closing!

[JimK]

This will be my first pool closing. I live in the midwest so I don't think it will be too long before I have to do it. I have lots of questions. I have read through some of the forum but still have these.

1. Any recomended type or brand of cover? I have read solid and mesh...does it matter?
2. Do those pool pillows work, and are they needed?

3. I have wedding cake steps...do I need to take them out?

4. Do you have to take the filter/pump indoors or can I just unhook it and cover it with a tarp or something? How do you drain the filter? I have read things about high pressure and it scares me to mess with it. I don't want to blow my hand off or something...lol.

5. I have a skimmer plate and a plug for the return. So I don't need to lower my water level, right?

1. When we had our 20k gal. IG vinyl pool installed in 2004, we opted for a mesh safety cover (seemed like a good idea at the time). However, spring cleanup was a bit of a pain since the mesh cover allows fine dirt to get in the pool. Also, it allows some light through so we had to wait until Nov/Dec to close and open by late Feb/eary March to avoid algae blooms. A few years ago I started using a solid cover over the mesh cover. Spring cleanup is much easier now and I can close/open when I want (usually open in May and close in October) without algae issues. I should let you know we have no children or pets (that go outside). If there is a concern about kids or pets getting on the cover, then a safety mesh cover would be the way to go. If that's not an issue, then I would go with a solid cover. Just make sure you pump/siphon off the water that accumilates on it.

2. Sorry, I haven't tried those.

3. Again, don't know.

4. Our installer did say the pump would last longer if we stored it indoors during the winter, but I haven't done so. The pump still works fine, but I have noticed the metal housing is rusting on the bottom. If you don't mind the hassle, I would say store it indoors.

5. As long as you take measures to prevent water from freezing in the skimmer and damaging it, you shouldn't have to lower the level (I don't). However, I'm sure where you live has alot to do with this. In our area we rarely get hard freezes and the skimmers are below ground level. Since you have an AG pool with skimmers above ground level, and you don't have to worry about the liner floating (this is the reason I try not to lower the water level too much in our IG vinyl pool), perhaps it would be wise to err on the safe side and lower your water level.

Hope something here helps.