Along with cleaning your pool, balancing the chemicals, and making sure you have a sturdy winter cover (see Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4), is there anything else you should do to help keep your pool water clear over the winter? The answer is yes. You can invest in a pool closing kit. These kits contain all sorts of useful items that can decrease your chances of taking off the cover to find a murky, green pond in your backyard next spring.
Here’s a little summary of the types of chemicals you can expect a good pool closing kit to contain.
A Stain & Scale Prevention Treatment Removes Metal from Your Pool Water
One of the biggest reasons to get a pool closing kit is the stain and scale prevention treatment that will inevitably be included with any quality kit. This chemical is probably the most important extra chemical to use in your pool water to keep it clean and clear for the winter. It gets rid of metals in your pool water that, if left in place throughout the winter, would stain the pool’s interior. Rural pool owners with well water or anyone with hard water should be especially diligent to add a stain and scale preventing chemical to their pool every time they close it for the winter.
Be Careful About Adding Algaecide When You Winterize Your Pool
Practically any pool closing kit will contain some sort of algaecide. But if you stay on top of keeping your pool chemically balanced regularly, you may not need any sort of extra algaecide to winterize your pool.
You might end up doing more harm than good if you add extra algaecide, depending on what type and amount of chemical you use. Some algaecides contain metals, but as we mentioned in the previous point, these can stain your pool. They may also be difficult for the human body to expel if they’re accidentally ingested or absorbed through the skin. Inexpensive algaecides that don’t contain metal can sometimes cause your pool to develop a foam that’s a real hassle to remove. As long as you are regularly adding the proper amount of chlorine and other chemicals to your pool, you probably don’t need to use an extra algaecide. Just shock your pool with a strong dose of chlorine at closing time and you should be all set until spring.
Take Note of What Type of Pool Shock Your Closing Kit Contains
Your kit should come with some type of pool shock in it. Pay close attention to which type of shock it includes. It will either be a strong granular chlorine chemical or a different oxidizing agent, such as potassium monopersulphate, that doesn’t include chlorine. A granular chlorine shock treatment will probably give you a better chance of keeping the water clean through the winter than a non-chlorine shock treatment, because chlorine can hold a residual value in the water. Any other items that are added to the closing kit probably aren’t necessary for making sure your pool water stays clear throughout the winter.
By following these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to making sure your pool water will be as crystal clear as possible when you remove your pool cover in the spring.
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Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 400,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.
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