was damaged by ice. At least PVC pipes and connectors are rather inexpensive and easy to replace.
Depending on what type of pool pump you have, buying a new pump housing can cost several hundred dollars more than PVC pipe. To winterize a pool pump (even if just for one night), remove the 2 plugs from the pump. HEATER DAMAGE And don’t think your pool heater is stronger.
Cast Iron and Polymer heater headers are usually the first thing to snap in a sudden freeze. And it’s fortunate that they do, which drains the heater and avoids much great damage.
To winterize a pool heater (even for just one night), remove the front and rear header drain plugs, and disconnect the pressure switch inside the heater. Blowing air through the heater is recommended, to remove all of the water. FILTER DAMAGE Your pool filter tank can withstand enormous pressure, up to 50 psi in most cases, but that’s still no match for the power of expanding ice. In some cases, the tank itself will crack, or the clamp ring on cartridge or DE filters will crack in half, or the top mounted multiport valve flange will separate from the tank, or just start leaking, as shown here. To winterize a pool filter (even just for one night), open the air bleeder and remove the filter drain cap or drain plug.
If you have a multiport valve, turn the handle to a spot in between any two positions, and if you have a push-pull slide valve, place it mid-way between up and down positions. DECK DAMAGE For inground pools, that nasty spring opening surprise could be even worse because your and will start going, and then you’ll notice the equipment isn’t working right and wonder why. It’s because you can’t see the broken pipes that are leaking three feet under your concrete pool deck. Replacing busted up pool plumbing is one thing, having to cut through your concrete pool deck and dig down several feet to fix the plumbing is quite another thing. Let’s not forget, if your pipes are freezing, there’s probably a real good chance your pool equipment is too. THE ENTIRE POOL If you have an above ground pool, there’s something unique that can happen if you don’t use an air pillow or don’t, they crumple like tin cans. An above ground pool is designed to contain the water inside of it, but as an ice sheet thickens across the pool, it puts outward stress on the walls.
When the ice sheet is also frozen inside the skimmer – any heaving, tilting or slipping of the ice sheet can wreak havoc on even the. In this case, a water leak left no support for a 6″ thick ice sheet.
If you still want to keep the pool open, In The Swim carries the lifesaving, compatible with with the This allows you to pre-set a temperature for the pump to turn on, automatically (so you don’t have to). Or, if you go ahead an winterize, don’t forget and to protect your pool, and for inground pools, new winter and pool are in order. And every well-winterized pool can find a cheap insurance policy in. If it’s too late to winterize, and if your pool equipment is already frozen, remove the drain plugs, throw heavy blankets or tarps over the equipment, and set-up a small space heater with plenty of ventilation, you don’t want it to catch on fire next!
For those of you on the fence, you should seriously consider going the pool closing route. Now is the time to do it, and if budget is an issue, In The Swim offers some along with at good prices, right now. Larry Andersen InTheSwim Staff Blogger.
As a blogger for all things pools, I have my eyes and ears open for interesting swimming pool news. On a daily basis, I comb the internet for interesting tidbits, stories of exotic animals in pools, cannonball contests, and useful maintenance tips. As such, I have to wade through sometimes hyped-up warnings regarding the dangers of germs in pools, causing RWI’s. WHAT ARE RWI’s? If you are unfamiliar with Recreational Water Illnesses or RWI’s, the most common examples are diarrheal illnesses (spread by swallowing contaminated water), rashes, swimmer’s ear, eye infections, respiratory infections, or infected wounds.
Hayward Slide Valve Parts
The Kingpin Germ Villain today is ‘Crypto’, or Cryptosporidium, and it even sounds menacing. If you didn’t know any better, a quick Google search would lead you to believe that pools are summer’s biggest menace. In fact, I just read a 4-page article that served up 3.5 pages of all the horrible germs and diseases that await us all if we go in the water. The article ended abruptly with a short list of bulleted tips:.
