As summer winds down, it’s time to start thinking about closing your aboveground pool for the season. Properly winterizing your pool not only protects your investment from freeze damage, but also makes reopening in the spring much easier. Whether you’re a new pool owner or a seasoned pro, our team at The Pool Shoppe is here to help. Here’s your go-to guide for tips and products that will make the closing season go by a lot easier.
Water Chemistry
Before beginning the closing procedures, it is vital to test your water and ensure it’s properly balanced. This is crucial to protecting your liner, equipment, and surfaces from scale buildup, corrosion, and algae growth during the off-season. You can use one of our reliable water testing kits, or bring a water sample into the store for a free water test to make sure your chemistry is ideal for closing.
Pro Tip: after balancing your water chemistry, add a closing kit for added assurance of a perfect close! These kits include three chemicals: Meta-Sol (stain & scale preventative), Oxy-Out (non-chlorinated shock), and a Concentrated Algaecide (algae preventative).
Three days before closing the pool, add the Meta-Sol from The Winterizing Kit. It is used to coat metals and minerals in the water to prevent stain and scale formation both on the pool surface and in the filter media. Dilute the full bottle from The Winterizing Kit and distribute around the pool edges. One day before closing the pool add the Oxy-Out from The Winterizing Kit. This is a non-chlorine, non-bleaching, totally soluble shock treatment. Broadcast the whole container from the kit evenly over the pool surface. Lastly, add the Concentrated Algaecide from The Winterizing Kit. It is a 50% concentration used to both kill and prevent all strains of algae growth. Dilute the whole bottle of the algaecide from the Kit and distribute around the pool edges.
Cleaning Your Pool
After balancing your water chemistry, it is time for one final clean! Proceed to vacuum and skim your pool. The Pool Shoppe has vacuum heads and skimmers for all pool types and sizes to ensure your pool is sparkling when you open it in spring! For pools with excess debris, or yards with lots of falling leaves, consider investing in one of our robotic surface skimmers that will clean your pool in a cinch. These solar-powered devices automatically patrol the surface of your pool, collecting floating debris before it has a chance to sink and cause water quality issues. We carry the industry’s most reliable models to make closing season (and everyday maintenance) a breeze:
Betta SE Plus Solar-Powered Robotic Pool Skimmer
The Betta SE Plus is a high-performance surface skimmer that’s built for pool owners who want maximum efficiency with minimal effort. It features a sleek design that enhances battery life and performance, allowing it to clean continuously for over 30 hours on a single solar charge. It’s equipped with Salt Chlorine Tolerant (SCT) motors, making it suitable for both chlorine and saltwater pools, and includes a backup charger for peace of mind on cloudy days. What sets the Betta SE Plus apart is its smart cleaning technology. Ultrasonic radar sensors help it detect and avoid obstacles, while a shallow water safeguard lets it navigate pool steps and tricky corners with ease. Its fine mesh filtration captures particles as small as 200 microns, and the debris basket is designed for quick, mess-free emptying. This model is a reliable workhorse that keeps your pool looking freshly skimmed every day-no cords, no hassles.
Dolphin Skimmi Automatic Surface Skimmer
The Dolphin Skimmi is the most advanced robotic surface skimmer in our lineup, designed for pool owners who want the ultimate in convenience and smart technology. This cordless, solar-powered cleaner doesn’t just run during the day, it saves energy while charging in sunlight and works through the night to keep your pool debris-free 24/7. With adaptive sensors, the Skimmi effortlessly navigates pools of any size, shape, or surface, avoiding obstacles and changing direction as needed to maximize its cleaning route. It’s also app-connected via the MyDolphin™ Skimmi mobile app, giving you full control over its operation, schedules, and status updates right from your smartphone. Whether your pool is round, oval, or uniquely shaped, the Skimmi is built to handle it all, making it the top choice for tech-savvy pool owners who want a premium, set-it-and-forget-it solution.
Covering Your Pool
Once your pool is clean, chemically balanced, and all equipment has been drained and stored, the final step is to install your winter cover. A properly installed winter cover will protect your pool from debris, UV exposure, algae growth, and damage from the elements, making your spring opening far easier and less costly.
We carry a selection of high-quality winter covers designed to suit different needs and budgets. While they may look similar at first glance, there are important differences between our Standard and Deluxe winter covers that are worth considering before you make your choice.
Both cover types are made from UV-protected laminated polyethylene sheeting, stitched with strong, double-needle polyester thread, and designed to withstand extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 80°C. However, the Standard Winter Cover is built with a 9×9 thread weave and finished with a basic polyethylene hem. It’s reliable and affordable, making it a great option for customers looking for solid seasonal protection without the premium price tag. The Standard Cover also comes with a 2-year full warranty, giving you some peace of mind.
In contrast, the Deluxe Winter Cover is significantly stronger and more durable thanks to its tighter 16×16 thread weave. This denser construction offers much better resistance to tearing, stretching, and general wear from snow, wind, and UV exposure. It also features a heavy-duty polyester hem, which is noticeably more rugged than the polyethylene hem on the standard model. With a longer 3-year full warranty and better long-term performance, the Deluxe Cover is ideal for customers who want to invest in better protection and extend the lifespan of their pool setup.
For those looking for even more coverage and convenience, we always recommend upgrading to a Skirted Winter Cover. These covers include an extended skirt that drapes several inches down the side of your pool’s walls. The skirt acts as a physical barrier against wind, leaves, and sunlight, keeping debris from blowing under the edges and reducing the light exposure that often leads to algae growth over the winter. Skirted covers provide a noticeably tighter seal around the pool and result in a cleaner water surface come spring. They’re a popular upgrade among our customers because they significantly cut down on maintenance, and they’re especially useful in areas with high wind or lots of falling leaves.
To further protect your cover and extend its life, many pool owners choose to use a Winter Cover Sealer. This handy product works like industrial-strength cling film, wrapping tightly around the top edge of the pool to lock your cover in place. The Winter Cover Sealer sticks to itself rather than the pool or the cover, making it easy to apply and remove without leaving behind any mess or residue. Its 80-gauge thickness makes it 33% stronger than standard wraps, and each 500-foot roll provides enough material to securely seal the entire perimeter of your pool multiple times. By eliminating the need for heavy water bottles, weights, or messy clips, it not only looks cleaner, it also protects your investment by preventing the cover from shifting or tearing during strong winter storms.
For added protection from wind, use wall bags to anchor your winter cover, especially on pools with decks or in areas that experience high winds. When placed evenly around the pool’s edge, wall bags help keep the cover securely in place and prevent flapping, ballooning, or tearing throughout the winter season.
Whether you choose a standard or deluxe cover, skirted or not, it’s important to make sure it fits properly and is secured well. A little extra effort now can save you hours of cleanup in the spring, and help protect your liner and water quality during the colder months.
