Temperatures are slowly starting to drop, accompanied by rain and wind that are arriving without us having invited them... There is no doubt, autumn is well and truly here everywhere in France and winter is looming on the horizon!

No more swimming, the time has come for all owners of in-ground poolsto winterize the pool and the filtration system.

But do you really know the right time to carry out this winterization? As well as thedifferent winterization techniques?

To learn more and succeedin winterizing your poolthis year, read on. We will give you the best tips forwinterizing your pooland making it as easy as possibleforthe startup of yourpoolin the spring.

 

Winterizing your inground pool: why is it important?

 

In the fall, but more specifically, during the winter, low temperatures can damage your pool. Indeed, frost can cause a lot of damage, especially in the filtration circuit. The goal of wintering is therefore to protect and preserve your pool and your installations, in order to facilitate its restarting as soon as the good weather returns.

But when is the right time to winterize your pool? If done too early, you risk developing all kindsof algaeormicro-organismsin your pool. The result is that you'll be left withgreen pool waterin the spring.

The ideal time to startwinterizing your inground poolappears when its temperature drops below15°C. As soon as it stabilizes at this temperature, you can begin winterizing your pool. However, you still need to know whether you opt for active or passive winterization!

In any case, never think of completely emptying the water from your pool. Without water, your pool will be subjected to external pressures, coming from your land, which could create a deformation or cracks. The complete emptying of your pool is only done over a short period of time and only as part of renovation work.

 

The different methods of winterizing an inground pool

 

  • Active wintering

The goal of this winterization method is toslow down the filtrationof your pool to only a few hours per day (generally 2 to 3 hours). Slightly more expensive than passive winterization, it is also the simplest technique, provided that you do not neglectregular maintenanceof your pool.

 

Overview of the steps to follow to successfully complete your active wintering:

  1. Once the water temperature has stabilized below 15°C, proceed withcleaning your pool(bottom, walls) but also all yourequipment(filter, skimmer, etc.).
  2. When cleaning is finished, it's timeto balance your pool water. Its pH should be between 7.2 and 7.4 PPM, while the TAC should be between 150 and 200 PPM, and the TH between 150 and 250 PPM.
  3. Stop the operation of other equipment, such asautomatic processingorpH regulationand reduce your filtration time.
  4. Although you will no longer need to treat your pool,regularly monitorthe pH, TAC, and TH levels to readjust as needed.

 

  • Passive wintering

As part of apassive winterization, your pool is completely shut down. No further maintenance or cleaning is required. Only adraining of the pipesneeds to be done to prevent water from freezing. Since it requires no intervention, we recommend this method in regions where winters are cold and frost persists for several days.

 

Do you want to carry out passive wintering? Discover the different steps to follow before you start:

  1. Once the water temperature has stabilized below 15°C, completely clean your pool and each piece of equipment.
  2. Achieveyour water balancetaking into account the same parameters mentioned previously.
  3. Proceed with thedescaling of your sand filterandlower the water leveluntil it reaches 10 cm below your skimmers.
  4. Stop the filtrationand begindrainingyour various equipment and pipes to remove all the water present in the circuit. Set your sand filter valve to "winterize" mode.
  5. Install yourwinterizing accessoriesto protect your pool from frost (plugs, gizzmo bottles, floats, etc.)
  6. Finish the process by pouring yourwinterizing productinto your pool, thencover your poolwith a cover.

 

Would you like more information on how to winterize your inground pool? Don't hesitate to ask for advice from our team of experts or to consult our winterizing guide so you don't forget anything.

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