Spring Opening Tips

Winter Closing Tips

The ABC of Pool Care

All About Pool Chemicals

How To Cure Algae

How To Cure Cloudy Water

Pool Stain Removal

Pool Heater Sizing Chart

Pool Care FAQ

Step 1 - Clean Your Pool: Spring opening can be made easier by properly closing your pool for the winter. Clean your pool thoroughly by vacuuming the bottom and if necessary, brush the walls. Remove all debris from the surface of the water before adding chemicals.
Step 2 - Pool Water Chemical Preparation: Your winter pool water chemical balance should be set exactly the same as during the swimming season. Balance your water according to the chemical levels shown in the Water Balance Guidelines Chart. Use the following steps, or purchase the PoolGear Plus Winterizing Kit and follow the directions outlined in Step 3. Add Suncoast Metal Control by pouring 1 Quart per 6,500 gallons of pool water by pouring it around the perimeter of the pool. Wait 2 hours. Add Suncoast Shock & Swim non-chlorine shock by disolving 1 pound for every 10,000 gallons of pool water into a bucket of pool water. Pour the disolved contents around the perimeter of the pool. Add Suncoast All-In-One Algaecide in the amount of 1/2 gallon for every 12,000 gallons of pool water. Pour slowly into the skimmer with the pump running. This will prevent algae growth in your pool and equipment during the winter.
Step 3 - Add the PoolGear Plus Winterizing Kit: When using a PoolGear Plus Winterizing Kit, you can skip step 2. Poolgear Plus supplies 3 sizes of winter kits to handle any pool size - up to 10,000 gallons, up to 20,000 gallons and up to 40,000 gallons. If you are not sure how many gallons your pool is, use our easy Calculating Pool Size chart. The PoolGear Plus Winterizing Kit contains Winter Algaecide, a non-Chlorine Shock and Winter Stain & Scale Control to keep your pool water healthy all winter long. The kits now contain a FREE bonus of additional Shock & Swim non-Chlorine Shock - See our Winterizing Kits for details!
Step 4 - Lower The Water Level: Drain your pool water to a level 6" below the skimmer and return lines. Equipment & Line Protection for Above-Ground Pools: All Above-Ground equipment should be drained by removing the drain plugs them removed and stored indoors for the winter. Protect your skimmer by using the Aquador Skimmer Protector. Simply replace your existing skimmer plate with the Aquador face plate, and snap on the plastic cover to seal the skimmer and protect it from ice damage. Otherwise, place an Above-Ground Skimmer Guard in skimmer lines to protect plumbing from freezing. Use Winterizing Plugs to protect your 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" plumbing lines from filling with water and freezing. Equipment & Line Protection for In-Ground Pools:Remove drain plugs from all your equipment and allow to drain comletetly. Add Suncoast Winter Guard Antifreeze and replace drain plugs. Leave all valves half open. Drain or blow out plumbing lines, fill with antifreeze and cap off by using Winterizing Plugs or Threaded Cap. Protect your skimmer by using the Aquador Skimmer Protector. Simply replace your existing skimmer plate with the Aquador face plate, and snap on the plastic cover to seal the skimmer and protect it from ice damage. Otherwise, place the In-Ground Skimmer Guard in skimmer line to protect plumbing from freezing. Use Winterizing Plugs to protect your 1 1/2" plumbing lines from filling with water and freezing. Check for any rubber fittings or gaskets that will be exposed to the air and cover them with o-ring lube to prevent drying and shrinking. Remove ladders and anything else that hangs into the water. Remove automatic pool cleaner and drain it completely. Lay the hoses out straight in a non-freezing location. Tip: Place all of your fittings, screws, etc. into the skimmer basket for safe keeping. Store your skimmer basket in a safe place for next spring!
Step 5 - Cover Your Above-Ground Pool: A properly covered pool will make Spring opening an easy task. Order your Winter cover based on your pool size - PoolGear Plus makes this process simple by showing you the pool size and the cover size you will receive. Choose from many different types of PoolGear Plus Winter Covers! Mesh Winter Covers come with 3 year warranty that allows water to trickle through fine mesh fabric. Solid 8 yr warranty Winter Covers and 10 yr warranty Winter Covers are available with 3 foot overlap. New for this season - Solid 15 yr warranty Silver Coated Winter Cover finish Solid Cover that reflects heat with huge 4 foot overlap. NOTE: Every Solid 8, 10 or 15 year warranty cover comes with FREE Cover Clips! Also available is a 15 yr warranty Skirted Winter Cover for high wind areas. Our skirted winter covers are cut round or oval to the exact size of your pool, and then fitted with an 18' skirt around the edges to conform snugly to your pool walls. Comes complete with a 15 year warranty that's 4 years full rated. Use a Leaf Net over your winter cover for easier spring start-ups. Just remove the cover and debris come along with it. It's the most versatile cover you can own. Covers come with a 2 ft overlap - Simply order by your pool size for proper fit. Air Pillows under your cover are highly recommended. Air pillows help relieve the pressure of expanding ice and make the removal of water from the top of the cover much easier. Two or three pillows will give you a little more safety than one large one. Also, if one breaks early in the winter, you'll still have one left in the pool. Above-Ground Wall Bags Heavy winds are no match for our heavy duty vinyl wall bags. Hold your cover securely in place with water filled bags designed to hang on the inside edges of your pool.
Cover Your In-Ground Pool: Put the pool cover on so that the entire cover touches the water and sides of the pool. It is very important that all the cover doesn't "tent". If the cover is too taut, the weight of the winter's snow could destroy the cover (or worse). If you cannot run your hand over the cover, straight down the inside wall of the pool until you hit water level, you need either more water or a larger cover. Choose from many different types of PoolGear Plus Winter Covers! Mesh Winter Covers make your Spring Clean-up a breeze! No more pumping dirty puddled water from your cover. Poly webbing water bag loops placed every 3 feet keep your cover in place, and brass corner grommets and additional anchoring options. 4 foot overlap for a better fit. 3 yr warranty. 8 yr warranty Winter Covers - You can't beat these prices! Our economy cover gets your great winter protection at a great price. 10 yr warranty Winter Covers This cover adds up to a strong, worry-free winter cover. without adding up to a big price! Available with 5 foot overlap. New for this season - Solid 15 yr warranty Silver Winter Cover Our best cover was also developed to slow winter algae growth! Reflects heat and has huge 6 foot overlap. All In-Ground Winter Covers have Triple Laminated polyethylene, Extra-wide material for fewer seams and a stronger cover, and Triple reinforced edge binding NOTE: Every Solid 8, 10 or 15 year warranty cover comes with a 10% discount on dual Water Tubes! Use a Leaf Net over your winter cover for easier spring start-ups. Just remove the cover and debris come along with it. It's the most versatile cover you can own. Covers come with a 2 ft overlap - Simply order by your pool size for proper fit. Holding your winter cover in place is critical! PoolGear Pus offers two different water-filled weights to help you keep your cover in place. Heavy Duty Water Tubes secure your winter cover for even the most severe weather. Tubes fill half way with water and attach to spaced holders on your winter cover. Constructed of super-tough vinyl for long life and durability. Constructed of Extra Heavy Duty vinyl with single or double chambers. Use Aqua Blocks the same way you use water bags. Blocks slip into loops in your winter cover and are built to withstand winter. Made of high-density U.V. resistant polyethylene and are four times thicker than water bags.