Closing a pool for an Ohio winter
Winterizing is the job that decides what your spring looks like. Water left in a line does not forgive.
What winterizing actually means here
Central Ohio goes below freezing for months, and it goes below freezing hard. Water expands when it turns to ice, and a return line, a heater header or a pump volute with water sitting in it splits. That crack is invisible under a cover all winter and announces itself the day the system gets started in spring.
So the lines get blown clear with air, plugged, and the plumbing gets antifreeze where it belongs. The pump, filter and heater get drained down, plugs out and stored where they will not disappear. The water goes below the skimmer, the chemistry gets set for a long sit, and the cover goes on tight.
- Return and suction lines blown clear and plugged
- Antifreeze into the plumbing where it belongs
- Pump, filter, chlorinator and heater drained and plugs removed
- Water dropped below the skimmer and balanced for the winter
- Winter chemical dosed and the cover fitted and secured
Timing, and why leaves matter
The right window is after the water is consistently under about sixty degrees, which usually lands late September through October here, and before the first hard freeze. Close too early in warm water and algae has a party under the cover until Christmas.
The other clock is the trees. Central Ohio backyards are full of maple, oak and sycamore, and a pool closed before the leaf drop ends up with a cover full of wet leaves that leach tannin into the water all winter. Getting the timing right between the leaf drop and the first freeze is most of the skill in scheduling closings.
Think your pool needs pool closings and winterization?
We come look at it and quote it in person, free.
What 102 homeowners said
Every quote below is a real review, word for word, from our Google profile.
We had a wonderful experience with fox pools. Patti, rhe owner of the company, responded quickly to my call for help with my pool. We needed a new liner because of tree root problems. Within a couple of weeks we had a pool again! Patti and her team were fantastic. They were very easy to work with and very professional, and very reasonable! Thank you FOX POOLS
Love it when the owner works with their crew. It shows good leadership and dedication. Great job on my in ground liner and light. Beautiful job, competitively priced and punctual to boot! I'll b using Fox pool service as long as they'll have me.
I have worked with Fox Pools for several years now. I was new to owning a pool and they came and taught me how to take care of it. In addition to opening and closing my pool each season, they have been extremely reliable with helping me as problems have come up. Trustworthy and professional totally describe my experience. I have recommended them to many people.
This was the first time using Fox Swimming Pool Services and so glad I took the chance. I was looking for a new company to service our pool and after reading the reviews, I decided to have them close the pool. I can't say enough great things about Patti the owner and Tessa who came out with her team to close the pool. So professional and polite. Definitely will be using Fox for all my pool service needs!! A++
Patti and team are very easy to work with. Great communication and excellent service. The team was very thorough in their work, and communicated very clearly. I transitioned to this pool company from another pool company. Night and day difference. They fixed several little things from the prior pool company as a courtesy during our heater and pool cover installs. Highly recommend these guys.
Fox Pools sent Cameron and Shea out to look at damage to PVC caused in the winter and to help us make the switch to Salt system. They took pictures asked great questions, got us an estimate and then scheduled to make the repairs and upgrades while having to fabricate some parts for our old heat pump.
Get a free estimate for pool closings and winterization
A solid winter cover works if it is fitted and the water bags hold. A safety cover is anchored to the deck, handles snow load, and keeps a child or a dog out. We will price both.
Book it before October. The last two weeks before the first freeze are the busiest of the year for every pool company in the county.
No. The water level drops below the skimmer, but a vinyl liner pool should never sit empty over winter. An empty liner pool can float, shift or dry out.
Tell us before the closing. A leak that gets covered for six months is a much bigger job in April than it is in October.
We photograph the roof and show you. If pool closings and winterization is not what the roof needs, we say so and quote the work it does need.
Monday to Friday 8 AM to 6 PM; Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM; Sunday Closed. Outside those hours use the form and we answer the next working day.
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- Monday to Friday8 AM to 6 PM
- Saturday8 AM to 5 PM
- SundayClosed