Hayward Backwash Valve Manual
Don’t use your pool as a toilet. Don’t let other people use a pool as a toilet. Don’t use your pool as a bathtub, be clean. Don’t swim in the pool if you have diarrhea. Don’t drink your pool water even if it is not being used as a toilet This is pretty basic stuff.
Let’s put things in perspective: There is another place that has a similar set of rules: the kitchen. According to the CDC, 1 in 6 Americans, or roughly 48 million people, get sick from food poisoning caused by similar germs and bacteria. That’s a lot of people. There are an estimated 10,000 cases of RWI’s annually, and that number in recent years has admittedly been increasing. Thankfully, the internet isn’t awash in reports and warnings from Mommy Bloggers about the dangers of going to restaurants. Or maybe there, aredo poor reviews count?
Q: Who Do We Blame? A: The Children! Let’s face it, children are gross little disease-spreading creatures that ruin all the adults’ fun. But there is hope for them yet. It’s important to take smaller children on regular bathroom breaks while swimming and for even smaller children it’s necessary to change their diapers in a proper changing area. You wouldn’t change a diaper on the kitchen counter, so don’t do it by the pool.
Above all, kids and adults should shower after a #2 visit to the bathroom.The pool isn’t a toilet and isn’t a bathtub either. We all joke about peeing in the pool and this lighthearted humor could mask the the importance of personal hygiene especially in the water. Educate first, and then tell the peeing in the pool jokes. Does Chlorine Effectively Kill All the Germs in a Pool? The short answer is yes, but some germs are tougher than others. Crypto and Pseudomonas for example, can survive in a properly chlorinated pool.
That is why shocking the pool regularly is important, that’s why we do it – to kill bacteria that escape our normal disinfection. If you are a reader of the In The Swim Blog you hear us repeatedly stress the importance of as frequently as possible. However, sanitary pool water requires much more – a clean pool, with proper water balance, daily circulation and filtration, a daily sanitizer and regular oxidation. What are the proper pH, Alkalinity and Chlorine Levels for a Pool? Use a good test kit or test strip that can test all of the important parameters. pH: 7.2-7.8.
Total Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm. Calcium Hardness: 200-400 ppm.
Chlorine Levels: 1.5-3 ppm. Chlorine Stabilizer: 20-50 ppm When and How Often Should I Shock My Pool? It’s best to shock your pool in the evening because the sun’s UV light destroys the strength of chlorine. Keep your filter running overnight if possible.
Be sure your pH level is correct, or a bit on the low side (7.2), so that the works most effectively. After a pool party or heavy use. At pool start up of for algae treatment. After extended periods of heat.
After heavy rains or leaf litter. If there is a strong odor of chlorine. If the water appears cloudy or dirty. If a raccoon gets into your pool (seriously).
We already covered that people carry germs but extended periods of hot weather can consume sanitizer, and heavy rains or flooding can flush contaminants into your pool. If you smell a strong odor of chlorine in the pool, this usually means that there is a build-up of chloramines in the water. This can be tested and confirmed with a.While most little critters found in the pool are typically harmless raccoons are not. The CDC warns that, “Raccoon feces can sometimes contain the eggs of a worm called Baylisascaris procyonis, which can infect humans, particularly children, and cause neurological illnesses.“ How much Pool Shock to Use? I consulted with on this one, and his first response was “it depends”. That is, it depends on what type of issue you are trying to solve. Cloudy Water – 10 ppm.
Chloramine Removal – 10 ppm. Algae Treatment – 10-30 ppm “ depends on severity“.
Bacteria Removal – 10-30 ppm “ depends on strain“.He means “strain” of bacteria. For those “ pathogenic bacteria“, ones that make us sick, Dr. Pool says to “ shock to 30 ppm“. Use 1.2 lbs of of, or 1.0 lbs of, to raise chlorine levels to 10 ppm, per 10,000 gallons of pool water. Or more simply, to reach 30 ppm, use 3-4 lbs of pool shock, per 10,000 gallons “ with a suitably low pH“.
