As the temperatures begin to drop, the realization that the end of the summer season is approaching sets in. While the colder weather looms in the near distance, our to-do lists grow significantly as we scramble to get all of our summer equipment stored away before it gets too cold. Since most residential, commercial outdoor pools and splash pads close after Labour Day weekend in Canada, closing the pool usually tops the list for pool owners and operators.

For residential pools especially, did you know that it is best to keep your pool open until the water temperature is consistently below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)? This allows the water to be a consistently lower temperature which creates a better environment for closing chemicals, ensuring they last until spring. 

For commercial pools and splash pads it’s a completely different world. Most large commercial pools are required to be fully drained in order to winterize all of the main drains and plumbing lines to ensure all of the mechanical systems are completely drained for the below freezing temperatures we embrace annually residing in Canada. 

 Use the checklist below as a guideline for closing your outdoor pool. 

• Remove deck equipment, hardware, and non-permanent objects such as ladders, rails, tot slides, guard chairs, starting blocks, drinking fountains, accessibility lifts, portable ramps, clocks, weirs, and safety equipment to prevent vandalism. Store in a clearly marked, identifiable, weather- protected location. Cap all exposed deck sockets. 

• Remove the diving boards and store them indoors (upside down and flat to prevent warping). 
• Follow your manufactures directions for the winterization of any toys and water features in your facility. Some smaller units can be removed, while others, like dumping buckets, remain and have specific procedures to follow for winterizing.
• Completely drain the pool and remove all white goods and skimmer baskets and store in a marked container. Residential Pools only need to be drained down to 1 ½’ below the returns and discharge the lines.

• Drain all of the pool equipment including pumps, strainers, heater, UV systems, filters, surge tanks and holding tanks. 
• Store all probes from chemical controllers in water in a warm environment for the winter months. Do not allow the water to freeze. 
• Using an air compressor and correct connections, discharge the main drains, skimmer/gutter lines, returns and jets from the mechanical room to the pool. 
• Plug all of the lines on the pool side with the proper sized fitting or test plugs. Consult your pool specialist for assistance if you need to replace any threaded or test plugs.
• Fill your pumps or strainers with pool grade antifreeze to keep the mechanical seals lubricated for the winter. This will ensure a smooth start up in the spring.  
• Fill the pool for the winter to your recommended depth based on your specific pools requirements. If you're unsure about your facility's requirements, contact your pool consultant or design engineer.  
• Shock the pool with liquid chlorine and Install the pool cover, if applicable. 

Here are some extra closing tips for closing commercial pool facilities.

• Turn off the water supply and restroom showers, sinks, and toilets.
• Drain all of the pipes to ensure all of the lines are free of water. Remove shower heads and drinking fountain handles.
• Open hose bibs and fill spouts.
• Have your phone service provider disconnect the pool telephone and discontinue service for the winter season.
• Confirm the security of the facility to present unauthorized access.

Ensuring you have winterized properly can be a worrisome, but with the right preparation beforehand and ensuring you have the proper tools, you will be ready. Before you know it, Spring will be upon us and it will be time to open again!

As the temperatures begin to drop, the realization that the end of the summer season is approaching sets in. While the colder weather looms in the near distance, our to-do lists grow significantly as we scramble to get all of our summer equipment stored away before it gets too cold. Since most residential, commercial outdoor pools and splash pads close after Labour Day weekend in Canada, closing the pool usually tops the list for pool owners and operators.

For residential pools especially, did you know that it is best to keep your pool open until the water temperature is consistently below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)? This allows the water to be a consistently lower temperature which creates a better environment for closing chemicals, ensuring they last until spring.

For commercial pools and splash pads it’s a completely different world. Most large commercial pools are required to be fully drained in order to plug up all of the main drains and ensure all of the systems are completely empty.  

Tip! Before winterizing, chemically treat your filtration system. Contact your pool experts to find out how to remove grease and oil from your filters to increase their lifespan and save money for next season!

Use the checklist below as a guideline for closing your outdoor pool.

• Remove deck equipment, hardware, and non-permanent objects such as ladders, rails, tot slides, guard chairs, starting blocks, drinking fountains, accessibility lifts, portable ramps, clocks, weirs, and safety equipment to prevent vandalism. Store in a clearly marked, identifiable, weather- protected location. Cap all exposed deck sockets.
• Remove the diving boards and store them indoors (upside down and flat to prevent warping).
• Follow your manufactures directions for the winterization of any toys and water features in your facility. Some smaller units can be removed, while others, like dumping buckets, remain and have specific procedures to follow for winterizing.

Tip! Isolate your flow cell for your probes before you drain your system.

• Completely drain the pool and remove all white goods and skimmer baskets and store in a marked container. Residential Pools only need to be drained down to 1 ½’ below the returns and discharge the lines.
• Drain all of the pool equipment including pumps, strainers, heater, UV systems, filters, surge tanks and holding tanks.
• Store all probes from chemical controllers in water in a warm environment for the winter months. Do not allow the water to freeze.
• Using an air compressor and correct connections, discharge the main drains, skimmer/gutter lines, returns and jets from the mechanical room to the pool. 
• Plug all of the lines on the pool side with the proper sized fitting or test plugs. Consult your pool specialist for assistance if you need to replace any threaded or test plugs.
• Fill your pumps or strainers with pool grade antifreeze to keep the mechanical seals lubricated for the winter. This will ensure a smooth start up in the spring. 
• Fill the pool for the winter to your recommended depth based on your specific pools requirements. If you're unsure about your facility's requirements, contact your pool consultant or design engineer. 
• Install pool covers if required in your area.
• Turn off the water supply and restroom showers, sinks, and toilets.
• Drain all of the pipes to ensure all of the lines are free of water. Remove shower heads and drinking fountain handles.
• Open hose bibs and fill spouts.
• Have your phone service provider disconnect the pool telephone and discontinue service for the winter season.
• Confirm the security of the facility to present unauthorized access.

