Need advice about closing

This is the first year for our Intex 12x20x48 oval pool. I have no clue what to do or the chemistry involved. I live in Michigan (right smack dab in the middle). So it does get cold here. I have the salt water system and it has worked well for us. I would prefer to leave it up with the size it is and I would be the only one to wrestle it around to store it. Anyway, what would be the proper way to close this thing. I mean do I drain it a little to get the water below the in / out fittings so I can drain the valves. Do I blow up the ring so it stays inflated over the winter. I have read to NOT leave the solar cover on it. My original cover got ripped, can I use a quality tarp (obviously not a cloth one)?

Intex suggests that it can be left up, after putting in the proper chemicals. But, what are they?

Thanks for any suggestions!

OK,
Closing your pool is just like closing any other. I think we have some stickied threads on that.

There are two major things to be concerned with when you have an Intex donut.
1) If the ring deflates, the pool will collapse. When it's cold the air in the ring will contract so you'll have to inflate it--but no more than you need to hold up pool--because when it gets warm, that donut will then inflate more as the air expands--too much and it will leak. You'll have to watch it.
2) You cannot afford to have it overfill or it will deflate as well. If your Intex was like mine, the drain is too low to leave unplugged, but your return might be OK.

If it were me (and I had a 15'x3' Intex for 3 years) I'd consider emptying it, cleaning and drying it, and storing it in a warm basement. But that's me.

Chems:

I like to get everything balanced--pH, CYA, T/A, then run FC up to shock level. Then, when the water gets below 60 (or slightly above), I add a quart of polyquat (I have 20,000 gal--you can use less) and wait 48 hours. FC plummets, so I then add bleach back up to shock level, drain my pool down below the returns, plug the returns, close off the skimmer, disconnect the hoses, and cover the pool with my safety mesh cover.

I would suggest a mesh cover otherwise the weight of the ice and snow on your walls will quickly collapse your pool--it won't support weight. Or no cover at all.


Good luck!