In The Swim’s colorful infographic on Hungry, Hungry Enzymes: How Do Enzymes Work in Pools? An unsung hero of the pool sanitizer world are enzymes. Help make chlorine stronger by essentially eating-up non-living organic materials which turns the byproduct into water (it’s cool if enzymes pee in the pool) which clears the way for chlorine to come through and kick out the troublemakers. In The Swim also made this equally colorful. Are Saltwater Pools Better Sanitized Than Chlorine Pools? It’s a trick question.
A Saltwater pool is still disinfected with chlorine. The salt doesn’t disinfect, the salt chlorine generated from a salt cell uses electrolysis with the salt to produce hypochlorous acid (HClO) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) which is a fancy way of saying “chlorine”. So no, are not more effective than or liquid chlorine. Don’t Believe the Hype: If a pool is properly balanced, if your swimmers are clean, and you don’t make a habit of drinking pool water you really have nothing to worry about. It is important to educate yourself and children about the potential to get sick from dirty pool habits, and protect your guests, family and self from potential disease-causing bacteria and germs by sanitizing your pool the right way – Constant and Consistent, with regular super-chlorination. One more great graphic from the CDC about Healthy Pool Water Ryan Dornan InTheSwim Staff Blogger.
Like many of you, I am preparing to close my pool for the winter. This summer went by fast ( fastest on record they tell me), and pool maintenance was the easiest it’s ever been for me this past season. Credit some of it to seasoned experience (my 5 th year as a pool owner), some credit to the cool weather, but much of the credit has to be given to FilterBalls. As you may recall from my blog post earlier this summer, I switched out 250 lbs of greasy, old sand from my Hayward Sand Filter with FilterBalls Filter Media. It was taking a chance because FilterBalls are a radical departure from the familiar, and the pool was just opened, and oh, yeah – the Chicago Bulls were going to film a commercial in my backyard in a matter of days.
It was a risk, but an opportunity I am glad I seized upon. In hindsight, are so much easier to handle than big bags of sand, and if I didn’t like the results they certainly were going to be a million times easier to remove from my pool filter than the slimy old sand I scooped out for over an hour.
It would have been a breeze to replace them if they didn’t work as well as the said they would. But they did work – FilterBalls work great! I honestly cannot speak to micron size, or if FilterBalls can trap smaller particulates than regular filter sand. I can say however, that my water never looked better, and without the occasional hazy water that would result if I didn’t do a timely backwash of the sand.
What I can speak of – is catching myself in old habits, compulsively monitoring the filter pressure gauge in anticipation of the next backwash. That was kind of tricky, as my pressure never really went up this summer. I backwashed last month, because it was driving me crazy not to do it at least once. My compulsion got the better of me.
🙂 Another benefit of the lower filter tank pressure was that my return jets were consistently strong all summer. After, the pressure gauge dropped 5 psi, and the pool returns flowed stronger than ever and did a great job circulating the water. And my 1.5 horsepower Hayward SuperPump, as reliable and maintenance free as it is, was always a bit noisy – but after FilterBalls were added, the pump was noticeably quieter. I want to tell you about another innovative product that had a hand in my hands-free pool maintenance summer – the.
I have a weak skimmer in the shallow end of my pool much weaker than the deep end skimmer (closer to the pump), and gave the Skim Doctor a whirl. It’s such a simple little device that it’s practically mad genius. My shallow skimmer now functions as good or better than the deep skimmer. I was so impressed with the Skim Doctor that I ran inside the house to grab my napping wife and insisted she share in my joy. It wasn’t that she wasn’t impressed, but more like she was furious with me for ruining a rare weekend nap – to look at her least favorite part of the pool.
Days later, she would concede that the Skim Doctor was “pretty cool”. Back to FilterBalls – I mentioned that we used 3 bags of. Actually, we saved a few Balls for other experiments, such as tossing a handful of FilterBalls in the bottom of my. They are not heavy at the bottom of the net while wet, and they nab what would otherwise pass through the skim net. We get these thin layers of gnats spawning on the water surface in late summer – gross and hard to skim. I didn’t stop there, though. When the pool turned hazy, because I was being too skimpy with the pump run time ( Hi, ), I dropped a handful in the bottom of the skimmer baskets to see if they would help clear the water.
