POOL WINTERIZATION | Steps to Close your Above Ground Pool for Winter

[@MoverandShaker]

Winterizing the pool is also a day of mourning, letting go of the pool at the change of seasons is super hard but keeping your summer memories in your heart and mind makes it easier. If any of you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

[@raviamarsingh2477]

What is the pump used for?

[@MoverandShaker]

@@raviamarsingh2477 We used to use a submersible pump to get extra water out when it rained but also from the cover once it's covered for the Winter now we just use a hose and siphon them so that any rainfall that falls on the cover is removed periodically because Leaves and punch draw will start collecting and you wanna be able to remove any water and debris

[@ThePetra88888]

@@MoverandShaker So why did you stop using the pump and switch to siphon? Was planning to buy pump ourselves...

[@MoverandShaker]

@@ThePetra88888 rrally the onky reason was that you can go away longer without having to keep an eye out and risking the pump turning or twisting and burning it out. No babysitting it.

[@georgeramos1462]

"Pooletta"? LOL what a cute video. Thank you, this is my first wintering season for my 22' pool

[@MoverandShaker]

Best of Luck. I am sure it will turn out just fine. It's so funny we are always worried and then when we uncover it, we are like ahhhhhhhhh it look so nice!!!

[@susanroberts9300]

Thanks for the great video! Very helpful... until next Spring! 😊

[@xohollyhox]

Thanks for these videos. They’re so helpful for me. In regards to the pump itself, do you empty the sand out of it or do any other process of trying to remove all water from within the big basin? I imagine it’s extremely heavy with a ton of wet sand in there…and then I also wonder about storing it with wet sand inside. Thoughts?

[@MoverandShaker]

I usually leave the sand in the pump and I open the bottom drain and let it drain completely and leave it as such.And then just cover the top hole of the pump with saran wrap or foil Just enough to keep the bugs in the air out. We use a dolly to cart it to the shed.

[@sydneydlewis]

Wow, this is just what I needed to know what to do to close my coleman 18 foot pool. I was so confused. Thanks so much!

[@MoverandShaker]

You're welcome! let us know if you have any questions.

[@malibubaypropertymgmt5638]

Great tip with the Valve attached to the pump coupling for the backwashing but they do make 1.5" hoses also but I guess a 2" hose would be faster. I hope you get that cover/deck issue worked out.

[@Roxyismyfavoritedog]

how did you plug up your outlet and inlet valves? with the black plugs or the screw on caps?

[@thriftqueens4035]

Thank you for this detailed video I was so confused on to how I was gonna close my pool but watching you video made it so much easier for me great Job.. look foward to more from you.

[@MoverandShaker]

You're welcome!! I felt a little guilty that I was not able to show everybody how you use the ratchet strap but it basically has a handle on it and it just turns and it tightens up the cord around the pool and once the cover begins to come together almost like an elastic waistband then you can wrap your pool with the wrap. PS This may be our last pool video for the season however our channel has plenty of pool videos that you can view until next season. We were thinking about doing a video of all the most popular questions we get asked because there are certain questions that always pop up over and over again

[@Azurewinged]

Do you unscrew the inlets and put the black “hat” on and then put the inlet cover back on? Do you leave the plungers on also (without the hoses) We are in the Midwest, just wondering if the ice will damage the inlets? Thank you for the video.

[@MoverandShaker]

Yes to question 1 And since we now have the hayward skimmer the black hats stay there Yes, we leave the plunger on. We have had ice on our pool as well And there has not been any damage to our inlets. Keep the water below all the inlets.

[@catricarrion5305]

Great video👍

[@empiremining]

For the filter inlet hose connection at the pool, I see you use the rubber strainer plugs! Does your water actually freeze? What's the typical temp during winter in your area? And do they endure until spring? I'm in upstate NY so we see -15 F temps during winter.

[@MoverandShaker]

We just lower the water below the inlet and outlet put strainer hole plugs in all the holes just for added protection from bugs or dirt, and then the outside is eventually wrapped in a few layers of plastic pool wrap

[@Bluecollarworker]

Hi, about what temperatures did you have the pool in during the cold months? Im curious if this method would work where temps can get -10 with wind chill in winter, north west jersery. The elevation is 1000 feet above sea level. It gets very windy here on side of mountain.

[@MoverandShaker]

No way. I think the earliest was May 15th.

[@Bluecollarworker]

@@MoverandShaker So doing this winterizing method wont work where I want to put it? Guess I have to drain it every year right? Trying to avoid that having to buy a water truck because I have well water. 52" deep x 18' round.

