Before closing your pool for the season, make sure your pool's water is chemically balanced. Adjust levels if necessary. Water that is chemically balanced protects the pool from corrosion and scale buildup that can develop during the off season. Ideal chemical levels are as follows:

• pH: 7.2 - 7.6
• Alkalinity: 80 - 120 parts per million
• Calcium Hardness: 175 - 250 parts per million
• Chlorine: 1 - 3 parts per million

Remove all deck equipment. This includes ladders, rails, furniture, etc.

Clean the floor and sides of your pool with an appropriate brush and then vacuum the loosened dirt. Dirt and debris left in a pool for extended periods of time can cause staining.

Add winterizing chemicals by broadcasting them into the deep end of the pool. Winterizing chemicals help protect the quality of your pool's water during the winter months.

Clean the filter, skimmer, and pump basket. Remove any unused chlorine product from the chlorinator. Cartridge filter elements and D.E. grids should be cleaned and stored away. If you have a sand filter, backwash it at this time.

Lower the water in the pool below the skimmer and the returns (where the water jets into the pool). Use an air compressor or shop vac (attached to the blower side of the vac) to blow water out of the system. This forces air down the skimmer and through the plumbing.

Important: Never completely drain your swimming pool.

Cap off return lines by using threaded plugs, or use expandable rubber plugs if your returns are not threaded. Add anti-freeze by pouring it through the skimmer. Use 1 gallon of anti-freeze for each 10 feet of distance from the pump to the pool.

Remove all drain plugs from the pump, filter tank, and other pool equipment. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your specific equipment. Place all drain plugs in the pump basket for storage.

Place an in ground winter cover over the pool surface, black side down. Some pool owners prefer to use safety covers rather than winter covers, especially if the home has small children or pets.

When using a winter cover, place water tubes end to end around the edge of the pool. Fill the water tubes 3/4 full of water (do not over fill because the water tubes could burst when the water inside freezes). Never use concrete blocks, bricks, etc. to secure the cover because they can damage the pool cover or the pool.

Place a cover pump in the center of the pool cover to drain off excess water that will accumulate over time. This is very important because too much water on top of the cover can cause the cover to rip or pull the cover and water tubes into the pool, making for a very messy cleanup.