Hayward Valve Repair
FilterBalls to the rescue – no need for, just 5 or 6 FilterBalls in the skimmer, and by morning, the pool was clear! As for FilterBalls reducing the amount of daily filtering and saving me hundreds of dollars every season – well, it did allow me to run the pump less, not 50% less, but at least 20% less, and every penny counts, right? To be fair, I was already running my pump less than most people anyway. This weekend, when I pop out the, blow out the lines, and fill them up with I won’t have to wonder how long it’s going to take for all the water to drain out from the Sand Filter. No worries about damp, freezing sand expanding inside the filter tank and potentially cracking it.
The water is going to drain right out, probably in less than 1 minute. So there it is as promised, my review of FilterBalls, a real-world test of the filter sand alternative, spun polyester balls that are used to replace pool filter sand. Of replaces 100 lbs. Of, and 50 lbs of. FilterBalls really do work!
🙂 Ryan Dornan InTheSwim Staff Blogger. This post originally from 2012, is New and Improved and bumped to the top! Summer is over and with the end of summer comes the end of swimming; now is the time to prepare your swimming pool for winter.
Here’s my all-new 10 Steps to an above ground pool closing – prevent damage from snow and frozen water, and make pool opening next spring a breeze! Balanced Water Chemistry The first step before closing the pool is to balance the water chemistry about a week before you are ready to close. And ensure that the chemical levels are within range: pH: 7.2 – 7.6 Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm Calcium Hardness: 180 – 220 ppm 2. Shock the Pool After balancing the water chemistry, and several days in advance of closing the pool, add a diluted granular chlorine, or non-chlorine to your pool water to remove any contaminants that could cause stains or algae during winter. The usual treatment is one bag (or pound) per 10,000 gals of pool water, for clear water. If your pool water is hazy or green, add double or triple the normal dosage.
Use a brush afterwards, and brush the floor and walls until your arms wear out. Clean the Pool On the day of the pool closing be ready to clean your pool with your pool vacuum, brush and. Clean it well before lowering the water, and skim again before covering the pool, to remove any wind blown debris. It’s important to close the pool in a spotless condition. Any debris left in the pool will use up your winterizing pool chemicals, affect water balance, and create ugly stains. Remove Accessory Items Remove your skimmer basket, return fittings, solar blankets, pool alarms, ladders or steps, and pool cleaners.
Dry and stow them safely for the winter months – indoors or protected from the elements. Solar blankets can be left on the solar reel, and covered with our durable. They can also be dried, folded and stored in a location inaccessible to mice ( probably not the shed). Lower Water Level Now, you can save the skimmer and save water at the same time with the aboveground pool Just snap on the plastic skimmer cover and you can keep the water at normal levels.
Drain the skimmer pipe, or disconnect the hose connecting to the pump. If you don’t use a skimmer plug that fits into the opening to block water, you need to lower the water level below the mouth of your skimmer to prevent damage from frozen water. Lower the water level to about 3” below the skimmer opening.
Removing too much water could stress your pool cover, liner or pool walls. You can use your, or let the water run out of the return line hose by disconnecting it from the filter. If you have a low water suction line, in addition to the skimmer, close or plug the skimmer, and use the LWS line to lower the water below the skimmer, by setting the filter valve on waste or disconnecting the plumbing ( next). Drain & Plug the Pipes For the return line, back to the pool: If you have filter hoses, use a, or the with o-ring on the return line – on the inside of the pool, and then disconnect the hose, draining it dry.
If you have hard PVC pipes that cannot be removed, use a large wet/dry vac to blow (or suck) the water from the pipes, and add for extra protection. For the skimmer, remove and drain the hose connected to the pump. If you have hard PVC pipes, drain, suck or blow water out. Use a winter skimmer Plug to keep water out of the pipe during winter.
