What kind of chemicals do you put in the pool ?

We suggest a the use of a concentrated shock treatment along with a winter algaecide and EZ Wall Garage Organizer -
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stain treat product. Also make sure you adjust the pH and Alkalinity of the water.

Do you put any Anti-Freeze in the pipes ?

No…you should not have to. The only way that you can guarantee that your underground pipes don’t freeze is to blow all the water out of the pipes with a high powered air

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Do you drop the light - lower the light - remove the light ?

No…you do not have to lower the light. A long time ago, before people used compressors or shop vacs to blow all the water out of the pipes, they had to lower the water in the pool

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Why do you have to lower the water in the pool if the pool has tile around the top at the water level ?

If you have tile, and you do not lower the water level, then if the water freezes, it can Friendly Robotics RoboMower with Power Docking Station
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Do you have to lower the water in a vinyl liner Inground pool ?

The only time that a pool needs to have the water lowered is if you have a gunite or cement pool with tile around the top, you know, at the water line. If you have tile, and you do not lower the water level, then if the water freezes, it can expand outwards and actually crack the tile. That’s the only reason. If you have a liner in the pool, then there is no need to lower the water level. When you use high powered compressors to blow all the water out of the pipes, and plug the return jets and the skimmers there is no need to lower the water. As long as you have the GIZZMOS, those big green plugs for the skimmers, you can keep Hechinger offers great REBATES from top brands like DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch and more.

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Well, I would prefer that the water be lowered.

Basically it’s your pool…and if you are more comfortable lowering the water level, then by all means do it. However you should still follow the procedures listed above for blowing out the pipes as well.

Should I acid wash my DE filter before closing ?

You should backwash it out before you close it down. That gets all the "gook" and old DE out of the filter. If you want to have the filter "acid washed", that’s usually something you do at the pool opening. You don’t want to have the filter cleaned and then have it sit for the next six months with acid residue in it ! Most people want to have it cleaned out right before they start up the pool in the spring. It is best to wait till then.

Well, I really want it cleaned out now - I heard from a friend this was best.

Well, the problem is, to properly clean it out you should use muriatic acid. And after the
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Should I vacuum the pool before I close it ?

Well, this is up to you. We do not recommend closing the pool if there is A LOT of debris in it. Then you should vacuum it all out. But a few leaves and bugs are OK. Most people vacuum the pool right after they open it in the Spring. You know, if we have a bad winter and part of your cover falls in the pool, you’ll just have to vacuum it again when you open it, so most people would rather just do it in the spring and only have to do it once.