Do not stretch it taut; it is intended to dip in the middle. I have a dough boy 24′ and have left it running through the winter 6 hrs a day, 24 hours if there is a hard freeze. The cover is then held in place with the water’s surface tension and minimizes movement of the cover when it windy. An above-ground pool should be drained to about 4″ below the skimmer. With a combined 50+ years of experience The Pool Factory employs a highly trained staff of above ground and semi inground pool specialists. It’s recommended that you shock the water before closing it and add enough chlorine to bring the level to between 1-3 ppm. The Step-by-Step Guide you presented is amazing. As Snopes stated, there isn’t any substance that will discolor the water if urine or fecal matter is in the pool. It's time to close down that above ground swimming pool for the winter. Choice is yours. Lower the Water Level. Check Those Chemicals It protects the walls and skimmer of your pool from expanding ice, as the ice will compress the air pillow rather than the sides of your pool. Do I need to make all my chemical levels right before winterizibg my above ground pool? The first thing to remember when adding any winter chemicals is that the pool needs to be as clean as possible. Thanks. I put winter chemicals in pool but still green is it supposed to be clear before I cover it? Click here for the complete process on How To Close Your Swimming Pool from Mike the Pool Guy! http://www.backyardcitypools.com/Swimming-Pool-Blog/how-to-close-winterize-your-above-ground-swimming-pool/. I think this one’s pretty obvious. Ensure that the level of water is at least below the skimmer. Remove the hose from the skimmer and the hose from the pool to the Aqua Smart system. You will have to loosen the clamp on the valve head with the special tool that came with the system. By following this guide to properly winterize an above ground pool, you should have a worry-free spring opening next season. Now remove the motor mounts at the base of the system. Unbalanced pool water becomes very corrosive at low temperatures, damaging pool surfaces and equipment. Trey, we are installing an 18′ x 48″ AGP here in Kalispell, Montana. Put the plug back in and be sure it's secure; you don't want to lose it! Remove the Aqua Smart mineral system. After balancing the water chemistry, and several days in advance of closing the pool, add a diluted granular chlorine, or non-chlorine pool shock to your pool water to remove any contaminants that could cause stains or algae during winter. I would hate for it to expand the typical 9% water does when it freezes and damage the pool. Thoughts on plumbing test plugs ? When it comes to the Intex above ground pool, the term closing here means disassembling the unit during winter. Fill the bags 3/4 full with water. Never use bricks,  concrete blocks, etc. Why Do You Leave Water in Your Pool for Winter? How to Winterize an Above Ground Pool 1. So is freezing solid a bad thing(should we worry)? Chemically balanced water protects the pool from corrosion or scale buildup that can occur while the pool is not in use. No need to bring inside unless you really want to. When using tubes this will be better than without a cover, but not near as well as it was intended to be secured. This step prevents staining, which can occur if any dirt or debris is left to sit in the pool. These chemicals help protect water quality during the off season months. One week prior to closing your pool, add 14 fluid ounces of Pool Magic + PHOSfree directly... 2. Clean The Pool. Some homeowners who have children or pets and have a deck with at least 3 ft of deck space all the way around their pool may prefer to cover the pool with a safety cover over the winter. This is the best advice I’ve found on winterizing an above ground pool in cold climates! Lower the water levels but never completely drain an above ground pool. A winter kit or closing kit is the best for closing an aboveground pool. The above ground pool is designed to hold against the outward force of the water. If your pool is hard plumbed, use an air compressor or shop vac (attached to the blower side of the vac) to blow water out of the system by forcing air down the skimmer and through the plumbing. Thank you! Didn’t know we had to undo the hoses and pump. Plug your return fitting in the inside (water side) of pool with a threaded winterizing plug. The tutorial above is suitable for you who live in a freezing area when the temperature goes below 41 degrees F. If you live in an area with warmer temperature, the treatment is different. Once I remove the import and export hoses do I leave the actual pieces themselves in or do they come out as well? This helps reduce the time and money needed to open your pool in the spring. Decks can be built where they Top Rail is over the deck, the deck butts up level, or the deck boards are over the top rail. After this is done, remove the motor and replace the mounting clips. We have an above ground pool that we are going to replace the liner on next spring. America’s Above Ground Pool Experts – is the best place to find everything you need to make owning a swimming pool or spa fun and easy, at the best prices today. Closing down an in-ground swimming pool involves a few simple steps covered below: Clean the pool. How and what I do with closing pool How to Close Your Above Ground Pool for Winter 1. Lowering the water level prevents excessive expansion of the water, which could crack the skimmer, but draining it completely puts unnecessary strain on your pool cover, liner and pool wall when snow and rain water collect on top. Freezing water in very normal and doing the types of things we’ve posted in our blog will go a long ways towards protecting your pool. Each kit (left picture) should hold a dry granular winterizing agent, plus an oxidizing agent. Remove all deck equipment, including ladders, stairs, etc. Before closing your above ground pool, make sure the water is clean, clear and chemically balanced. Remove all deck equipment, including ladders, stairs, etc. Air pillows are commonly used, but not absolutely necessary. Prevent stains and scaling. If your cover doesn’t have enough overlap to be secured in place with the wire/winch AND to go up, over and down to the pool’s water, across the water then up, over and down the other wall, then it is not big enough to be used as intended. At the end of the swimming season, you must follow these directions to winterize and make your pool ready for the Winter. 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