PVC pool pipe cracks easily when the temperature falls below 32 degrees, so be sure that you get all of the water out, or add antifreeze if you’re not sure. The Gizmo is a combination skimmer plug and skimmer protector. It plugs the pipe to keep water out, but also absorbs ice expansion inside the skimmer. Skimmers can fill up during the winter, expand and easily crack a skimmer housing. The Gizmo absorbs the expansion, protecting the sidewalls of your skimmer. Includes a #9 rubber expansion plug to seal up the return line. Drain the Equipment The next step is to drain all the pumping, filtering, heating and chlorinating equipment and blow out all water from plumbing lines, otherwise the water will freeze and crack the equipment.
After draining, pool pipes should be sealed at the pool with, to keep water out of the pipes and equipment during winter. Pumps have 1 or 2. Filters have 1 or near the bottom. Gas Heaters have on each side.
Solar pool heaters have a or a drain cap, or blow air thru the solar panels. Heat Pumps loosen union nuts, slide back and tip the unit very slightly to drain. Chlorinators or Purifiers have 1 drain plug. Be sure to shut off the power and gas supply to gas-fired pool heaters. You can protect pool heaters and heat pumps with a to prevent damage caused by snow, dirt, debris and animals. Moth Balls or mint sachets are also effective at keeping nesting mice out of pool heaters. For DE pool filters and filter cartridges, a final cleaning and inspection is needed while closing the pool.
Remove your filter grids or filter cartridge and hose very thoroughly. Soak in our to have grids or cartridges at their cleanest before replacing into the filter for dry winter storage. Sand filters also benefit from an end of year cleaning to remove oils and mineral scale, before it ‘sits and sets’ all winter long.
Finally at the equipment pad, be sure to shut off all power to the pump, lights, heater and other equipment. If you can easily remove the entire equipment pack for indoor storage, that would be best.
Lubricate O-rings Now is also a good time to lubricate the soft rubber o-rings or threaded metal parts of your equipment. Use a Teflon based for rubber o-rings on your pump lid o-ring, filter tank o-rings, union o-rings, drain plug o-rings, or any other rubber o-ring on your pool equipment. Add Winter Closing Chemicals In addition to maintaining good water balance during the winter, adding winter algaecides and chemical floaters ensure that your pool water remains clean and clear during winter. Not having sufficient winter pool chemicals can lead to a long and costly spring clean-up. A pool winterizing kit makes the process more convenient – just buy the that matches your pool size.
In The Swim winter kits include algaecide, non-chlorine shock, stain & scale preventative, slow release floater and oil absorbing sponge. The shown here, is what I use on my own pool, it has a few extra goodies. Cover your Pool Last but not the least; cover your pool with a tight fitting pool cover to ensure that debris and leaves cannot get into your pool. For aboveground pools come in a variety of round and oval sizes, order by pool size for a perfect fit. In addition to the winch & cable to secure your pool cover, there are many like Wall Bags, Cover Seal and Cover Clips that help to hold down a cover in high winds. Are used in to break up the ice sheet that forms in the pool under the cover, during several days of below freezing weather.
This prevents damage to the pool walls and skimmer from a solid sheet of ice expanding outward. If your pool is surrounded by large beautiful trees, put the on top of your winter cover. Lightweight and super tough mesh lets you remove all leaves and debris in one easy motion. Worth its weight in gold if you have large trees, like I do – saved me from hours of messy leaf dredging each year.
One more winter pool cover accessory is worth mentioning. You’ll need some way to remove the rain water and snow melt from the cover, either with an electrical or gravity fed. That’s it 10 little steps to closing your aboveground pool. Your pool may be slightly different.
