WINTERIZING | ABOVE GROUND POOL FAQ | POOL CARE GLOSSARY | POOL CONSTRUCTION & FINISHING GLOSSARY

Winterizing an Above-Ground Pool: 10 Steps

Where does a pool owner start to best ensure that an above-ground pool is properly closed down until the following season? Right here, with these simple guidelines for winterizing an above-ground pool. Follow these 10 steps and look forward to the breezy days of summer to come.

1) Remove the pool ladder and store it in a dry, sheltered climate. Likewise, keep pool chemicals in a cool, dry place. If chemicals are sealed properly, it will save on additional purchases come summer. Store all pool equipment—e.g., pool vacuum, automatic cleaner, skimmers, brushes, floaters, and toys away from winter elements.

2) Ensure that pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness in the existing water are all balanced. Once balance is achieved, proceed to add a winter chemicals kit before filter removal. After winter chemicals are added, there will be no need for further chemicals throughout the winter.

3) Run the filter for one hour, or per recommendations of the winter chemical kit.

4) Lower the water level of the pool below the skimmers and inlets. Cover the skimmers and inlets with winterized covers or inserts to prevent freezing and cracking.

5) Disconnect motor and pump from the base of the pool. Drain off any water, clean out, and wipe dry. Store this equipment in a dry location.

6) Drain pool filter tank and hoses of water. Wipe out carriage of cartridge filter, discard old cartridge filter, and store the equipment in a dry location.

7) Clean out sand filter area, dry it, and discard the old sand filter; store in a dry location.

8) Where applicable, dispose of diatomite in Diatomaceous Earth Filter. Rinse out tank and dry. Soak all hoses overnight in warm dish soap water. Rinse hoses thoroughly the next day to clean off any remaining buildup.

10) Cover the above-ground pool with an all-year-round pool cover or a winter cover. Ensure that the cover is secured tightly.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Above-ground pools

1) Why should I go with an above-ground pool?
Many homeowners are turning to above-ground pools because they are built to last and offer a wide variety of wall and liner options. In fact, approximately 50% of the pools owned in the United States are above-ground. Homeowners also choose above-ground pools thanks to their relatively low cost as compared to in-ground pools.

Your lifestyle and entertainment plans are important to consider when thinking of the size and depth of the pool you will require. Yard space is another obvious consideration. How much do you have right now and how much would you like to have left over when the pool is assembled?

An above-ground pool offers a certain flexibility that an in-ground pool does not, while simultaneously offering many of the same technically sophisticated options such as lighting and water features. An above-ground pool is installation-friendly and low maintenance. And if the day comes that you are ready to recapture your backyard, an above-ground pool can easily be disassembled in a day's time.

2) What is the best way to buy an above-ground pool?
There is no best way, because it mostly depends on your preferences for shopping. If you are the kind of shopper who looks for ease above all else, then it is certainly possible and probably a good idea to purchase your pool online. Other people prefer to go a different route when buying something that could cost a few thousand dollars. These shoppers likely want to see what exactly it is they are purchasing. If you are one of these kinds of shoppers, it is probably best that you go to an actual pool store and see the pool yourself before a final purchase is made.

3) What kind of an above-ground pool should I buy?
Dependent on personal preferences, there are certain items that need to be considered before the pool is bought. First and foremost is to consider who will be using the pool. If the pool is primarily for the use of children, you may want to look into getting a pool that is a little more on the shallow side. But if you plan to entertain many adults in the pool this obviously would be an improper choice.

Also consider what kind of footprint the pool is going to leave and what kind of space is available. For example, if it is your desire to place the pool in the corner of your yard, it will fit much better if it were rectangular in shape. But if you want a more traditional size and shape similar to other above-ground pools, you may want to go with a pool that is more circular.

4) How long will it take to set up the pool?
Usually it is best to plan on spending a whole weekend if you are setting up a pool. If you have three people helping with assembly processes, it can take as little as one day, but it could take more if you are trying to assemble such a pool for the first time. The more people, the less the time it will take to set up an above-ground pool.

5) What is above-ground pool cove and why is it necessary?
A cove is needed to keep the weight of the water from causing the pool liner to balloon out under the bottom of the pool wall. Previously, pool cove had to be hand-formed with plenty of sand or dirt. Liner failures due to cove washout were all too common, and corrosion occurs rapidly where metal components at the bottom of the pool come in contact with moisture in the sand or dirt. Hand-formed coves also are uneven, making cleaning difficult.

