10 Essential Gear Picks to Safely Close Your Inground Pool for Winter

As the autumn leaves begin to fall and the swimming season winds down, securing your inground pool against the harsh winter freeze becomes your top priority. Leaving a pool improperly prepped for sub-zero temperatures can result in cracked pipes, ruined filtration systems, and thousands of dollars in structural damage. Equipping yourself with the right seasonal gear ensures that reopening your backyard oasis next spring is a seamless, stress-free endeavor.

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What to Do Before You Blow Out Your Pool Lines

Before you even think about clearing the plumbing lines, you must balance the pool water chemistry. Adjust the pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness to their optimal ranges to prevent staining and scaling during the long hibernation. Clean the pool thoroughly by skimming the surface, brushing the walls, and vacuuming the floor to remove organic debris that can rot and stain the plaster over the winter.

Once the water is pristine, lower the pool water level below the skimmer mouth. The exact depth depends on the type of pool cover you use; solid covers typically require the water to be 3 to 5 inches below the skimmer, while mesh covers require it to be 8 to 12 inches below. Unclamp the pool ladders, handrails, and any decorative fittings, dry them completely, and store them in a protected area like a shed or garage to prevent rust.

Pool Safety Cover – Loop-Loc Mesh Safety Pool Cover

A safety cover is your pool’s primary defense against winter elements, stray animals, and wandering children. The Loop-Loc Mesh Safety Pool Cover is the ideal choice for this task because its legendary mesh design allows water to drain right through while blocking leaves, debris, and heavy snow loads. Constructed from ultra-strong, computer-designed polypropylene mesh, this cover is famous for its high tensile strength, giving you unmatched peace of mind during the off-season.

• Material: Super Dense Mesh polypropylene
• Weight Capacity: Meets or exceeds ASTM F1346-91 safety standards
• Inclusions: Brass anchors, stainless steel springs, and installation tools
• Sizing: Must be sized precisely to your pool’s exact dimensions, including steps and water features

Keep in mind that mesh covers allow fine silt and melted snow to pass into the water, meaning you will need to treat the pool with algaecide in the spring. This cover requires brass anchors to be drilled into your concrete deck or secured with lawn stakes, which requires a heavy-duty rotary hammer drill during the initial installation. It is the perfect choice for families seeking maximum safety and durability, but it is not ideal for pool owners who want to open a perfectly clear pool without any spring vacuuming.

Pool Cover Pump – Wayne WAPC250 Automatic Pump

Accumulated water on top of a solid pool cover creates a massive drowning hazard and places immense stress on the cover straps. The Wayne WAPC250 Automatic Pump solves this issue by automatically detecting water levels and pumping it away before damage occurs. Featuring Smart Pass technology, this pump activates when water reaches 2 and 1/8 inches and shuts off automatically when the level drops to 3/4 of an inch, preventing the motor from running dry and burning out.

• Flow Rate: Up to 3,000 gallons per hour
• Power Cord: 25-foot heavy-duty power cord
• Discharge Connection: Standard 3/4-inch garden hose thread
• Protection: Oil-free motor design with freeze-protection automatic shutoff

Operating this pump requires access to an outdoor GFCI outlet and a properly angled garden hose to direct the discharge water away from your home’s foundation. It features a debris-filtering base that prevents leaves and twigs from clogging the intake, though you should still clear large debris away from the pump periodically. This pump is an absolute must-have for anyone using solid safety covers or traditional tarp covers, but it is unnecessary for those with high-tension mesh covers that naturally drain water.

Winterizing Kit – In The Swim Ultimate Winter Kit

Leaving pool water stagnant for six months is an open invitation for algae blooms, staining, and scale buildup. The In The Swim Ultimate Winter Kit provides a pre-measured, comprehensive chemical defense system that keeps your water clear and protected until spring. This kit features a slow-dissolving Winterizer time-release dispenser, a non-chlorine winter shock, and a powerful winter algaecide that prevents organic matter from taking over your pool.

• Pool Size Capacity: Kits available for pools up to 10,000, 20,000, and 35,000 gallons
• Kit Contents: Winter Algaecide, Liquid Metal Free, Winterizing Powder, and slow-release chlorine floater
• Formulation: Safe for all pool types, including vinyl liners, plaster, and fiberglass

To get the most out of these chemicals, you must distribute them evenly across the pool water while the filtration pump is still running, ideally a day before you lower the water level. Do not simply throw the chemicals onto a stagnant, lowered pool, as concentrated chemicals can bleach vinyl liners or damage plaster walls. This kit is ideal for pool owners who want a straightforward, all-in-one chemical solution, but owners of saltwater pools may need to supplement it with additional metal sequestrants.

