- So are you thinking all you have to do
to close your pool is throw a cover on it
and you'll be fine until the spring?
Or maybe you figure since you have an Intex pool
and not an in-ground pool it
really doesn't need to winterized.
Well, unless your goal is
to create a swamp habitat in your backyard,
there are a few things you need to do
to your Intex pool before you actually close it,
actually, 12 things, and I'm gonna tell you exactly
what those things are after this.
(upbeat music)
(words whoosh)
Okay, quick disclaimer, everyone has their own way to
maintain an Intex, or blow-up, swimming pool but in the end,
we all just wanna make sure that your pool is clean
and clear and healthy.
And the information in this video is based
on my personal experience in the pool industry
and the research we've done here at Swim University.
If I missed anything, please leave a comment
and let me know and, also, let your fellow pool owners know.
So winterizing an Intex pool is completely different
from winterizing an in-ground or an above-ground pool.
So because they're made from a light-weight material,
Intex pools are super easy to set-up
but there's a downside.
Those materials are vulnerable to ice damage.
And leaving your pool set up
during the winter can rupture the pool lining,
which could be difficult to repair.
Or, it could be damaged so badly
that you won't be able to repair it at all
and you'll be stuck not having a pool anymore,
or spending a bunch of money on a new one.
The Intex pool manufacturer recommends draining
and disassembling your pool if you live in an area
where temperatures drop to or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit,
and that's five degrees Celsius.
And if you live somewhere that sees freezing temperatures,
you definitely want to break down your pool for the winter.
So, when should you do this?
Well, obviously before temperatures drop into
that danger zone, and I mean well before.
Don't wait until the weather report says
there'll be a freeze that night.
That's not going to be enough time to close your Intex pool.
This is because you'll need to drain your Intex pool
with the regular garden hose and that's a small space
for a lot of water to move through,
especially if you have a larger pool.
This means that the closing process may take
two or three days.
Yes. Days.
The supplies and process will be a
little different depending on your climate,
so if you live in a cold climate,
where temperatures reach
or fall below 41 degrees Fahrenheit, five degrees Celsius,
you'll need your owner's manual, a leaf skimmer,
your manual vacuum, a garden hose, the drain connector
that came with your Intex pool, or you can use a sump pump,
a soft cloth or a towel, a mild all-purpose cleaner,
warm water, talcum powder or corn starch,
and a replacement filter cartridge.
(words whoosh) Step one.
You wan to clean your pool and thoroughly vacuum it.
This is important.
Before you start draining your pool,
disconnect it from all power sources.
Your city or county may have specific instructions
for disposing of swimming pool water.
Always check before you drain to make sure
that you don't violate any local ordinances
or accidentally harm the environment,
or your own property,
by draining down a storm drain or into your yard.
If you have a skimmer, ladder,
or any attached accessories in the pool, remove them.
Clean and dry the parts before storing them in a clean,
dry area for the winter.
If your strainer grid,
the screwed in portion connecting the pool to your filter,
is exceptionally dirty or filled with gunk,
remove and replace that as well.
(scene whooshes) Step number two.
Whether you have an inflatable or metal frame,
the same simple draining instructions apply.
Check the drain plug on the inside of the pool
to make sure that it's plugged.
Do not, and I repeat, do not unplug it.
The water will take care of it later.
Find the drain connector and attach the female end
of the hose to the thin end of the drain connector.
In case you don't remember,
the female end of the hose is the part
that you actually attach to a faucet or spigot.
Another important point.
Once the hose is connected,
point the other end of the hose away from your house
or any other structures.
Emptying water near a buildings foundation can cause
some serious structural damage.
So it's critical the flow of the water is directed away
from any structures.
(scene whooshes) Step number three.
Remove the cap from the drain valve
but don't attache the drain connector and the hose just yet.
Do one last check to make sure
that your hose is in the proper draining position
because the pool will start
to drain the second you attach the connector.
When you're sure everything is set,
push the drain connector into the valve.
It will disrupt the inner plug
and the water will begin to flow.
Tighten the connector to the valve,
and make sure that it doesn't come loose during draining.
(scene whooshes) Step number four.
As the water level goes down,
you can start cleaning the pool's walls with a mild,
all-purpose cleaner and a soft cloth or a towel.
But be sure not to use any strong,
abrasive cleaners on your lining.
They can damage it, costing you extra money
to repair or replace the liner.
Remember, a tiny hose, plus a big pool,
equals a long drain time.
So check on your pool's progress occasionally
to make sure that the drain connector hasn't come loose.
And, keep an eye on the hose while the pool is draining
to make sure that it stays directed away from the house
and away from your home and any other structures
that it might run towards.
(scene whooshes) Step number five.
The water will eventually get to the point
where it is unable to reach the drain.
Help the rest of it along
by lifting the pool's one side away
from the drain until the pool is completely empty.
(scene whooshes) Step number six.
Remove the drain connector and your garden hose
before replacing the inside drain plug
and the outside drain valve cap.
These get folded up along with the wall so
this the best way to store the parts so
that you don't lose them come spring time.
(scene whooshes) Step number seven.
Wipe down the inside of your Intex pool with the soft cloth,
warm water, and a mild cleaner.
You want to rinse it thoroughly
and drain any left over water.
(scene whooshes) Step number eight.
If your model has a frame, take it down following
your owner manual assembly instructions, but in reverse.
(mimics speaking in reverse)
Clean and dry the frame pieces
and then store them in a clean and dry place.
Let the liner completely air dry.
And, once all of the water is gone,
sprinkle a little talcum powder or corn starch on the liner
to absorb any left over water
and keep it from sticking when you fold it up.
Yes, you could use talcum powder
for more than just one thing.
