Article When Should I Close my Pool for the Season? By Probuilt Staff September 05, 2022

How can it be September already? It seems as if summer just began. Heavy sigh. If you love the playful months of June, July, and August, then you are probably feeling a bit of a let down right now. Granted, there is a lot to be said about the coming season: pumpkins, leaves changing colors, cooler temperatures, and cozy sweaters, but if you love swimming pools as much as we do, then you might be getting a bit misty-eyed as you say goodbye to the lazy, hazy days of summer.

That being said, you are probably wondering when you should close your pool for the season. Just like some of us prefer to hibernate in the colder months, your swimming pool has to buckle down for the colder months ahead, too.

A couple of factors to take into consideration when closing down your backyard swimming pool for the season:

  1. Temperature. Depending on where you are in the country and its seasonal temperatures, this factor will determine when you should close down your pool. If you live in Florida or Arizona, for example, you might not even need to close your pool at all. If you live in Michigan or Illinois, however, you better start preparing.
  2. Public pool schedules. For the most part, public swimming pools typically open around Memorial Day weekend and close around Labor Day weekend. As a general rule, many homeowners do the same. However, if you have a pool heater, that could change your schedule a bit. Pool heaters are great to have as they can extend your pool time by a month or so both before and after the typical pool season. In other words, with a pool heater, you might be fortunate enough to swim from April through October.

But, then again, there are always those folks who still wear shorts and t-shirts even during a blizzard. Your pool cannot do the same. You must definitely close it up before the outside temperatures fall below 30° F (-1° C) at night.

Now, what about winterizing your pool?

Well, as long as you have the pump running, the water is moving. Therefore, it shouldn’t freeze. However, if you lose electricity during a storm and the temperatures drop below freezing, then the water in the pump and in the filter will freeze.

Don’t forget, too, that you may have some plumbing lines that might not have water running through them, such as for a water slide. If that is your situation, then go ahead and winterize your pool.

Once you have closed your pool for the season, then you don’t have to be concerned about the pump and filter system freezing. When you winterize your pool, you should also drain the water out of the system. (But don’t drain the water out of the pool!)

And on another note, if you have a robotic swimming pool cleaner, be sure to follow all of the instructions from the manufacturer with regards as to the temperature and when you should remove the cleaner from the pool. If you continue running a robotic swimming pool cleaner at cooler temperatures, you could risk damaging its motor.

Don’t forget about a pool cover, either! These protect your swimming pool from falling leaves and other debris. Once those leaves start dropping and get into the water, you will have a pretty significant pool cleaning chore on your hands. And you definitely don’t want to let those leaves stay in the pool all winter, as they can stain the pool.

Here are some basic steps to follow when winterizing your pool:

  1. Brush, shock, and sanitize your pool completely and then vacuum any remaining debris off the bottom of the pool.
  2. Allow any pool chemicals used to filter for 24 hours.
  3. Drain water as necessary, but don’t let it drain below the skimmer for fiberglass pools.
  4. Remove all plugs and water from the pump and filter system, as well as from any heating elements.
  5. Be sure to blow out all plumbing lines and plug all lines.
  6. Remove ladders and handrails if you have any.
  7. Clean the salter water generator if you have one.
  8. Turn off all electrical components.
  9. Place a cover on top of the pool and secure it.

This may seem like a lot of work, and, yes, it is a long list, but if you close your pool properly, it will be far easier to open it again next pool season.

If you have any pool cleaning, maintenance, closing, or opening questions, please let us know. We are here to help. We want to make sure that pool ownership is just as exciting for you as it is for us to deliver such fun to you!

Keep enjoying the fun even in the colder months

Just because the pool is closed down for the season doesn’t mean you still can’t treat yourself. In addition to our exciting selection of premier pools, we also have some premier spas, hot tubs, and saunas. We like to consider ourselves one of the best poolside companies in the Midwest. We can help you get in the swim of things in the warmer months and then keep you warm and toasty in the colder months. The backyard paradise of your dreams is ready to be delivered, any time of year.

Surround yourself in pure bliss as you detox, improve immune function, increase blood circulation, reduce stress, and more. Check out our lineup of personal saunas.

Or what about a hot tub? Just because the winter winds are blowing doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the water. We have an exciting line up of hot tubs and spas from which to choose to suit your needs.