Taking good care of your swimming pool in the summer is important - but it's just as important to take care during the winter months too. Maintaining a swimming pool requires some extra attention once the temperature drops, to keep the pool as clean as possible, and ensure it maintains structural integrity. Take care of your pool at the end of the summer, and help make sure it's in great shape to use the following year.

 

One of the most important steps in winterizing the pool is removing water from the pump, plumbing, filter, and other structures which are sensitive to structural damage. This is crucial if you live in a location where freezing temperatures are a possibility - even if the possibility is low. Water expands when it freezes, so any water remaining in these areas may expand enough to cause damage.

  

Step One: Cleaning

The swimming pool should be thoroughly cleaned before any other winterizing steps are undertaken. It's crucial to ensure that all debris is removed at this point. Ideally the pool won't be disturbed at all over winter, so to help the winterizing chemicals do their job, the pool should be as clean as you can make it. Even a small amount of debris could allow algae to grow.