Closing pool for first time

[elsie]

Hi all,

I have some questions re: closing my pool for the season. Stickies don't quite address the nuances of individual systems.

Some of you may recall that in the 10 years I've had my pool (20,000 gal. in ground), I don't close it but rather just cover it and then run the pump when we have below freezing temps (I'm in Alabama), although the first year I lived in my house I did have it closed by a pool guy.

It was somewhat nerve-wracking last winter when I had an air leak in the pvc at the pump and couldn't get prime and didn't feel comfortable running the pump overnight because of the odd noises it was making and temps were going into the teen's so I ended up putting quilts over the filter and pump and left a heatgun on it going all night. Suffice it to say, it's a royal pain to worry about any manner of failures that can happen in winter when the temps drop as low as the teens (although redoing any burst piping isn't catastrophic by any means I understand that the filter and/or pump could also sustain damage).

I distinctly remember that pool guy some 10 years ago saying, when he closed the pool for me, that we didn't have to blow out the lines because the pump is below sea level and, indeed, I remember we did no such thing.

So this is what I "think" I need to do. Lower the water below skimmer and plug the one open line in the skimmer and plug both return jets. By the way, I've read that some people put an empty plastic gallon jug in the skimmer but how would that help anything since the skimmer will be empty of water?? And in reading another thread in this section it appears that the water should be lowered *below* the returns? Isn't that leaving a lot of vinyl liner exposed? If they're tightly plugged can't I just lower it so it doesn't go into the skimmer?

Then at the pump location, I see a large white plastic cap toward the bottom of the filter. I presume I should use a wrench and remove that cap to let the filter drain? Then I see two other small black plugs - one is at the bottom of the pump basket, and the other one is at the bottom of the pump motor housing. I presume I remove these 2 plugs and then the entire system will drain?

Then I put the filter setting on Winterize? Do I leave the water handle to the PVC that goes underground to the pool open or closed (I would think open)? Will water not sit in that pipe at ground level where it could freeze? (I don't have to worry about the underground section that goes between the pump and the skimmer as it's well below the surface and will not freeze).

Then I should wrap the pipes in thick newspaper and just cover the whole thing with a tarp?

Although I don't uncover the pool until mid-May when all the stuff has stopped falling from the millions of budding trees around the property, I will want to un-close it in early- to mid-March as I will want to assess the CL level and run the pump occasionally to keep things mixed up as the weather warms; I've never opened to anything but crystal clear water and don't want that to change - after being closed for so long it just lifts the spirit to open to beautiful water.

On that same note, I'm wondering if I should just cover the pool next Saturday and "close" it in late October when the water's clearly much colder so I can occasionally run the pump to keep things mixed up or would it be ok to just go ahead and close it now? That way I will not need to take all the continuous water bags off the one side to plug the return jets. This morning the water temp. is 80 but as the nights start to cool now and with the days getting shorter along with drops in humidity (= increased evaporation=cooling), and although our daytime temps are still in the 90's and will be for a couple of weeks, I predict that by next weekend the water will be 77 or 78 and I just won't swim when it's that cold (plus we're in a drought and the leaves are starting to fall already).

Sorry in advance for all the questions but once I get clear on all this I can close it every year and have worry-free winters!

Oh, one last thing. When I do open it then I just put all 3 plugs back in at the pump location, make sure the water handle is on of course, put the multiport back to filter, take the plugs out of the jets and the plug out of the skimmer, raise the water level, and flip the pump switch - and it should maybe get prime in 20 seconds or so?

Thanks so much, as always for your input!

- Elsie