Quick answer
After your pool is closed, three things decide whether it opens blue or green in the spring: keep water, leaves and snow off the cover, hold the water at the right level for your pool and cover type, and keep the water balanced.
Check the cover after every storm. If you'd rather not do it yourself, our Winter Watch visits handle all of it from $99 a visit.
This is our go-to guide for winter pool maintenance. This guide is going to cover the following tips:
Why do I Need Winter Pool Maintenance?
Maintaining your pool in the winter is incredibly important…
That is, of course, if you want your pool to open quicker, easier, and cleaner in the spring.
Look – we don’t live in some tropical paradise. It gets cold here…very cold.
Save yourself a bunch of time and energy (and frostbite) by letting us do the work for you.
Book Your Winter Watch Service Online
Feel like putting on some snow pants and tackling the necessary tasks yourself?
Read on for our tips to properly maintain your pool over the winter.
Protect That Pool Water, Please
Yes, we added winterizing agent at your closing.
(You DID use us to close your pool, didn’t you? 🙂)
While that does a great job, there is still a huge benefit to keeping your pool water chemistry balanced throughout the winter.
Doing so will give you the best shot at the pool opening healthier in the spring time…
And what, exactly, does it mean to have good water chemistry? We’re glad you asked!
A pool that is “balanced” has proper levels of pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness. These are:
The reason it’s so important to keep your pool balanced is because if not, it can become corrosive or scaling. If your water is too corrosive it can weaken your liner, strip heat exchangers and erode plaster. If your water is too scaling calcium can deposit on your tile, in the filter, or even precipitate out of solution into a cloudy water condition.
Also, if any algae is spotted, it can be fought head on with some chemical warfare. If you have us maintain your pool this winter, we will add some algaecide to help kill and prevent further growth over the winter months.
If it goes unchecked – things may be very dark and ugly come spring time…
Keep Your Pool Cover Clean
One of the most important things to do over the winter is to keep a vigilant watch on your pool cover.
If you let debris/snow/twigs/acorns accumulate, they will likely end up in the pool at opening.
This will definitely deter the speed in clearing your pool come spring when you’re ready to jump in.
Try using a leaf blower, or gently (do not rip the cover!) use a leaf net or pool brush to clean off the surface as often as necessary.
Oh – we forgot to mention snow.
Snow is very heavy, and will really start to pull on the cover if you let it accumulate.
Use a long broom to get the snow off before it’s too late and it starts to really take a toll on your cover.
TAKE NOTE! Be extra cautious anytime going near a pool when there are snowy/icy conditions!
You DO NOT want to end up in the pool (trust us…we’ve been there).
You may find that you can’t clear the debris off your cover because water has accumulated.
You will need to use a cover pump in order to pump the water off of your cover over the winter if you have a solid cover. If you have a solid tarp cover of any kind, this is extremely important so that the cover won’t end up falling into the pool due to the weight of the water.
Once the water is off of your cover, then you can continue on and clear the rest of the debris.
Water Level – Keep it Right or Risk Cover Damage
You may have noticed that we are sticklers for keeping water at the appropriate levels throughout the season.
Well, that trend continues during the off season also.
If your water level becomes too low, you risk damaging your cover.
If your water level gets too high, then it could overflow the pool and cause all sorts of damage to your pool and your property.
The appropriate level differs depending on your type of pool and the cover you have, but it can be summarized like this:
- Viny pool with solid cover: water level kept just at the bottom of the skimmer.
- Viny pool with mesh cover: water level kept 2-3” below bottom of the skimmer.
- Gunite pool: water level kept about 2-3” below the lowest tile.
Remember…you can always give us a call (or text) and we’ll do our best to steer you in the right direction.
Open Earlier for Clearer Water
This single tip alone will help many pools avoid opening up green.
Algae love to form and reproduce when the water is warm.
The rate of growth increases as the temperature rises…
Do yourself a favor and open that pool early (when the temperature is colder) so we can treat it before the problem occurs.
If you don’t have a heater yet – what are you waiting for?
Our technicians are experts at installing pool heaters.
Let us know early if you are ready for this upgrade so that we can get you set up ASAP.
You deserve it – you will get to enjoy your pool more, which we know was not a cheap investment.
Call or Text us for Winter Pool Maintenance
You haven’t heard!?
We now offer the same top-quality maintenance during the winter that we do during the summer.
We offer a 3 visit package, a 5 visit package, and individual visits can also be booked as you need them.
See all that our new winter watch service includes:
- Check and adjust water level in the pool
- Remove any water/snow/debris from the cover
- Replace damaged equipment covers
- Test the cover pump to ensure it’s working properly (if one is already being used)
- Test the water chemistry for corrosive or scaling water
- Replace damaged water tubes
- Plug any exposed plumbing
- Perform a visual checkup of the pool cover and filter system
- Check cover cables for tightness and security
- Adjust safety cover straps as necessary
Conclusion
So, that about does it.
While pool maintenance in the winter isn’t rocket science,
it also does take quite a bit of time and attention to do properly.
If you feel we left anything out, please let us know! And as always…
Give us a text or call at 631-472-6275 if you’d prefer to have us look over your pool this winter for you.
Skip the snow boots. We will check it for you.
Winter Watch visits clear your cover, check the water level and chemistry, test the cover pump and adjust safety cover straps.
Questions? Call or text (631) 472-6275
Common questions
Water is pooling on my cover. Do I just pump it out?
Yes, on a solid cover. Use a cover pump to move the water off, then clear the leaves. Left alone, the weight can drag the cover into the pool. Mesh covers let water drain through.
What water level should my pool be at over the winter?
Vinyl with a solid cover: at the bottom of the skimmer. Vinyl with a mesh cover: 2 to 3 inches below it. Gunite: about 2 to 3 inches below the lowest tile.
What does Winter Watch include?
A water level check, clearing the cover, a cover pump test, a water chemistry test, water tube replacement, plugging exposed plumbing, a cover and system check, cable and strap adjustment, shock and algaecide.
Should I bring my pool pump inside for the winter?
You can, but you don't have to. Pool pumps are rated to stay outside all winter, and plenty of pool owners in the Northeast leave them in place. On Long Island, tradition is to store them in the shed or garage. If your pump is hard-wired to the electrical panel, or the plumbing has no unions to disconnect it easily, leaving it outside is totally fine. We recommend adding unions on the suction and return sides of the pump so future service or a pump replacement is quick, and we can install them for you.
First published Apr 5, 2024. Last updated Oct 4, 2026.