Skimmer Guard – Ultra Gizzmo Expansion Plug

Freezing water expands with immense force, and if water enters your skimmer throat and freezes, it can easily crack the plastic housing, leading to a disastrous underground leak. The Ultra Gizzmo Expansion Plug acts as a sacrificial barrier, absorbing the expansion pressure of freezing water to protect the skimmer walls. It features a heavy-duty plastic design with a threaded male bottom that screws directly into your skimmer’s bottom port, sealing off the plumbing line while keeping the skimmer chamber clear.

• Length: 16 inches for deep skimmers
• Threads: Available in 1.5-inch and 2-inch NPT (National Pipe Thread)
• Material: High-density, impact-resistant polyethylene
• Design: Hollow core designed to collapse under ice pressure without breaking

Before installing the Gizzmo, wrap the threads with Teflon tape to ensure an airtight seal, and verify your skimmer’s port size beforehand to avoid buying the wrong model. If your pool has a non-standard skimmer shape or shallow throat, you may need to use a standard rubber plug combined with a foam pool noodle instead. This product is a crucial investment for any pool owner in freezing climates who wants a reliable, screw-in insurance policy against cracked skimmers.

Expansion Plugs – Anderson Winterizing Plugs

Once you blow the water out of your pool lines, you must seal the openings to prevent water from creeping back in and freezing. Anderson Winterizing Plugs use premium, industrial-grade rubber that expands to create a completely airtight and watertight seal inside your pool’s return jets and cleaner lines. Equipped with large nylon wingnuts and stainless steel bolts, these plugs are easy to tighten by hand even when your fingers are cold and wet.

• Material: Heavy-duty ribbed rubber with corrosion-resistant stainless steel hardware
• Sizing Options: Range from size #0 (for small drains) up to size #11 (for large pipes)
• Thread Type: Non-threaded, friction-fit expansion design
• Application: Ideal for returns, main drains, skimmers, and pool cleaner lines

Choosing the right size plug is critical; you must measure the inner diameter of your pipe openings, as return jets typically require a size #9 or #10 plug. Ensure the rubber is clean and free of pool chemical residue before inserting it, as debris can prevent a perfect seal and allow water to slowly bypass the plug. This is an essential tool for every pool owner closing their own system, though those with proprietary threaded return fittings may prefer dedicated threaded plugs instead.

Line Blower – Cyclone Pro Line Bypass Blower

Standard shop vacs lack the pressure required to clear water out of deep underground pool plumbing, especially the main drain line. The Cyclone Pro Line Bypass Blower is a commercial-grade bypass blower designed specifically to push massive volumes of air through pool lines, ensuring no water remains to freeze and crack your pipes. Featuring a 3.0 horsepower motor and a bypass design that prevents the motor from overheating when the line is blocked, this tool clears lines in minutes.

• Motor: 3.0 HP, 120-volt bypass motor
• Airflow: 130 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) with 160 inches of sealed water lift
• Hose: 1.5-inch flexible hose with a quick-connect pool adapter
• Housing: Durable, rustproof polyethylene casing

This blower requires a heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cord because it draws significant power, and you must carefully sequence which valves are open to avoid creating dangerous pressure spikes. It is a premium tool that requires some technical confidence, but it pays for itself in just one or two seasons by saving you the cost of hiring a professional pool service. This is the ultimate tool for serious DIY pool owners, while those in warmer climates with no freeze risk can safely skip this investment.

Pool Antifreeze – Splash Pool and Spa Antifreeze

Even after blowing out your lines, a small amount of residual moisture can pool in low spots of your underground plumbing. Splash Pool and Spa Antifreeze is formulated to prevent water from freezing and expanding down to -50°F, providing a crucial secondary line of defense for your buried pipes. It is made from non-toxic propylene glycol, making it completely safe for pool surfaces, vinyl liners, and the surrounding environment when you pump out the lines in the spring.

• Freezing Protection: Burst protection down to -50°F (-46°C)
• Chemical Base: Non-toxic, biodegradable propylene glycol (never use automotive antifreeze)
• Quantity: Typically sold in 1-gallon bottles (usually requires 1 to 3 gallons per pool)
• Compatibility: Safe for copper, PVC, and flexible plastic piping

Never use automotive ethylene glycol antifreeze in your pool, as it is highly toxic to humans and pets and will ruin your pool’s filtration components. To apply, pour the antifreeze directly into the skimmer and return lines after blowing them out, then seal the lines immediately with expansion plugs. This product is highly recommended for pool owners in northern climates with deep frost lines, but it is unnecessary if your pool lines are located entirely below the local frost line.

