Closing your pool for winter

What to do now so you don't pay for it in spring

The most delicate moment of the year for a pool isn't August. It's September, when you stop using it and stop looking at it too. Almost every problem that shows up in May — green water, clogged filter, damaged pipework, stained surfaces — comes from a closing done in a hurry, or done too early.

Here is the right order of operations.

1. Don't close too early

This is the most common mistake. Once summer ends it feels natural to cover everything and move on, but sealing a pool while the water is still warm means leaving a perfect environment for algae and bacteria — in the dark, with no filtration — for weeks.

The reference isn't the calendar, it's the temperature: close when the water is steadily below 12-15°C. In much of Italy that means late October, not early September.

2. Clean first, always

Anything left on the bottom over winter will have months to stain. Leaves, organic residue, limescale deposits: they need to go now, not in March.

That means a full brushing of walls and floor, cleaning the skimmer and pump baskets, and a careful pass along the corners, where whatever the suction misses tends to gather. Our accessories section covers brushes, covers and the equipment for this stage.

3. Balance the water, then treat it

This is the step that decides what the water will look like in spring. First correct pH and hardness, then shock treat, and only at the end add the wintering product.

The order matters: a winteriser added to unbalanced water performs far below what it should. Our chemical range includes correctors, shock treatments and products made specifically for the winter months.

4. Protect the system from frost

This is the part that costs most if neglected, because water freezing inside a pipe or inside a pump housing isn't repaired. It's replaced.

Lower the water level below the inlets, drain the pump and filter, open the drain plugs and close the valves. Where frost is severe, add anti-freeze floats in the pool: they absorb the pressure of the ice instead of letting it push against the walls. Filters, cartridges and spare components are in the filtration section.

5. Cover it — but don't seal in a mistake

A cover is there to keep leaves and dirt out, not to hide a pool that was closed badly. Stretch it properly, secure it, and check it a couple of times over the winter: after heavy snow or strong wind, half an hour of inspection prevents much more expensive damage.

The final reckoning

Closing a pool properly takes half a day. Reopening after a badly done closing can take a week, plus the products needed to recover the water and, in the worst cases, replacement parts.

You'll find everything you need in our shop, with shipping throughout Italy and Europe. Creating an account makes future orders a matter of a few clicks, and lets you track your shipments from your profile.