If you have questions about how to close it, or what products are needed, you can call our pool winterization experts anytime at 1-800-288-7946! Ayesha Aslam InTheSwim Staff Blogger. It’s that time of year againyes, time to close-up the pool for the season. While not quite upon us just yet, the prep work for winterizing should begin now – about two weeks before you close your pool. It makes the whole process considerably smoother if you tend to these seemingly minute details ahead of time. 2 WEEKS BEFORE CLOSING 1.
Order your and take stock of the pool chemicals that you may already have on-hand that you can use to help you close. The Ultimate pool winter kit is what I now use on my 22K gallon pool, after it proved so successful with earlier pool winterizations. Order pool closing supplies.
Too many times in the past have found myself tearing through junk drawers looking for THAT ONE specific return plug or attachment piece that I, “JUST saw around here last week”! Take stock of your like the anchor, brass, or and. Locate your like before pool closing – don’t hold up the whole process for a small but necessary detail. 1 WEEK BEFORE CLOSING 3. Balance the pool water. The first step in tending to is to make sure that your, and levels are aligned properly.
Add stain and scale prevention like, which needs a day to work by itself, before adding other pool closing chemicals. Try to you have now before closing.
Brush the pool several times during the week. 5. Use to kill off bacteria, algae, and to get your chlorine levels to a nice, strong level. Brush the pool afterwards, then vacuum well the following day. For mesh safety covers, or any pool that opens up green in springtime – I highly recommend treatment with Spring & Fall, with PhosFree. Over-filter the pool water by running the pump 24/7 for a few days before closing the pool – bonus points for adding a dose of. Extra filtering will make sure that your pool water is as pure as possible, to reduce potential for stains and algae during fall and winter. Get a Helper.
Line-up someone to help you put on the winter. You can do 90% of a pool winterization yourself, but the cover is best done with two people. For more, here’s another post of mine on the topic.
POOL CLOSING DAY 9. Shock the pool with. Non-chlorine shock comes with all of our winter kits, to oxidize contaminants in the water, without affecting the winter algaecide, up next 10. Add to prevent it algae from growing in the upcoming months. Add the algaecide just before you cover the pool, after the water has been lowered. Most of these steps should be part of your regular pool routine. Now is the time to ramp-up you efforts to get a good head of steam for the long winter months that lie ahead. Following these steps leading up to closing your pool will not only make the winterizing process smoother, it will make your pool opening easier too!
Ryan Dornan InTheSwim Staff Blogger. Are the best thing since sliced bread, but without regular maintenance, inexpensive outer parts can wear through, damaging more costly inner parts. Good pool cleaner maintenance means regular inspection of the pool cleaner, at key locations, to look for wear or signs of aging. Pools with rough surfaces in contact with the pool cleaner will produce more wear, but all pool cleaners need replacement parts, replaced in a timely fashion, to prevent more severe damage.
An automobile care analogy would be appropriate here – if you wait to long to replace your tires, you could be running on rims one day. The same with your car’s filters and fluids you have to do the preventative maintenance, if you want to avoid bigger, more expensive repairs. Are the same way, pay a little now for, as needed, or pay a lot more later if you have to replace the entire cleaner. Robotic Pool Cleaner Inspection Cords: Older power cords have floats and pins that need adjustment to keep the cord floating, while newer are encased in floating foam.
Inspect the hose for holes or damage and patch with an if found. Inspect the cord retainer on the machine, to be sure the cord is securely fastened to the body of the cleaner. Wheel Tubes and Brushes: Whenever you clean the filter, take a look at the wheel tubes (or wheels), and the pins and bushings that connect them to the. Be sure none are missing. That are worn, allowing pin and tube wobble should be replaced. Wheel tube that are worn will affect cleaning, and will allow surfaces to rub on the wheel tube. Drive Tracks and Drive Belts: Inspect for tightness by pressing down with your finger.
