No, but winter covers protect your pool from stains, algae growth and poor water balance that could damage pool surfaces. Pool covers block both debris and sunlight, to conserve your winter chemicals and protect soft and shiny surfaces.
People often avoid covering their pool for the winter because pool covers are an additional cost. However, an uncovered pool will cost you far more over the span of a few short years than a simple pool cover. For one thing, an uncovered pool will become a catch-all for leaves and debris.
If you don't cover your above-ground pool, it's going to get dirt, leaves, and other debris in it. Even if you don't have any trees nearby, the wind will still blow debris into the water.
The harsh weather conditions throughout the winter season can create potential damage to more than just the pipes. What happens when you don't winterize your pool is that the water could turn green with algae. If the chlorine system stops functioning, you'll say adieu to the beautiful blue pool you know and love.
Yes, they can freeze solid. If temperatures reach below zero, swimming pools that are not circulating can freeze solid within a few days. If those low temperatures continue for several days, the ice sheet can increase in thickness by up to ¼” per day.
What is Winterizing a Pool? Different from closing a pool, winterizing your pool is the finale to the pool season. This means that your pool will not be used for several months, equipment is turned off, accessories are removed and the water is removed from lines and vessels.
For most folks however, I would recommend a tight fitting winter pool cover, to keep maintenance to a minimum, and to protect and secure the pool during the off-season. But it is possible to close a pool, without covering the pool, but it's best to cover the pool that is not circulating.
Unless you are considering the investment in a safety cover do not close the pool for winter.
Above-Ground Pools
If you have an above-ground pool with a vinyl pool liner, drain the pool to about 1 inch below the bottom of the skimmer mouth. It's acceptable to drain the pool a few more inches below that if you live in an area that gets heavy precipitation during the winter months.
Leaving your Intex pool out in colder temperatures can completely rupture your pool lining. That's a mess you don't want to clean up or repair. ... This is why the Intex pools manufacturer strongly recommends draining and disassembling your pool if the temperatures in your area drop to or below 41°F (5°C).
We recommend waiting to close your pool until the water temperature is consistently below 65 degrees. Closing too early will run the risk of algae growth.
How to Use a Pool Cover. If you use your pool during the daytime, take off the cover just before swimming and replace the cover as soon as you're done using the pool.
A common question asked is, “Can above ground pools stay up year round?” And although the easy answer is that “Yes, they can,” whether you want to leave them up year-round really depends on the type of pool you have. Dismantling some above ground pools for the winter may be more hassle than it's worth.
The point of running your pool pump in the winter is to keep your water moving, which prevents it from freezing should temperatures get too low. So ideally, run your pump (and keep it running) whenever temperatures start getting close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the freezing point of water.
You really only need one chemical (algaecide) to properly winterize a swimming pool. You need some other stuff to protect your pool from harsh winter conditions, but only one chemical to add when closing.
Do NOT let your pool freeze.
While a thin layer of ice is unlikely to damage your pool, if you live in an area with continuous below-freezing temperatures, we highly recommend you winterize and close your pool at the end of swimming season. Keeping your pool open all year long is also an option.
Mild climate pools often freeze across the surface overnight. However, if the ice sheet becomes thicker than ¼” to ½”, it will put pressure on your pool tile and skimmers as the ice expands. Most pool tile is frost-free, but you should keep the water under the perimeter pool tile band to be safe.
You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
So while a solar cover won't actually 'turn your pool green', it will warm your water by up to 8 degrees, so if the other conditions are right, adding a solar cover can easily accelerate algae growth, very rapidly. You need to get the water balance in your pool right before putting the cover back on.
A pool blanket should be used until the nighttime temperatures average at least 60 degrees, typically in early March. But you can leave the cover on for as long as necessary to achieve the desired water temperature.
Closing a pool with leaves or acorns in the bottom will likely lead to a stained pool bottom. Winterizing the Equipment and Piping-It is imperative that the equipment be properly winterized. Failing to winterize the pump and filter will likely lead to freeze damage resulting in costly repairs.