* If you have an In-Ground Pool or an Above Ground pool with a main drain keep reading! *

Addition to Step 5: Thoroughly clean the skimmer basket and housing. Get out the 
“pool-goo” by using Proteam Tile & Vinyl Cleaner. DO the same with the pump strainer 
basket. Remove the eye ball fittings from the return lines. Remove the ladders and 
hand-rails. If possible, remove the weirs from the skimmer (those are the doors that 
bob up and down), and the diving board. Be sure to store the board on a flat surface 
so it doesn’t warp. Do not stand it up on end or on its edge. 

Now comes the “Gray Area”. Winterizing the underground lines. Talk to 50 dealers and 
you’ll get 50 similar but different answers. Here’s ours: INGROUNDERS…. Buy, rent, 
borrow, or kidnap an air compressor. Blow as much water out of the skimmer lines as 
you can. Work from the filter pad so you blow the water back toward the pool. If you 
have a “Wet Vac” this may help get the remaining water out of the skimmer. MAKE SURE 
IT IS AN APPROVED “WET VAC” before trying this. Now pour a half-gallon of Pool 
Anti-Freeze into the skimmer and install a “Gizmo”. As an alternative to the “Gizmo” 
plug the hole with either a threaded plug or a # 10 expansion plug and place an empty 
milk jug down into the skimmer and replace the skimmer lid.

Now, the tough one, the main drain line. Each builder does it a little different, so 
you’re going to have to figure out how to isolate this line to blow it out. Generally, 
it will be easiest to pressurize from the filter until you see bubbles coming from the 
bottom drain, then shut off the main drain valve, you have a bad one, not is the time to 
fix it. You may have to use your ingenuity during the line blowing. If there’s a problem, 
call us we will try to help.

A SPECIAL WARNING ABOUT “ANTI-FREEZE”! Do not use anything that has a skull and cross-bone 
on it!! They are trying to tell you something!! Also, the rust inhibitors will degrade 
your piping and equipment. Anything you would use in the family car is a NO-No! Also, DO 
NOT use “window washer solvent/ anti-freeze” as they contain solvents and other chemicals 
that will degrade your equipment and cloud up your pool. It works great dissolving bugs 
on your windshield, and it is really cheap. The correct anti-freeze to use contains 
propylene glycol and states, “Approved for portable water.” Pure methyl alcohol also 
works well, but is toxic and may evaporate. “Jack Daniels” is just too expensive!

We make it easy for you, stop on in at Poolmart and pick up some Pool Anti-Freeze!

Now, let’s talk filters. All filters, regardless of type, should be taken apart at 
this time and cleaned. (See the second paragraph in Step 5: Equipment on the first 
page for more information on filter cleaning!) But make sure you come back to finish 
off the Equipment section on this page!

* If you have a Sand Filter, you will have to do some addition Equipment maintenance. 
If you are not changing you sand, don’t try and move your sand filter inside for the 
winter. You will hurt something. Leave the drain plug off at the bottom of the tank 
all winter so water and moisture do not accumulate, freeze, and crack the tank. If 
you have a multi-port valve, put it on the “Winter” position or set it between settings. 
This takes the pressure off the gasket inside the valve so it doesn’t take a “Set”. 
Double check to make sure all valves are closed tightly and all the water is out of any 
equipment that will freeze.

Back to your return or pool inlets lines. Blow these out from the filter side and screw 
in threaded plugs to keep water out as your pool level will rise with all the rain and 
snow. Take a final look around. What did you forget? Slide… clean it and polish to protect 
from the weather and drain the hoses. If you have an automatic chlorinator DO NOT PUT ANY

ANTI-FREEZE IN IT, you may have an explosion. Simply drain and flush with clean water. 
Make sure it’s empty then cover it with a plastic bag. Heaters… make sure the headers 
are drained and follow the manufacturers instructions. Lights… remove the light from 
the niche, tie a brick onto it and carefully lower it to the bottom of the deep end of 
the pool.

Do No try to remove the electric cord as this is sealed unit. Some companies don’t 
remove the light and have had no problems over the winter. We've leave the decision on 
that up to you!

STEP 6: COVER

Quite simply, place the cover over the pool so that is drapes down on the water. Your 
cover is simply a barrier between the clear water in the pool and the garbage that will 
accumulate on top. No cover will support the weight of a foot of snow and wet leaves so 
don’t ask a pool cover to do what the roof on a lot of houses can’t. Install the water 
bags about 2/3 full around the entire perimeter of the cover. This will keep the wind 
and dirt from blowing under the edge. Do not use bricks, rocks, tree stumps, cinder 
blocks, etc…

as they will abrade the cover shortening its life and in the event it falls into the 
pool you may be looking at all kinds of expensive damage. DO NOT SURE A PILLOW UNDER 
THE COVER. This does NOTHING except shorten the life of your cover and put a few dollars 
in somebody’s cash register. If you are in a windy area and your cover is flapping, call 
us about our special “Wind Stabilizer Kits”. They should solve the problem. Take another 
look around.

©2006 Poolmart & Spas