by Swedish National Heritage Board

Winterizing Pool Chemicals for Above Ground Swimming Pools

It can be disappointing to have to acknowledge that the end of the swimming season is upon you once again. Saying goodbye to the days of sunshine and swimming fun may very well be something that you don’t want to think about. However, despite that, closing or winterizing your above ground swimming pool in the fall is something that must be done, and it must be done properly. Otherwise, come springtime, you’ll have to deal with unnecessary maintenance problems and you could also end up shortening the lifespan of your swimming pool. So, in order to make spring openings easier and to ensure that you and your friends and family can enjoy your pool for years to come, it’s important to winterize your above ground swimming pool with the proper care and attention.

Winterizing your above ground swimming pool will require a number of steps such as thoroughly backwashing the filter, disconnecting the pump and filter and plugging the return pipes and skimmer. You will also need to remove all hoses from the swimming pool, as well as all deck equipment such as ladders and slides. In addition, one of the most important aspects of your pool closing will involve the proper selection and use of winterizing pool chemicals.

Winterizing chemicals for above ground pools will help to keep your pool water and lining clean and algae-free. By using pool winterizing chemicals, you will have far less cleaning and scrubbing to do when you open your pool next spring. This means that you’ll have fewer hassles to deal with and that you will be able to get back to swimming much sooner. By keeping your above ground swimming pool clean throughout the winter and by impeding algae growth, you will also be protecting your pool liner so it can be used year after year with as little maintenance and wear and tear as possible.

In past years, winterizing pool kits have commonly contained chlorine-based chemicals. Chlorine has been a popular chemical for swimming pool maintenance because it is highly effective at killing bacteria and other contaminants. However, these days, more and more people are turning to alternative pool winterizing chemicals, ones which don’t contain chlorine. The main reasons behind these evolving preferences have to do with the fact that chlorine can interfere with the effectiveness of algaecides and also has a tendency to stain, bleach and damage pool liners. On the other hand, there are non-chlorine based pool winterizing chemicals which are still very effective at keeping swimming pools clean without interfering with algaecides or causing damage to pool walls or liners.

As a result of the many benefits of non-chlorine winterizing chemicals for above ground pools, many quality retailers such as Intheswim.com now offer these alternative winterizing pool kits. These kits are available in different sizes, with each size suitable for above ground swimming pools of different volumes. For example, Intheswim.com’s small winterizing pool kits are designed for swimming pools up to 7500 gallons while the deluxe kits are for pools up to 15,000 gallons and the super kits are for pools up to 35,000 gallons. These kits contain all of the winterizing pool chemicals that you will require to properly close your pool, including a winterizing inhibitor, winter stain-away, chlorine-free shock, a non-chlorine oxidizer in a super sanitizing floater and Winter Sorb.

Of course, while selecting the right winterizing chemicals for above ground pools is extremely important, it’s also very important to add the chemicals to your swimming pool in the right way. If you are using any granular winterizing pool chemicals, you should mix them in a bucket to ensure that they are completely dissolved prior to adding them to your swimming pool. By doing this, you will prevent any undissolved granules from settling on the bottom of your swimming pool where they could end up staining or bleaching your liner. After you have poured any fully dissolved granular chemicals or any liquid chemicals into your above ground swimming pool, you should then test the pH levels and total alkalinity of the pool water. Then you should adjust those levels as necessary.

Once you have added winterizing pool chemicals to your swimming pool water, you will be well on your way to closing and readying your pool for the winter months. While using the right chemicals in the right way will make spring openings far easier and faster, you might be concerned that using such chemicals will break your budget. However, this doesn’t have to be the case, especially since online retailers such as Intheswim.com offer high quality winterizing pool kits at discount prices. As a result, pool winterizing chemicals are both affordable and highly accessible, and will allow you to successfully prepare your above ground swimming pool for the approaching winter season.