[@karalakies2033]

Hi Mover and Shaker! Thanks for your video! Yes, I binge watched 😆 QUESTION, should we drain our 16x32 intex the same if we're in Michigan? If we do like you do, I'm thinking we won't get the bowing but will ice hurt the black plugs? Thanks

[@MoverandShaker]

Our winters are only at the lowest 15 degrees...I really can't say for sure for Michigan Weather and it's effects. We are on our 4th winter coming up and it's never had any problems at all. We drained it below the strainer hole plugs and it's never been an issue. If you also wrap you pool edges with the pool blue clear pool wrap it's extra protection from the ice and cold winds....we hate winter!!!!

[@doreenmunroe6249]

Hi could you tell me what state you're in. We bought the same pool, and we are thinking a head to winterize it. The pool company said we should take it down but really don't want to do that. We are in MA and gets pretty cold here. What are your thoughts and how is your pool handling the winters. Hope your enjoying your summer and the pool. I just love it. Doreen Munroe

[@MoverandShaker]

We are in Virginia. The lowest it ever gets is in the lower teens but We have a lot of cold winds and rain. Every year we put in a pool winterizing kit. We invested in a Good Winter cover and we also have a Winter pillow that sits in the center. We also use the pool saran type rolls to wrap around the cover to make an airtight seal. I will say though if your Winter pillow is Inflated to its maximum pressure you will have some maintenance to do throughout the cold months by potentially raking out any leaves or debris and if you have water on top every now and then you have to get a clear hose and siphon it to get it started draining out or a pump and pump out the water that gets on top of the cover. For us it's not really that big of a deal. The pool always ends up in The same condition when we remove the cover.

[@angelholmes6732]

Hi I have the same pool and I live in New York some say take the pool down and some say just winterize it. Any suggestions? Also I have been looking at a vacuum what vacuum system and hose connections do you use ? Thank so much.

[@MoverandShaker]

Hi Angel, I think breaking your pool down is a personal choice. In our area, our temps get down in the low teens and there is significant winds in the winter but the cover along with the multiple layers of the wrap keep the air from coming up into the cover and freezing your water and that is where the pillow comes in. I have seen other Intex pool owners that live in colder climates winterize their pool the same way. I guess it is a personal choice. We (us) are no pool experts as this winter will only be our second winter. We just try to express what we experience as we go to help everyone the way the helped us in the beginning also! As far as vacuums you can look at our other videos. We have tried the Intex Pool Cleaner, The Pentair Shark, The Intex Rechargeable vacuum and the Intex Deluxe Maintenance Kit and my husband prefers for a deep cleaning the Deluxe Maintenance Kit out of all of them. It hooks up to the Skimmer outlet using the supplied hoses. He LOVES that vacuum. He swears by it and says it is the only thing he trusts to get EVERYTHING up. you can use it and out of the pool, the only downside of it is that it's not automatic. Most people prefer automatic vacs. He prefers to do it by hand. It doesn't take too long to do a great job and for him it is therapeutic. Our latest vacuum purchase was the rechargeable vac that we did do a video on and we were very impressed with that one for fast cleanups!

[@angelholmes6732]

Mover and Shaker Thank you so much for you input. I will definitely take a look a the videos for the vacuum.

[@heatherolalde5690]

@@MoverandShaker where do you find the wrap?

[@MoverandShaker]

@@heatherolalde5690 Hi Heather look in the description of this video there is a link

[@iamkazie9401]

Great video guys still holding on to summer here in Chicago water temp was 70 today but i still went in to vaccuum probably going to close next weekend SO SAD LOL

[@MoverandShaker]

Wow! You are so very brave! Good luck with everything! We have dismantled every single thing and everything is tucked away already. We are busy finishing staining the deck.

[@iamkazie9401]

@@MoverandShaker we received our IN THE SWIM winterize kit today so this weekend will be time to clean winterize with chemicals and cover we went with the same kit as you did being in Illinois and the company being in Illinois we had our kit in 2 delivered in 2 days your video makes this look so easy to do the water temp today is 62 so i think it will be good to do it this weekend we'll follow all the directions there were so many positive reviews of this kit so we feel confident in using it and THANKS to you sharing your experience with it

[@MoverandShaker]

@@iamkazie9401 Thank you and good luck with everything! I hope your water is balanced before the kit goes In. Yes, I ended up choosing this kid because it was also compatible with salt water pools. The pool never really looks 100% together until you wrap a couple rotations of the blue pool wrap. See you next summer. We thought about continuing the outdoor fun witha hot tub but decided on a puppy instead and that will be a full time job!!