Ensuring you have winterized properly can be a worrisome, but with the right preparation beforehand and ensuring you have the proper tools, you will be ready. Before you know it, Spring will be upon us and it will be time to open again!

Swimming pools are an excellent way to stay active and have fun in the summer, but if you live or operate a swimming pool in a colder climate, there comes a time at the end of the swimming season when pools must be winterized. Not winterizing a pool in a colder climate is simply not an option, unless you want a hefty repair bill come spring.

The power of water when it freezes, and thaws is absolutely amazing. In colder climates, like Canada for instance, pools that are not properly winterized will experience all kinds of damage, such as cracked and broken pipes, pumps and filters.

In addition to winterizing the entire mechanical system for the pool, the pool shell itself requires protection against frost. The simplest way to protect a pool shell is to leave it full of water for the winter. When filling the pool for a winter hibernation, care should be taken to allow room for the water to rise with rain and snow. Typically, the water level in a pool is left 12-18" from normal operating level at the time of winterizing.

To complete the winterizing, the pool should be completely drained, and compressed air used to blow out water from the recirculation piping. All returns, water inlets, drains, etc. need to be capped or plugged to keep water out. Play features in pools also need to have all the water removed from them and in some cases some water features will need to have antifreeze introduced into them to prevent low lying fittings from collecting water and freezing. Items such as skimmers should also have expansion devices installed to prevent these items from damage due to freezing expansion. Once all of the piping has been cleared of water and properly sealed up, the pool shell can then be filled, and chemicals added. Items such as pumps, filters and heaters in the mechanical room also need to have all drain ports opened up and drain plugs removed.

WINTERIZING TIPS

When winterizing a pool, it is imperative that the time is taken to do it properly, in order to avoid any future damage and additional repair costs to the facility. Taking the proper steps can not only help preserve the condition of the pool tank and the mechanical equipment, but these simple steps can also help increase the longevity of the grounds, building, and deck equipment. Here are some tips to closing a swimming pool, recommended by the National Swimming Pool Foundation.

• Adjust the chemical balance of the pool water to the recommended levels.
• Treat Facility water with appropriate products to minimize algae, bacteria, or damage to surfaces.
• Clean and vacuum the pool.
• Empty and store skimmer baskets and hair and lint traps for the winter.
  Backwash the filter thoroughly and clean the filter media or elements.
• Drain sand filters. Remove cartridges or D.E. filter elements, inspect for tears or excessive wear, and store.
• Lower the water level to below the skimmers and return lines for plaster pools. If needed, remove the remaining water from the recirculation lines using an air compressor or industrial type tank vacuum cleaner.
• Open all pump room valves and loosen the lid from the hair and lint skimmer. However, if the filter is below pool water level, close the valves leading from the pool to the filter.
• Grease all plugs and threads.
• Add antifreeze formulated specifically for recreational water applications to the pipes to prevent bursting. Do not use automotive antifreeze.
• Plug the skimmer or gutter lines. Winterize with antifreeze and expansion blocks. Secure the skimmer lids to the deck to prevent their loss. Plug wall return lines and the main drain.
• Make sure the hydrostatic relief valve is operational.
• Drain and protect pumps. If a pump and motor will be exposed to sever weather, disconnect, lubricate, perform seasonal maintenance of the pump, and store. Add antifreeze to help protect pumps and seals from any residual water left after draining.
• Clean surge pits or balancing tanks.
• Disconnect all fuses and open circuit breakers.
• If underwater wet niche lights are exposed to the elements, remove them from their niches and lower them to the bottom of the pool.
• Drain the pool water heater. Grease the drain plugs and store for the winter.
• Turn off the heater gas supply, gas valves, and pilot lights.
• Install the winter safety cover.
• Properly store any unused chemicals as described on their labels to prevent containers from breaking and the mixing of potentially incompatible chemicals. Dispose of test reagents, disinfectants, and other chemicals that will lose their potency over the winter.
• Disconnect, clean and store the chemical feeder, (Remember - Only Water can be used to clean out the chemical feeders) controllers, and other chemical feed pumps. Store controller electrodes in liquid and in a warm environment.
• Clean and protect pressure gauges, flow meters, thermometers and humidity meters.
• Store all deck furniture (chairs, lounges, tables, umbrellas, etc.) Identify and separate all furniture in need of repair.
• Remove deck equipment, hardware, and non-permanent objects such as ladders, rails, slides, guard chairs, starting blocks, drinking fountains, handicapped lifts, portable ramps, clocks, weird, and safety equipment to prevent vandalism. Store in a clearly marked, identifiable, weather-protected location. Cap all exposed deck sockets.
• Remove the diving boards. Store the boards indoors, upside down and flat so they will not warp.
• Turn off the water supply to restroom showers, sinks, and toilets. Drain the pipes and add antifreeze.
• Remove shower heads and drinking fountain handles. Open hose bibs and fill spouts.
• Inventory all supplies and equipment. Make suggestions for preventative maintenance and repair, upgrading, and needed equipment purchases.

** ALL COMMERCIAL POOLS ARE DIFFERENT – ENSURE YOUR PERSONAL CLOSING PROCEDURES FOR YOUR POOL PRIOR TO COMMENCING WORK.