A pool cove becomes part of the pool to seal the space between the wall and the liner, and to prevent liner strain. Made from chemically neutral foam, the cove will fight corrosion. It also is compatible with all vinyl liners, and eliminates the need for banking sand, otherwise used to create a sealed barrier between the wall and liner.

6) How is pool volume calculated?
Before you can determine the correct dosage of any chemical you're going to add, it's important to know how much water your pool holds.

Make all your measurements in feet. Example: use 12.5 instead of 12' 6".

1. Figure out the average depth of your pool. (deep end depth) feet + (shallow end depth) feet = _______ feet / 2 = (average depth) feet
2. Calculate your pool's capacity using one of the formulas below.
 

7) My portable pool is discolored and scaly on the top of the rail. What is causing this?
This is a process called Cornification, and it happens when acidic water—i.e., water with a pH level that is too low—is splashed up to the top of the pool and is left to dry there. The acidic leftover of the water combined with strong sun begins to change the soft material into a scaly hard and discolored material. Left untended this can eventually lead to pool failure.

Try this:
1. If this process has already started, slice vacuum hoses long-ways down the center, and they will clamp along the top rail to protect it from the sun and water at all times.
2. Always monitor the pH level and keep it within acceptable ranges (7.2 - 7.6) so this problem will not occur.
3. Keep the pool covered after wiping down the top ledge.

8) Is it possible to stop an above-ground pool from collapsing or at least limit the damage?
Use something more solid than an air pillow in extreme cold conditions, such as an inner tube or even a tire.  A heavy object like a log will keep the cover afloat, and it will more lightly compress when the water freezes.
If the pool is frozen solid, then begin disassembling it piece by piece. If it is not frozen solid, wrap the pool with rope several times to hold everything together. Consult your warranty information and contact the dealer for help with manufacturer replacement parts. 

9) A sewer smell resulted after draining my above-ground pool. How can this be eradicated?
The smell may be coming from a heat-induced relationship between the pool bottom and the ground. Mix a gallon of warm water with 1/3 cup of bleach and wash the entire pool, including the bottom.

10) Small holes appear about a foot off the ground of my steel-walled pool, and it is leaking all over the pool at that height. I have a sand base. What happened?
When you originally put sand in the pool, likely the light pebbles floated up in the air and landed on the wall, and the wall was not wiped down. The sand pebbles over time pierced the liner from the pressure of water against the liner and water flowed out in small amounts. This rusted the steel wall right at the small-diameter holes. The pH level of the water likely tilted too low, causing acidic conditions and rusting. You will need a new liner, a new wall, and new bottom material (not sand).

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Pool Care Glossary

Browse this list of commonly used terminology relevant to swimming pool additives, chemicals, and water care.

Acid demand: A titration test used to determine proper amounts of acid (or pH reducer) to reach correct levels for swimming pool water. For example, to lower pH from 8.0 to 7.6, pool water may "demand" 2 quarts of acid.

Algae: Various forms of microscopic plant life that grow rapidly and multiply in the presence of light. Many varieties of algae exist, some free floating, and some surface-oriented. Some forms of swimming pool algae are more resistant to chlorine than others.

Algaecide: (or algaecide): Substance used to prevent or get rid of algae—especially the green scum in a swimming pool. Usually copper sulfate and chelated copper. Polyquat is the common name for a class algaecide that is chemically mostly n-alkyl-dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride. Some dialkyl monomethyl isomers also are included. The alkyl groups usually are C14 and C16. The common name polyquat derives from its compounds: POLY-alkyl QUATernary amines.

See Blue Wave algaecides: Halt 50, Eliminator, Black Zapper, Concentrated Algaecide, Eradicator 60, Terminator.

Algaestat: An algaecide kills algae, while an algaestat retards and prevents its genesis and growth in a swimming pool.

Aluminum Sulfate: Substance used as a flocculent to attract suspended particles in swimming pool water—as with green or cloudy pools. A small amount also may be used as an additive to a pool's sand filter.

Bacteria: Germs that enter a swimming pool or spa by way of users, and from the surrounding environment.