Skimmer Faceplate – Aquador 1090 Skimmer Cover

Lowering your pool’s water level below the skimmer can put stress on vinyl liners and waste thousands of gallons of water. The Aquador 1090 Skimmer Cover snaps directly onto your existing skimmer faceplate, creating a watertight seal that allows you to keep your water level high all winter. Its snap-on plastic lid eliminates the need to drain your pool below the skimmer mouth, protecting your pool walls from winter cave-ins and saving valuable water and chemicals.

• Compatibility: Fits Hayward SP1090, SP1091, and many other standard skimmers
• Material: Heavy-duty, UV-resistant plastic faceplate and lid
• Installation: Replaces your existing skimmer faceplate with the Aquador frame
• Seal Type: Inner snap-on soft plastic lid

Installing this system requires unscrewing your current skimmer faceplate and replacing it with the Aquador frame, which must be sealed properly with gaskets to prevent slow leaks. Once the frame is installed, you simply snap the cover on each autumn and pop it off in the spring. It is the perfect choice for vinyl liner pool owners who want to maintain high water levels to keep their liner taut, but it won’t work on custom or oversized commercial skimmers.

Pool Leaf Net – In The Swim Premium Leaf Net

If your backyard is surrounded by deciduous trees, decaying leaves can pile up on your safety cover, creating a heavy, rotting mess by spring. The In The Swim Premium Leaf Net is a lightweight, fine-mesh net that lays directly over your winter cover to collect falling leaves. Once all the leaves have fallen, you simply peel the leaf net off, dump the dry leaves in the yard, and leave your primary winter cover clean and clear for the snowy months ahead.

• Material: Heavy-duty polyethylene woven mesh
• Overlap: 4-foot overlap to ensure complete coverage over the pool edge
• Included Hardware: Heavy-duty ratcheting winch and vinyl-coated steel cable
• Sizing: Available in sizes to fit standard rectangular and oval inground pools

To prevent the wind from getting underneath the net, you must secure the edges with water blocks or the included cable system, particularly if you have a solid cover. This net must be removed before the first heavy snowfall, as the weight of wet snow on top of trapped leaves can tear the net and damage the primary cover underneath. It is an indispensable time-saver for pool owners with heavy autumn foliage, but it is a redundant purchase if your backyard is entirely clear of trees.

Cover Installation Rod – Poolzilla Safety Rod

Stretching heavy-duty tension springs onto brass deck anchors requires immense leverage and can easily pinch fingers or strain your back. The Poolzilla Safety Rod is a long, notched steel tool designed to slide over deck anchors and easily leverage pool cover springs into place. Constructed from rust-resistant stainless steel, this rod provides the perfect mechanical advantage to stretch even the tightest springs without scratching your concrete deck.

• Length: 30 inches for optimal standing leverage
• Material: Heavy-duty, non-corrosive stainless steel
• Handle: Textured grip to prevent hand slippage
• Compatibility: Works with all standard brass safety cover anchors and springs

Using the rod requires a quick learning curve; you must insert the tip into the anchor, slip the spring loop over the shaft, and rotate the rod to guide the spring onto the anchor head. Always wear sturdy work gloves and protective footwear while using this tool, as a slipping spring can release a tremendous amount of stored kinetic energy. This rod is a mandatory tool for anyone installing a tension-style safety cover, but it serves no purpose for those using weighted tarp covers.

How to Properly Store Your Filtration Gear for Winter

Once the pool water is treated and the plumbing lines are blown clear, you must turn your attention to the heart of your pool: the filtration system. Start by turning off all power at the breaker panel to prevent the pump from accidentally turning on during the off-season. Drain the pump housing, filter tank, and heater completely by removing their respective drain plugs, storing the plugs safely inside the pump basket so they do not get lost over the winter.

If you have a cartridge or DE (diatomaceous earth) filter, remove the elements, hose them down thoroughly to remove accumulated debris, and spray them with a filter cleaner. Store these filter elements in a dry, rodent-free area like a basement or sealed shed to prevent nesting pests from chewing through the delicate fabric. For those with salt chlorine generators, remove the salt cell, clean it with a mild acid solution to remove scale, and store it indoors to protect the sensitive internal electronics from extreme temperature drops.

Finally, disconnect your pressure gauge and sight glass from the multiport valve, as residual water trapped inside these small components will freeze and shatter the glass casing. Wrap the main multiport valve and exposed PVC plumbing with heavy-duty plastic sheeting or a tarp to shield them from snow, ice, and UV degradation. Taking these extra steps ensures your expensive filtration components remain intact and ready to deliver crystal-clear water when the warm weather returns.

Conclusion

Properly closing your inground pool takes effort, but investing in the right winterizing gear makes the job faster, safer, and highly effective. By taking the time to blow out your lines, seal your system, and protect your cover, you prevent costly freeze damage and set yourself up for a hassle-free spring opening. When the warm weather finally returns, your pool will be ready to wake up from its winter slumber with minimal effort.