Best Way To Close & Winterise Your Pool (UK 2023 Edition)

How To Shut Your Pool Down For Winter Like A Pro - Without The Cost!

You and the family have had great times in the pool this year and closing a pool down for Winter is always a little bit of a sad time. Quite often we call in a pool maintenance company to make sure that our pride and joy gets the best care over the Winter period, but we really don't need to and this helpful "Swimming Pool Winter Closing Guide For UK" will show you how to do it like a Pro (and probably better, too), but for just the cost of the chemicals.

It can seem a bit daunting, shutting the pool for Winter and ensuring that it is ready to use the moment the cover comes off in Spring. Have you noticed though that quite often, even though a company has closed the pool for Winter, that it is green when it is opened. We will show you how to do it yourself, save the money that you would have paid the Pool Maintenance Company and do a better job of it.

How To Close Your Pool Properly & Cheaply in 2022

1. BUY A WINTER CHEMICAL CLOSING KIT. 
   Small Winter Chemical Kit For Pools Up To 24ft x 12ft
   Large Winter Chemical Kit For Pools Up To 40ft x 20ft
   Extra Large Winter Chemical Kit For Pools Up To 180m3
2. ADD PHOSPHATE REMOVER. One week before you intend to close your pool you should add HTH Phosphate remover, as phosphates are what algae feed on.
3. CLEAN THE POOL, THOUROUGHLY. Net any leaves, or debris, then brush the walls and vacuum the floor, if possible to waste. Removing any organic matter from the pool now will allow the chlorine and algicide you add later to work more effectively and for longer. Make sure you empty the skimmer baskets, too.
4. BALANCE THE POOL WATER. The key to a clear pool over Winter is maintaining the correct chemical levels. This is normally the most overlooked part, when closing is carried out by a Pool Maintenance Company, but with a small amount of effort and time now, you can prevent the need for an expensive and time consuming opening of a "Pea Green" pool. Test the pH level, Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness of the pool, with a Test Kit. Adjust the pH to so it is between 7.2 to 7.6, the Total Alkalinity to between 80ppm-120ppm and the Calcium Hardness to between 180ppm-200ppm. You may need pH Plus, pH Minus or Alkalinity Increaser to help you achieve this. 
5. ADD SHOCK CHLORINE TO THE POOL. Using Relax Shock Chlorine Granules, shock your pool following the instructions on the Shock Chlorine Tub. HTH Shock Granules do not need to be pre-dissolved and are the most effective weapon in your arsenal against a green pool. Wait until your Free Chlorine levels drop back to 3ppm before carrying out the next stage. This may take 24-36 hours.
6. ADD A WINTER ALGAECIDE. Preferably use a non-copper anti staining Polyquat, such as HTH Super Kleral Algaecide, as this will not only help prevent algae growth, but also reduce the risk of staining in the pool, over Winter.
7. BACKWASH AND CLEAN YOUR FILTER & PUMP. Backwashing your sand will help reduce the chance of algae growth in the filter over winter. As you will now need to lower the level of your pool water below the skimmer, the fact that the water when backwashing is sent to waste will allow you to kill two birds with one stone. Once backwashing is finished, turn the pump off and position the multiport valve to Winter. Now, clear the pump basket of any debris.
8. LOWERING THE POOL WATER BELOW THE SKIMMER. In the UK, we would always advise pool owners to lower the water level below the skimmer and to clear the pool lines, by using a wet & dry vac to blow the water, that is sitting in the pipework, back into the pool. If you have a mesh debris cover, the water should be around 30cm-50cm below the skimmer, as rain over Winter will fill the pool. If you have a solid material safety cover, which sits on the water surface, then the level should be around 10cm below the skimmer. Use the main drain to pump the water to waste, but if you do not have a main drain then use a submersible pump.
9. WINTERISING THE PUMP, FILTER, HEATER & PIPEWORK. This information is based on an inground pool, where the pump and filter are above pool water level. To reduce the risk of damage to your pool equipment and pipework from ice, a little time spent now could save you thousands of ££££s. Unscrew the unions on your pool pump, disconnect it from the suction line and filter and remove the Drain Plug, putting this in the basket so you know where it is in Spring. Ensure there is no water in the wet end. Next, attach a hose to the filter drain and open the valve. This will drain all the water from the filter tank body, greatly reducing any risk of ice damage. Any caps that are left off the filter, pop into the pump basket. If you have a heat pump, this should have all the water drained from the heat exchanger, as if this is damaged by ice over Winter it is normally cheaper buying a new heat pump, than making the repair. Most Heat Pumps will have a Drain Valve, remove this and also disconnect the unions where the water flows through. Pop the Drain Valve Cap into the pump basket. Using a Wet & Dry Vac, blow any residual water out of the heat pump by attaching the nozzle to one of the water in or out ports. Now that all the unions are disconnected on the pipework use the Wet & Dry Vac to blow the water out of the lines, back into the pool. It is advisable to then plug the skimmer using a Skimmer Winter Closure Gizmo, which screws into the hole at the bottom of the skimmer, stopping rain water filling the pipework and freezing.
10. REMOVE LADDERS AND DIVING BOARDS. To close the pool and add the Winter Cover you must remove all the accessories in and around the pool. Before putting them away, give them a thorough clean.
11. FITTING THE WINTER COVER. Most Winter Covers in the UK are mesh type covers, which allow water through, but stop debris. This is why the water level needs to be so much lower than the skimmer, now. Using the fittings that are attached to your cover tighten and tension the straps, so the cover is not sitting on the water. If you have a solid PVC safety cover, the cover will still need to touch the water.
12. MONTHLY CHECK OF THE POOL'S CHEMICAL BALANCE. The most effective way of ensuring crystal clear water, when you open your pool in Spring, is to check on the chemical readings monthly. Try and maintain 7.4 pH reading and 3ppm chlorine level. If you need to add chemicals to do this use the HTH range, as these do not need to be dissolved.

We hope this guide will help you save money this year and every other year afterwards. If you have any questions or would like to order a Bespoke Winter Chemical Kit, please call on 01322 554 870 or message us through the Contact Us page