We are often asked when is the best time to close a pool for the season. There are different factors that dictate when you should close your pool, from water temperature to the amount of debris that could get into your pool. The industry standard is to “open your pool early and close your pool late”. While that’s the standard, it holds a lot of merit.
It is best to close your pool when the temperature of the water is consistently below 60 degrees. Once the water temperature drops below 60 degrees, microorganisms and algae cannot grow and become dormant for the winter season. Decreasing the likelihood of algae growth helps with the overall chemistry of your pool water and causes fewer issues in the spring when you open the pool. For example, if you close your swimming pool in August and the weather stays consistently in the 70s and 80s until October, you will have a green pool in spring. Opening a green pool, requires more chemicals to correct which will cost you time and money. It is recommended that you close your pool according to weather patterns once fall like weather symptoms occur. Most of our clients close their pool between the middle of September and the end of October/first week of November. Here in the Midwest, October is a popular month for pool closings.
Another factor that determines when you close your pool is the amount of foliage or debris that can get into your water. If you are in a heavily wooded area where there are a lot of trees hanging over your pool then you might want to consider closing it up earlier to avoid the headache of continually cleaning and balancing your water, which can become very time consuming. During the off season, it is recommended that you add shock to your pool water twice while the pool is closed. Most people do this around Thanksgiving and Easter when the water will still be thawed enough to get the chemicals in the water without them just resting on top of the ice. Adding the shock helps keep your pool water clear for when you open the pool in spring.
Closing your swimming pool should revolve around your lifestyle and family preferences. By closing when the weather is cooler, opening the pool back up in the spring should be smooth and hassle free. We want all of our customers to enjoy their pools as long as they can in the season before our Midwestern winter weather hits!