Either should have about 1/4″-1/2″ deflection when pressed firmly. If belts are loose, some cleaners have an adjustment you can make, while for traditional robotic style cleaners (like ), this indicates that one of the is loose. Tracks need replacement when the raised ridges wear down halfway, or damage can occur to the cleaner. Drive belts are replaced if they become stretched out or if ‘teeth’ are missing. Internal Inspection: Now we go inside, to retrieve the filter or debris bag on a robotic cleaner. Inspect inlet valve flaps, bottom latch mechanisms, and the or other internal filter parts. Check out the power cord entering the motor, for a visual check that everything looks normal, nothing broken, no oily discharge from motors.
Suction Pool Cleaner Inspection Hoses: A hose inspection is done when you are pulling the cleaner out of the pool, inspecting each, and listening for any air leaks, which indicates loose connections between hoses or small holes. Also on suction cleaner hoses (like ), you will have hose weights and/or hose floats along the hose. Give these a look to be sure they are in place. Head: The main wear point on a Kreepy style cleaner is the main and. With the cleaner disconnected, inspect the underside for signs of wear on both.
Hayward style cleaners will need new every few years, or you”ll soon need new pods, and a set of. Whatever is in contact with the pool bottom on your suction cleaner, keep tabs on the level of wear, each time to pull it from the pool. Internal Inspection: can become clogged with twigs, acorns or large leaves, but sometimes will keep operating. Flip the unit over to inspect the intake throat, and if your Hayward or StaRite style of suction cleaner is not cleaning properly, you may need to lift the hood, to see what is gumming up the. Check out our, to see how all the little bits fit together. Pressure Pool Cleaner Inspection Hoses: Again we start at the hose, actually at the wall, to clean the. Reconnect, and then pull the cleaner towards you (with booster pump on) slowly, to inspect each and swivel.
A small leakage is normal from, but if spraying strongly, replace. Should be floating, if not replace. Look for any holes or damage to the hose, which will be spraying water, so easy to spot. Head: Tires should be replaced if rounded. Can be rotated, put your best tire on the wheels that are driven, or the front wheel for. Check the for side-to-side wobble, any deflection more than 1/8″ may mean that you need new. 180/280 Polaris style wheels have gear teeth inside, inspect for damage, and rotate damaged wheels to the rear.
Give the front wheel a spin, all 3 wheels should rotate easily, if they skip or bind, adjust the axle forward or backward until wheels spin smoothly. Give the a look, if too small or missing, the more costly tail will need to be replaced. Same for the, it serves to protect the hose tip orifice. Check the for any holes, and for belt driven cleaners, look at the and check for deflection of no more than 1/2″ when pushed firmly downward. Internal Inspection: Very small bits of sand can get stuck deep inside the (water management system), and block water flow. Water that enters the head unit, goes in 3 places – the, the thrust jet and up into the venturi throat. To test briefly, if the cleaner is placed on the deck with the bag removed, and the booster pump is turned on, water should spray straight up about 15-20 ft in the air, and out the thrust jet and tail to a distance of about 10-15 feet.
If water is not flowing smoothly and strong through these 3 areas, you’ll need to open up the hood and get under there to find the obstruction – follow the ‘water trail’, the problem lies where the pressure dies. The idea is, every time that you service the cleaner, give it a 21-point inspection, and look closely for wear, damage or missing parts (which are sometimes found in the cleaner bag or pump basket!). So again, pool cleaners are kind of like cars in regards to maintenance, and it reminds me of the old Fram filter commercial on TV – “You can pay me now, or you can pay me later” When you need pool cleaner parts, and trust me you will – I hope we can be your parts provider – and bookmark the page for your reference. Davy Merino IntheSwim Blog Editor.
Did you know, that nearly all are now made under the Kreepy Krauly name? Pentair has brought the Sta-Rite and Letro cleaners under the Kreepy moniker, and added several advanced new cleaners of their own creation, for an entire Kreepy Family! And why not, it’s the world’s most recognized pool cleaner, and our even with a name like Kreepy Krauly. Has really grown the Kreepy product family:. Cleaner, and the suction-side pool cleaners. Kreepy Krauly, and ‘ suction-side pool cleaners. Kreepy Krauly, and pressure-side pool cleaners Today’s post is a Video-Log, which means I’m just going to post some cool videos and call it a day – but hey it’s Friday!