[@iamkazie9401]

@@MoverandShaker well we did the last cleaning today and added our liquid chlorine early morning it was cloudy here and mid 50s pool temp 58 early afternoon added the IN THE SWIM winterizer kit the pool water was well balanced ph just a little high according to strip but went ahead anyway started draining water and actually put a truck inner tube in middle and tied it off at all 4 corners with polypropylene marine rope to keep under the cover cover is on with ratchet crank just waiting for the last few inches of water to drain below both intakes tomorrow we'll make final adjustments and put pump and filter away just wanted to get covered because leaves are starting to fall and it was tiresome all week keeping it clean a friend gave us a nice little submersible pump to have and its worked great draining the water attached to our garden hose we'll use it on top of cover until it freezes Enjoy the puppy!

[@markvince7181]

Great video! One question if you don't mind. I noticed you left the water over the plastic strainers that carry the water to the pump. Over winter I assume the water on the side walls would freeze and potentially crack those plastic pieces. Ever have any damage to them? Any downsides to draining the water below the outlets? Thanks.

[@MoverandShaker]

I am not sure where you noticed that because we do indeed drain the water below all outlets/inlets and we plug the applicable holes with strainer hole plug.

[@markvince7181]

@@MoverandShaker at 12:41 it looks like you're leaving the water above the two outlets while plugging them. Thanks again for the video.

[@MoverandShaker]

@@markvince7181 o.k. I talked to the other half. We do leave it just above the outlets. I am sorry for any confusion. Our side walls don't freeze and everything is still in great shape.Our winters are relatively mild only getting in the low teens. The winter pillow makes all the difference as well as the high quality cover and the Pool wrap we wrap around it.

[@cece5889]

Was looking for detailed info on how to plug the inlet, outlets and properly draining pool and it was hard to tell what you did for those things at 12:59. Did you drain with waste or backwash? Maybe I missed what you said. And Do you keep the light gray part back on over the black hat things? I’m a bit confused.

[@MoverandShaker]

Drain with waste. Take off strainer hole basket place black strainer hole plug inside and put the strainer hole basket back on. We had purchased extra strainer hole plugs and placed those in the remaining inlet and outlets. We don't drain our pool as much anymore. The water is still be drained to sit above the inlet and outlet. The plugs help a lot.

[@waverip79]

Hi ! Thanks for the videos. I have watched a few. Great job. About the rainwater, does it affect the pool cover, weight terms. Do you use the pump to get the rain water out of the cover when it’s too much? Thanks in advance.

[@MoverandShaker]

Hi there. Thanks for watching the pool videos. We invested in a high grade pool cover and it's on it's 3rd season. So I think every pool cover is different in terms of quality and durability. This is our pool cover that we have: amzn.to/3E6bZDs So far, it's holding up nicely but I can tell you for us in the winter there is still some work needed when it comes to rain water and removing other debris. We look at some rain water as being beneficial to keep the cover more secure in high wind and rainstorms but we still go outside during the fall and winter once a week and empty the majority of any rainfall if needed. We have a winter pillow in the center so there are four main areas of water gets collected. In addition, we get pine needles and leaves in the wind so we actually have to periodically remove those. One day we tried a rake and it worked. Maybe a plastic small width rake would be better for the cover but right now we lightly skim off any debris by placing the rake in the center of the pool and drag it towards you to get any debris out and place in the trash. We used to use a small pump to remove the water out of the cover but for us it seemed slower than just taking two long hoses, placing them on two sides of the pool siphon them to get them going and then go back in the house. You may have to return to move them one last time. We noticed some green algae on the cover lately with these warmer temps in our area so we moved that around to get that loose and actually rinsed it and then removed the green water. So you have to find what works best for you. We found the pump was aggravating because it would fall over and even when we used bricks to hold it up, you had to babysit it to make sure the pump wasn't going to be working too fast or too slow. We just use the hoses and leave and come back later and readjust or put them away depending on what happens. Basically if you live near trees it's going to be harder to maintain it over the "off season" but if it's just rain water. just get you some clear hoses and siphon them on each side of the pool whenever you have the chance.

[@waverip79]

@@MoverandShaker Thank you for the reply.

[@grumpyfeller]

This is our first year owning a Intex pool. Just curious if y’all still use this technique to close for winter?

[@MoverandShaker]

Yes, we do. Check your water before adding your winterizing kit And see if there is anything off balance. You really want to make sure it's balanced when you cover it. We've had really good results through the winter seasons, But we did have one season where we uncovered it and the water was closer to a lagoon. Pretty much feel like maybe it was off balance when we closed it. So we're just making that as a suggestion. Overall it's fairly easy.

[@grumpyfeller]

@@MoverandShaker thank you

[@MoverandShaker]

You're welcome!

[@davidcaban4774]

Thanks for the video. Question do you cover the others 2 holes?

