What Chemicals Should I Use for Pool Winterizing?

Winterizing Chemicals for your Pool

It’s essential that you winterize your pool effectively in order to keep it safe and extend its life.  Pools aren’t a cheap investment and you really need to keep them in the best condition possible so that you don’t wind up spending money on maintenance that could be avoided.  There are a lot of steps to winterizing your pool properly, and the chemicals that you need to put in the pool are going to be critical to your success.  Chemical treatments will help keep the pool clean and healthy all winter long so that it’s ready to go next spring when the weather warms up and you’re ready to swim again.

 Testing Levels

Before you close up shop for the winter, you should test all the levels in your pool that you usually test during the summer months.  You should make sure that you check the pH, chlorine levels, and any other chemicals that you might need to be concerned about.  This will allow you to make the best decisions regarding what chemicals you need to add for winterizing purposes.  If you don’t have a testing kit, you can get one at any pool supply store.  It’s a good idea to have this on hand.  Some blogs or resources might recommend taking your water to a pool supply store for testing, but that’s a waste of time and energy when you can just buy a testing kit to keep around.  You’re going to need it a lot so it’s helpful to have on hand.

Make sure that you’re performing tests according to the instructions in the kit.  Even though testing is similar with all kits, the exact instructions will vary.  Follow them to the letter to get accurate results when you are testing your water to prepare the pool for winter.  You need to make sure that you get this right to keep your pool in the best shape possible while it’s hibernating.

 pH Balance and Chlorine

pH balance is one of the most critical elements in any pool.  Without the right levels, your pool will be unbalanced and can cause a lot of problems with the water.  In the winter months, you want your pH to be between 7.2 and 7.6, so that it can be balanced and calm all winter long.  You should also test alkalinity and calcium, which should be at 80-120ppm and 180-220ppm, respectively.  These levels can be tested with kits from your local pool store, just like the pH kit that you buy.

Chlorine levels need to be at 1-3ppm (parts per million) in your pool for the cold winter months.  Most pool supply stores recommend using a Chlorine or Non-Chlorine Shock treatment before you close the pool to balance the water and make sure that it’s ready to sit all winter.  This is all usually done before you drain the pool so that you can filter things accordingly while water levels are still high enough to run through the pump.  You can use chlorine blocks or granules, which can be bought online and at pool supply stores without spending a lot of money.  The amount you need depends on the size of your pool.  Chlorine works to get rid of dirt and bacteria in the pool before you close it up for the winter months.

 Other Chemicals

There are other winterizing chemicals that you can buy to help keep your pool in tip-top shape for the coming winter.  The most popular ones are usually sold in the winterizing kits that you can buy online.  Algaecide is a popular chemical, as this will help kill algae and prevent growth, giving you less to clean when you reopen the pool in the spring.  Stain prevention and metal sequestering chemicals are also available to help winterize your pool.  In the event of bad water chemistry, some metal buildup can occur and cause rusting or staining in the pool.

With stain prevention chemicals, you can help alleviate and prevent stains on the walls and floor of the pool from things like iron, magnesium, calcium, or copper.  This is especially important in areas where there is hard water, but can be beneficial in other areas, as well.  It’s optional, but it is definitely something to consider if you want to keep your pool in the best shape possible throughout the winter months.  There are a lot of chemicals that you can use to winterize your pool and ultimately it’s up to you to choose which ones you want to utilize.

 How to Buy Chemical Kits

Chemical kits are the most common way that people buy pool chemicals for winterizing.  All kinds of suppliers have different brands and collections of winterizing chemical kits that you can choose from.  They make it easy for you to get everything that you need for winter in one kit, so that you can just buy it and use it before you cover up your pool.  These kits are sold based on the type of chemicals that you want and the size of the pool that you have, so you’ll need to know the volume of your pool as well as which winterizing chemicals you want to use.

When you shop online, you have access to a wide selection of chemical kits from various manufacturers.  That will allow you to comparison shop to get the right chemicals and the best prices on your kits, no matter what you have in mind.  Make sure that you take the time to find the right chemical concoctions for your pool so that it is safe and protected all winter long.  Think about your climate, your pool and its needs, and how much you want to spend so that you can find the perfect kit.  It’s so much easier to buy everything you need in one package than to buy them all separately, and it can save you money, as well.

When it comes to winterizing your pool, chemicals are an important part of the process.  Giving your pool a good foundation for a safe, healthy winter will make it that much easier to get things going again in the spring and prevent excessive maintenance or repairs that might be necessary without the right chemical treatments.