Pentair videos of the world’s most popular pool cleaners, doing some pretty impressive underwater acrobatics, all while vacuuming and scrubbing the pool. Kind of like Rosie from the Jetsons, but under-water!
1., 5th generation inground pool suction-side cleaner 2. Pentair Rebel shows off speed and maneuvers 3. Cleaner is both cute and kreepy 4. Cleaners have a dark side, and a white side 5., friendly and energetic suction cleaner I hope you liked these short videos as much as I do – the crew that produced these did such a good job, they gave me goosebumps!
Thanks to Pentair for the Kreepy videos, keep ’em coming! Davy Merino InTheSwim Blog Editor.
Hot tubs always have been advertised as being beneficial to your health, but do you really know what the health benefits are? Let’s take a look at why soaking in a hot tub might help you improve your overall physical and mental health.
Improved Sleep It’s a fact that getting quality REM sleep on a regular schedule provides a variety of health positives for your mind and body. Good sleep improves everything from your mental alertness, stronger immune system, rejuvenated muscles and even the way your body metabolizes food. Getting into the hot tub before bed helps regulate your body temperature to a comfortably warm level that helps you fall asleep quicker and sleep through the night with fewer disruptions. Just don’t use the hot tub too close to your bed time when you could be too warm and even sweaty when heading to bed which could lead a harder time falling asleep. Reduced Stress & Anxiety Many studies have proven that a hot tub is an ideal way to relieve mental and physical stress. Soaking in a hot tub for just 20 minutes can counteract stress as the perfect combination of hot water, massaging from the spa jets, and the feel of being weightless in the water helps you relax and decrease anxiety.
Further, the hot water that massages various points on your body stimulates the release of endorphins – the body’s way of helping you feel better and more positive. Lower Blood Pressure As you sit in a hot tub, the elevated water temperature actually makes your heart works slightly harder and faster to get your body to disperse the excess heat.
If you’re thinking, “won’t that raise my blood pressure?” you are correct, but an elevated blood pressure occurs only briefly. As the hot water raises your body’s temperature, that warmth causes cells and vessels to dilate which decreases the resistance to your heart, improving your body’s circulation, and ultimately lowering your blood pressure.
Also, when your heart rate elevates, the increased blood flow produces extra oxygen that revitalizes cells which helps you feel rejuvenated as well as more relaxed. Better Skin Care A regular soak in a hot tub can actually improve your skin.
The hot water opens your pores which is a great treatment to heal and rejuvenate your skin. Hot water also works to clean and disinfect your skin (which is a good reminder to practice regular hot tub maintenance).
However, be careful to not soak too often or too long as this can dry out your skin instead of make it healthier. 20 minutes more or less, depending on your overall health. Better Healing, Less Chronic Pain Hot tubs are a great way to seek relief from body aches and pains such as arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel and muscle soreness from exercise or plain ol’ hard work. Much of this relief comes from your body’s improved blood circulation from the hot water (see Lowers Blood Pressure above), and the improved flow of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles helping them relax and easing inflammation. In a hot tub, the spa jet bubbles help you feel an increase in buoyancy.
As many of us know all too well, the lighter you – in this case, the lighter you feel – the fewer aches and pains you will suffer. The increased buoyancy is actually providing a feeling of weightlessness, or at least making you feel lighter if not weightless, which helps takes stress in joints and muscles. Aromatherapy It would be short sighted to discuss the health benefits of hot tubs without mentioning aromatherapy. There are many different brands and types of available now, and each one targets specific areas of your mind or body. Offer different therapies from soothing to invigorating, while PharmaSpa’s have more specific targets to sleep better, improve breathing, fight a cold or flu, soothe achy muscles and sprains, and increase blood circulation.
If you’ve felt the health benefits of a hot tub, feel free to share them with all here, and let us know what part of you felt better and how did your hot tub help you improve your health.