9 Things Your Pool Wishes You Knew

Long before the kids start lacing up their ice skates and zipping up their parkas, your pool needs some attention to see it through the winter. Unless you live in a climate where it's warm year-round, you'll want to take a few steps to winterize your swimming pool.

The process begins about a week before you close the pool by using a high dose of chlorine (or other chemicals recommended by your pool care team) to shock and then balance the alkalinity in the water. Once this is complete, clean and backwash the filter according to manufacturer's directions, lower the pool's water level about 6 inches (16 centimeters) below the lowest plumbing line, then drain the water from the pool pump, filters, heaters and chlorinating equipment. Lastly, you'll want to empty the chemical feeder. Top it with a cover, pack away your pool accessories and start looking forward to next summer's poolside fun [source: Swimming Pool].

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Originally Published: Apr 6, 2011