Bactericide: A product that kills bacteria. For example, Chlorine is a bactericide and germicide. Silver "algaecides" are actually are bactericides, useful on pink "algae."

Balanced pool water: The correct ratio of mineral content and pH that prevents water from becoming corrosive or scale forming.

Broadcast: Widely spreading pool chemicals in powder form over a swimming pool or spa surface.

Bromine (also see Sanitizer): An alternative sanitizer sometimes used in place of chlorine. Bromine is well suited to spas and indoor pools, as it lasts longer in high heat and has no chlorine odor. Due to its slow-dissolving nature, when Bromine is used in a pool, it must be dispensed by an automatic pool chemical feeder.

Calcium Carbonate: (see Scale)

Calcium Chloride: A soluble white salt used to raise the calcium hardness of a pool.

Calcium hardness: The amount of dissolved calcium in pool water. Hardness readings should be approximately 150-175 ppm (parts per million) for vinyl-lined pools; 240-300 ppm for concrete or plaster pools.

Chloramines: A chlorine cell that has "died" due to its combination with a contaminant (such as ammonia or nitrogen) so that it is now useless for maintaining the pool. It emits a strong chlorine odor, which is not a sign of too much chlorine in the pool water, but rather, too little available for sanitizing. These compounds are formed when chlorine combines with nitrogen from urine, perspiration, suntan crèmes and oils, and other personal products. Chloramines cause both skin and eye irritation.

Chlorine (Also see Sanitizer): The most efficient and widely used sanitizer for pools, found in two types:
1) Nonstabilized inorganic chlorines such as calcium hypochlorite, lithium, and sodium hypochlorite;
2) Stabilized organic chlorines, preferred for their stability in the presence of sunlight.

Chlorine demand: The amount of chlorine required to eliminate swimming pool contaminants. Chlorine may be needed in large quantities before chlorine demand is satisfied.

Chlorine residual: The amount of free chlorine found in a swimming pool.

Clarifier (Floc): A non-ionic polymer flocculent that causes particles/solids in pools and spas to mass together, thereby creating larger particles for easier removal via the pool's filtration system.

Cyanuric acid: A chemical compound that protects chlorine from loss due to sunlight. Also referred to as Stabilizer.

Diatomaceous earth (D.E.): A fine, powdery substance that comes from the calcified remains of prehistoric single-celled marine animals. The porous substance is an effective filtration media.

Disinfectant: Pool chemicals that kill undesirable (pathogenic) organisms. Examples of disinfectants are chlorine, bromine, ionizers, and copper/silver algaecides.

DPD test: The test reagent used to measure and indicate chlorine levels. The presence of chlorine turns the test indicator to pink.

Dry acid (Blue Wave pH REDUCER): A granular product that lowers pH and total alkalinity of pool water. Also referred to as Sodium Biosulfate.

Enzymes: Used in swimming pool formulations designed to break down and digest oils in a pool or spa.

Foaming: Refers to surface foam found on pool water, especially in spas and hot tubs. Foaming is caused by high TDS levels (see Total Dissolved Solids) working in combination with soft water and oils. Enzymes are used for foam control.

Free Chlorine: The portion of chlorine that is actually available to kill bacteria in a swimming pool. This does not include chloramines or chlorine used up by the sun's rays.

Hydrochloric Acid: A strong acid used to regulate the basicity (pH) of pools and spas.

Hypobromous Acid: A primary chemical compound responsible for sanitation in pools and spas treated with products based on chlorine or bromine.

Iodine: An element related to chlorine and bromine used as a disinfectant. When used, chlorine normally is employed to free the elemental iodine.

Laterals: Devices at the bottom of a pool filter that collect the filtered water and carry it up the tank to and back into the pool.

Liquid acid: A chemical, either muriatic or hydrochloric, used to reduce pH and total alkalinity. Liquid acid is a dangerous and highly corrosive chemical to be handled with great care.
Make-up Water: Fresh water used to fill or refill the pool.

Muriatic acid: The commercial name for hydrochloric acid. (Also see Liquid acid.)

Non-Chlorine Pool Shock: A granular form of potassium permonosulfate that is added to a swimming pool or spa to oxidize microorganisms, contaminants, or chloramines. Advantages are that it does not require excessive chlorine use, and allows swimming almost immediately after application. Non-chlorine shock does not harm pool liners, and does not upset water balance.

