1) GET YOUR WATER BALANCED: Bring your pool water to Blackthorne Pools & Spas for testing.  Follow the instructions on the print out to perfectly balance your pool water.

2) ADJUST THE TOTAL ALKALINITY, AND THEN ADJUST THE pH: If necessary, adjust the total alkalinity to 150 PPM.  Once your total alkalinity is balanced, adjust your pH to 7.4 to 7.6.

3) DO ALL THE HOUSEKEEPING CHORES:  Brush the pool walls, vacuum, clean the waterline and clean out the skimmer baskets and pump baskets.  Make sure the heater and solar are turned off and panels are drained.

4) REMOVE POOL SWEEP FROM POOL: Take the cleaner out of your pool, rinse with fresh water and store in a protected area.  Make sure your hoses are stored as straight as possible.  The cold water of winter can cause plastics to become brittle and break.

5) CLEAN THE FILTER THOROUGHLY:  If your filter hasn’t been cleaned lately, use Strip Kwik or Kleen It and follow the label directions.

6) SUPER CHLORINATE YOUR POOL WATER:  For best results, treat with quick dissolving Smart Shock.  Run pump and filter two hours to distribute thoroughly.

7) PROTECT POOL FROM ALGAE:  When the pump and filter are not operating the full summer hours, algae spores in your pool will have a chance to run wild. Prevent this by adding POOLTEC directly to the water around the edge of the pool.  (24oz per 10K gallons)

8) Maintain proper water balance by testing and adjusting your pH and Total Alkalinity regularly.

9) POOL CLOSING COMPLETE: Specially formulated to condition pool water for cold temperatures.  Run the pump and filter to circulate the water for 2 hours before going to next step. (1 bottle per 25K gallons)

10) (OPTIONAL) COVER THE POOL:  A well designed cover; mesh or solid will keep your pool relatively free of leaves, debris and dirt.  If you decide not to cover the pool, or use a mesh cover, you’ll need to keep debris from the pool by brushing and skimming on a regular basis. Debris left for the winter may cause surface staining in the pool.

11) WHEN TO TURN ON THE EQUIPMENT: You should run the pool pump 4 hours a day.  If the weather report calls for hard freezing, run your pool equipment at night to prevent freezing.

1. RE: Equipment Run Times: You now have two options for your pool equipment; Turn it completely off, or run for 2 hours a day. Blackthorne recommends the latter to keep winter products mixed.

12) ADDITION APPLICATIONS OF POOLTEC: Reapply POOLTEC every 60 days while winterized. Additional shocking is only required if the pool water temperature reaches 70 degrees.

1. RE:…….Additional shocking is only required if the chlorine level drops to below 5ppm, or the water temperature reaches 70 degrees.

13) Maintain proper water balance by testing and adjusting your pH and Total Alkalinity regularly.