(scene whooshes) Step number,
step number,
nine.
Is that right?
Nope, step number, nope.
Now let me ask you a question.
How good are you at folding fitted sheets?
Because that's what you're gonna
be folding an Intex pool liner like.
You wanna end up with a square or as close
to a square as you can get.
Now, unless you're Martha Stewart,
who I know is probably watching this right now.
Hi, Martha.
Just do your best so it's neat
and doesn't take up too much space.
You can also refer to your owner's manual
for a visual guide.
(scene whooshes) Step number 10.
Make sure all the water is out of your accessories,
clean them up, let them air dry
and store them in a clean, dry area.
Leaving water in your filter parts and pump can lead
to nasty things like mold and bacteria
that you really don't wanna find next spring.
(scene whooshes) Step number 11.
Eleven.
Intex filters are incredibly affordable
so it's not really worth the effort
to clean them and reuse them.
Just make sure you have replacements on-hand
for next season.
But, if you'd rather do your part for the environment
and get as much use out of that cartridge as possible,
you can use a filter cleaner on it.
And we have a video all about cleaning filters,
not for an Intex pool, for a hot tub,
but it's exactly the same procedure.
(scene whooshes) Step number 12.
Almost done, I promise you.
To make set up easier next season,
keep all the attachments together
so you're not digging through your garage
or attic or your shed.
You know, looking for a missing piece
when all you wanna do is get your pool together
so you can get the freak in it.
Keep your liner, frame, pump, and filter hoses indoors,
in a dry area that isn't subject to freezing temperatures.
Otherwise, all of your work will have been for nothing
and you'll end up with a damaged pool anyway
and I don't think anybody wants that.
Okay, so that's if you live in a colder climate.
If you live where it stays warmer throughout the year,
never reaching or dipping below 41 degrees Fahrenheit,
five degrees Celsius, you can follow all the previous steps
to breakdown your Intex pool for the winter,
but if you'd rather leave it up,
you'll do a few things differently.
But, before we do that,
if you want to learn more about taking care
of your Intex pool with in-depth tutorials and guides,
you should check out
our pool care handbook and video course.
You'll get over 31 video lessons,
plus a fully illustrated guide covering everything
you need to know about pool maintenance.
Specifically, Intex pool maintenance.
It's packed with money saving tips so you don't have
to break the bank on your swimming pool and this is,
I promise you, the ultimate manual for every single type
of pool and we always keep it up-to-date.
And because you've watched this entire video,
and I thank you for doing that,
you can get 10% off by using the promo code VIDEO.
Just go to swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook
or click the link below.
If you live in a warm environment,
and you're not draining your Intex pool or breaking it down,
all you'll need is your owner's manual, a leaf skimmer,
your manual vacuum, a set of winterizing chemicals,
a water testing kit, and your pool cover.
So, step number one, you wanna clean your pool
and thoroughly vacuum it.
It's gonna be sitting, covered for several months,
so you don't want anything gross stewing in the spring.
And, if you have any inflatable parts,
make sure that they are inflated.
Now, once your pool is clean,
you wanna balance the water chemistry.
So you wanna shoot for a pH range of about 7.4 to 7.6,
and a total alkalinity range between 100 parts per million
and 150 parts per million.
(scene whooshes)
So, step number two, once the pool is clean
and the pH and alkalinity are at the right levels,
adding winterizing chemicals to the water.
So, using slow release chemicals
to winterize your Intex pool can save you a lot
of worry throughout the season.
You can also add extra shock and an algaecide
to the water for good measure.
Turn the pump on and allow the chemicals
to circulate for about a day.
(scene whooshes) Step number three.
Depending on your pool model, you will either need
to close your inlet and outlet valves
or plug the inlet and outlet fittings
to the inside of your pool wall.
If you're not sure how to do this,
I recommend that you refer to your owner's manual
because every pool, you know, is a little different.
(scene whooshes) So, step number four,
turn off the pump and filter
and remove the hoses attaching them to your pool.
Clean, sanitize and drain the pump,
filter chamber and the hoses.
Make sure that they're completely dry
before storing them indoors in a cool, dry location.
(scene whooshes) So, step number five,
the last thing you need
to do is cover your pool to keep the leaves
and dirt out of the water.
And once that's done, congratulations,
party effects, confetti. (party horn honks)
Your pool is officially winterized.
Now just make sure to regularly clean any standing water
from the cover when you get a lot of rain.
Now, a quick word of warning, Intex pool covers are not,
I repeat, they are not safety covers.
Which means they won't keep wayward animals
or adventurous children from climbing across and falling in,
so take appropriate measures to prevent any accidents.
(scene whooshes) All right,
all this probably makes
you want an in-ground pool, doesn't it?
Well, it might seem like a time consuming chore now,
but, properly winterizing your Intex pool
can save you a lot of stress later.
And you don't have to worry
about ice damage ruining your pool.
Plus, you get your yard back for fun activities
like jumping in a pile of leaves, or having snowball fights,
well, I guess unless you live in Arizona,
where that doesn't really happen.
What do you, What do yo do? Cactus fights?
What do you do in Arizona?
Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa, I almost forgot.
A quick word about salt water Intex pools.
If you're using an Intex salt water system,
you can use the breakdown instructions
without any changes for storing your pool.
If you're keeping your pool up over the winter,
just make sure that the winterizing chemicals
that you use are compatible with salt water pools.
If I missed anything, or you have any questions,
please leave a comment and hit the like button below,
if you haven't done so already.
And if you want to learn more about pool maintenance,
trouble shooting, product reviews
or even taking care of a hot tub,
please subscribe to our channel
for more videos like this one.
And as always, happy swimming.
(upbeat music)