Organic matter: Perspiration, urine, saliva, suntan oil, cosmetics, lotions, dead skin, and similar debris.

ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential): A measure of the oxidizing agents in water, serving as a relative measure of the desired "work value" of a pool sanitizer.

OTO (Orthotolidine. Also see DPD): A liquid test reagent used to determine total chlorine.

pH: A measure of acidity or alkalinity in swimming pool water. The ideal range is 7.2 to 7.6 ppm (parts per million).

Phenol red: A pH indicator that causes the color of a solution to change depending on the pH balance.

Pool Shock: The unstabilized chlorine made up of about 65% chlorine (with a pH of around 11) used to break down water-soluble organic matter.

ppm: Stands for "Parts Per Million," the accepted measurement of chemical concentration in swimming pool water.

Sanitizer: A chemical agent, such as chlorine or bromine, used to remove unwanted contaminants from pool water.

Scale: A hard and rough deposit found on pool surfaces or in swimming pool plumbing. Scale often results from hard water and high pH levels. The crystalline deposits also form on pool surfaces. Eventually its buildup may clog or severely hinder the operation of a swimming pool system. Properly balanced pool water can prevent this.

Sequestering Agent: A chemical or compound that combines with dissolved metals or minerals in the pool water to prevent them from coloring the water or causing stains.

Soda ash: Sodium carbonate, used to raise the pH of pool water.

Sodium bisulfate: See Dry acid.

Sodium Dichlor: A granular form of pool chlorine that is stabilized with cyanuric acid, used for shocking and superchlorinating pools.

Sodium Hypochlorite: A clear liquid compound that has 5% to 16% available chlorine, applied in swimming pools for water disinfection and oxidation. Sodium Hypochlorite works well as a long-term solution because microorganisms cannot build up any resistance to it.

Stabilizer: See Cyanuric acid.

Shock treatment: See Superchlorination.

Superchlorination: Also known as "Shock Treatment," this process involves adding a significant amount of chlorine to a pool to oxidize unwanted organic material and establish a quick free chlorine residual.

Total alkalinity (TA): A condition that affects and controls pH. If TA is too high, pH will be difficult to adjust. If TA is too low, pH will be unstable and difficult to maintain. The ideal TA range is 80-150 ppm (parts per million), depending on the interior swimming pool finish.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): The amount of dissolved matter—such as calcium, magnesium, carbonates, etc.—in pool or spa water. To combat TDS accumulation, a pool or spa must be completely drained since TDS continually builds up over time.

Toxic: A chemical state in which a substance has an adverse physiological effect on living things.

TriChlor: A slow-dissolving tablet or stick composed of an organic chlorine compound that provides 90% available chlorine and has a pH of 2.9. Due to its slow-dissolving nature, it must be dispensed using either a floating feeder or an in-line chlorinator. TriChlor also prevents the pool chlorine from being destroyed by the ultraviolet rays of the sun with the help of cyanuric acid.

Underdrain: The lower collection system in a filter that directs filtered water back toward the pool. It also distributes pool water in reverse during backwashing (see Laterals).

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Pool Construction & Finishing Glossary

Cobalt Bleeding: A condition occasionally present in older fiberglass pools and spas, resulting in dark black spots or blotches forming on underwater surfaces. Stain removal treatments may prove useless or temporary. The most practical remedy is to refinish the pool or spa.

Coping, pool:To maintain a pool's shape and to hold its liner in place, a tile or lip is installed around the edge of the pool. This edge is called coping (also known as edging).

Epoxy Based Refinishing: Refers to materials and processes used to refinish and seal a masonry pool. Such refinishing offers the advantage of strength and durability and reduced interaction between the masonry products in the walls and the pool water chemistry.

Exposed Aggregate Finish: A type of product used as the interior finish in some masonry pools—typically, a mixture of selected aggregates and Portland cement.  An acid etching is used to expose some of the aggregates, creating its textured, finished look.

Gorilla Pad: A 1/8-inch-thick geotextile pool floor pad that adds a layer of cushioning to eliminate footprints from forming on the pool floor. It is cut to size and seamed for your pool. No more cutting and taping as with foam. The padding virtually eliminates vinyl pool liner bottom leaks and inhibits weeds from causing holes in the pool liner.

