13 Steps to Winterize Your In-ground Pool

How to Properly Close Your Pool for Winter Weather

Everyone loves checklists and our pool professionals at Parnell Pool & Spa are no different. Whether you are a novice pool owner or an expert with years of experience, a checklist can be the difference between getting the job done right or pointless hours of stress and tears.

When winterizing your pool, there are several steps to make sure your pool is ready to weather the harsher winter temperatures. From adding pool antifreeze to purchasing the right cover, the winterization process can be overwhelming. To help with the winterization of your in-ground pool, our experts created a helpful checklist to make the process more manageable.

Steps to Winterize Your Pool

These steps are the nitty-gritty of what needs to happen when closing your pool. For more detailed information or to inquire about the winterization process, contact us.

1. Clean the pool thoroughly: brush, skim, and vacuum the pool to remove all debris
2. Test and Balance the chemicals (normal range)
3. Run the pump one complete cycle to remove all dirt and debris
4. Backwash and clean pool filters
5. Lower the water level below the skimmer and return lines
6. Drain your system entirely by blowing out all plumbing and plugging each valve
7. Add pool antifreeze if in a region that experiences below-freezing temperatures
8. Place skimmer bottle or Gizzmo into the skimmer
9. Shut off all power to the pumps and pool lights
10. Add winterizing pool chemicals
11. Remove all pool accessories and clean the deck area
12. Cover pool
13. Check chemical balance regularly throughout the winter months

Want to read more about winter pool topics?

Take a look at some of our other blogs to help with winter pool maintenance: 

• How to Protect Your Pool From Freezing Temperatures
• 6 Steps to Properly Close Your Pool
• Winter Pool Care: Cover and Winterizing vs Leaving Open
• How to Properly Care for Your Open Pool Through Winter

Need help?

At Parnell Pool & Spa, we are here to take the guesswork out of closing and opening your pool this season. Contact us via the form below or stop by our Fayetteville or Lumberton location anytime. While in the store, check out our products, purchase chemicals for your pool/hot tub, or get a specific question answered by one of our experts. Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Instagram as well.