[@MoverandShaker]

Are you talking about on the outside of the pool or on the inside?

[@angelmcmillen1863]

This is our first year closing g a pool, I heard you say yall used the winter ball, how did you like that and how well did it work? We also got a winter kit but it did not come with a floating thing. Do you think it would be ok to use the kit and the winter ball?

[@MoverandShaker]

We had better success with the Winter kit than with the ball so I would suggest to only use the one because our pool came out fabulous looking almost as if the Winter had never happened

[@angelmcmillen1863]

I wish it would have come with the float thing, I feel like something be Dispensed over the winter is a good idea lol.

[@MoverandShaker]

Oh I definitely agree. However just try it and see if it works for you. Just like all products in the world there are different makes and models and you have to find out what works for you. I wouldn't worry about it too much At least you're doing something proactive to close your pool not everyone does.

[@angelmcmillen1863]

Thank you for your help and the video you shared. Have a blessed day

[@lilybirdie_e]

14:34 where did u get that cap for the outlet ? I need to get one? And I don’t completely understand how u plugged the black plugs into the inlets and outlet ?

[@Momtojoshcanpark]

The black plugs come with the pool and they fit inside the holes.

[@heatherolalde5690]

@@Momtojoshcanpark my 2020-2021 18x52 did not come with the sealed plugs. Online it says only under 16’ feet do. My only have restrictive style ones that have holes.

[@TheSuperBoss72]

If my Chlorine Free is already super high do I still need to pour the chlorine free bag from the winterizing kit?

[@MoverandShaker]

I'm sorry the only thing that we know is that everything has to be perfectly balanced before you add anything to winterize. Since your free chlorine is coming in high then it's not balanced so I don't really know what would happen in that case but they're probably is videos or articles on how to bring that free chlorine level down so that you could and the winterizing kit but at this point you may want to see if there is a 1-800 number on the actual product itself and call them Monday and just ask them I mean they are in that business they should know I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful but we've never had this problem as of yet

[@myuploadsvideos]

Do I have to backwash the filter before put in away?

[@MoverandShaker]

We backwashed rinsed and drained our sand filter. This way it is ready to go next season. I think it's a personal choice and I wouldn't doubt it if the manufacturer recommended it also.

[@myuploadsvideos]

@@MoverandShaker thank you so much. I learn alot this season from your videos. See next season!!

[@MoverandShaker]

Thank you and we're actually only in our second season and we remember how much we needed help in our first season from people just like us so it's all about helping each other in the pool community good luck and yes see you next season!!!!

[@gingerbreadgal30]

Did you have to remove the ladder from the deck before put on the cover?

[@MoverandShaker]

Yes.

[@gingerbreadgal30]

@@MoverandShaker Thanks 😊

[@carolyncastillo9618]

Is this kit ok to use for chlorine intex pools.

[@MoverandShaker]

Yes it works for chlorine pools and is also safe for salt water pools and uses a chlorine free set of chemicals that won't harm or damage surfaces and or liners and it highly rated the only warning they have is not for use in pools on a biguanide based sanitizing system (whatever that is)

[@marianohernandez198]

So after is closing down don't need to do shock or chlorine tads ..

[@MoverandShaker]

Is either a winterizing kit or a winter pill that you put into your pool and those items include the shock for your pool needs but your pool water has to be balanced before you throw either of those products in.

[@elizabethmadison5616]

What size pool is that

[@MoverandShaker]

18 x 52 feet

[@Momtojoshcanpark]

Why didn't you use water bags instead of bricks?

[@MoverandShaker]

If you mean on the deck, we would never trust a bag filled with water would hold that cover down. We get a lot of cold winds.

[@MelGetmanova]

Booooooo ! Pool closing = 😢

[@MoverandShaker]

3 more months!!! let the countdown begin!

[@MelGetmanova]

@@MoverandShaker yup! We have been trying to find your same foundation for our pool at the actual price it costs. It keeps getting bought up and sold for over $100 😠 it’s really on $65. Bunch of greedy jerks they are

[@MoverandShaker]

Ours stopped working as far as the lights go and we had to call Intex and they shipped us another one. I have seen a lot of reports regarding this water fountain having issues so it is risky unless you get it at the cheapest price.

[@MelGetmanova]

@@MoverandShaker I heard about that also . I’ll have to call Intex and ask them when we can order them. I’m not giving those jerks over $100 for the darn thing.

[@MoverandShaker]

Yes, I have noticed a lot of pool accessories and equipment is still overpriced they're still trying to take advantage. I bet it was pool suppliers best year ever so I'm not sure what the prices will ever go back to the way they were but they may go down a little bit.