Gunite: A water, sand, and cement mixture that is "gunned" onto the formed shape of a pool interior under construction. After application, a trowel is used on the walls, and a layer of a "plaster" finish is applied over the Gunite. It is this "plaster" layer—most commonly a marble dust Marcite (see separate glossary listing) or an aggregate finish—that will actually contact the water and be visible.

Ladder: A device used to enter or exit a pool.

• A-Frame Ladder: Straddles a pool wall in an above-ground pool only. It has a safety feature that allows one side to lift and prevent access into the pool.

• In-Pool: A "candy cane" shaped ladder that goes from deck to pool bottom, designed for both in-ground pools and above-ground pools with decks.

Laterals: Devices at the bottom of a pool filter that collect the filtered water and carry it up the tank to and back into the pool.

Leaching: A term used to describe the movement of slowly soluble constituents, present in masonry pool finishes, into the pool water. Overall water chemistry governs to what extent any leaching can occur. This normally affects the parameters of pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness.

Liner (Vinyl): A vinyl membrane that acts as the container to hold the water in a pool.

• Overlap Pool Liner: A liner that hangs over the pool wall and is held in place with a liner clip.

• Beaded Pool Liner: A liner with a beaded top that snaps into a bead receiver located at the top of the pool wall just underneath the seat ledge.

• J-Hook (Uni-Bead) Pool Liner: These pool liners have a J-shaped piece that forms a pocket on top of the liner, and hooks onto the pool wall corrugation. These liners are very versatile because use of the hook is optional if the liner needs to be overlapped beyond the pool edge for a proper fit.

Marcite: A finish for Gunite pools that consists of crushed marble and white Portand cement, which forms a watertight layer over the underlying gunite.

Mottling: A term used to describe dark blotches, spots, or stains that appear on some plastered pools. This condition may be caused by the "use and abuse" of calcium chloride in the plastering mixture. There is no solution, short of refinishing, if mottling occurs. Algae and metal stains are other possibilities.

Plaster: A type of finish that is applied over the concrete shell of an in-ground pool. Typically, it is a mixture of cement and aggregate used as an interior finish on concrete pools or spas.

Pool, above-ground: A home pool that is built on top of the ground, constructed of various materials including a vinyl liner to contain the water.

Pool, in-ground, fiberglass: A pool that is built into the ground, with fiberglass as the material of construction. This type of pool is not very flexible in terms of size and shape.

Pool, in-ground, Gunite: A pool built into the ground—usually level with the surface—and constructed with a concrete shell that is "gunned" on (hence the name gunite). The surface can be finished with plaster or aggregate materials. This type of pool is very flexible in terms of size and shape.

Pool, in-ground, vinyl: A pool that is built into the ground—usually level with the surface—and constructed from various structural materials such as aluminum, steel, polymer plastic, and wood. This type of pool has a vinyl liner, and is very flexible in terms of size and shape.

Pool, on-ground, residential: A removable pool that is on the ground and also has an excavated area below the earth.

Pool, permanent: A pool that cannot be readily disassembled, usually used to describe an in-ground pool.

Precipitation: The formation of an insoluble chemical compound, thereby causing it to drop out of solution. Changes in the water analysis parameters of pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness can cause precipitation. Not treating dissolved minerals, such as iron, can lead to precipitation, and resulting staining and discoloration problems. Precipitation of calcium can lead to cloudy/hazy pool or spa water or scale deposit problems on underwater surfaces.

Quartz: A commonly used ingredient in quartz-aggregate finishes. Quartz or silicon dioxide is more chemical-resistant and durable than the more traditional marble dust additives.

Top rail: The outer edge of an above-ground pool, normally specified in 6", 8" or 9" sizes

Underdrain: The lower collection system in a filter that directs filtered water back toward the pool. It also distributes pool water in reverse during backwashing (see Laterals).

Vinyl Liners: Placed inside the formed shape of a pool, vinyl liners are made of a heavy-gauge vinyl. They are used to contain the water within the inner surfaces of the walls and bottom. Vinyl liners are chemically inert, and enable the use of various materials as pool walls. Available in a variety of colors and patterns, vinyl liners come in stock sizes and custom sizes.

Wading pool: A pool with a shallow depth.

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