Winterizing

This is my 5th year (I think) of having an above ground pool and I love it!

I remove my ladder but storing it is somewhat of a problem due to available space. I built my deck to have an entry point just under the top rail cap so my ladder is only the part in the water. Its not a basic cheap ladder. Its all plastic and has a triangular base where it will stand up without having to prop it up.

If I leave it out all wither it gets really dirty and takes a lot of time and effort to clean it.

My question is, can it be simply laid over and left in the pool when the pool is covered to store it?

If you maintain a reasonable pH and don't take your chlorine too high . . . it should be fine . . . IF there's no metal on the ladder OR IF the metal is ALL stainless steel.

Do NOT leave either steel, aluminum, or galvanized steel in your pool over the winter.

There is some hardware on the ladder that must be stainless because it has not changed. I know galvanized steel would be showing rust by now seeing its the original hardware the ladder came with.

I have an 18', 52" pool. I have never checked levels through the winter and have only had one time where it was cloudy when removing the cover. I had looked in it a couple of weeks before and it was clear. I remove my pump/motor and store it in my shop during the winter.

I usually add algecide and two bags of shock before covering it. We have very hard water here, its always high on hardness with strips. I know those have limited accuracy so I just use them to see a ballpark figure.

Sounds like a reasonable call. -Ben