How To Winterize A Pool House? [Ultimate Guide]

Winter brings with it many hardships, not the least of which is keeping your pool house warm. With this article, you’ll discover how to keep your pool house warm in the winter and enjoy it all year long.

Why Should You Winterize The Pool House?

• Winterizing the pool house is important so that the metal framework does not rust. 
• It reduces the risk of flooding and decreases the risk of cracking or deforming the pool house. 
• The risk of plants and animals such as algae and frogs living around the pool will be reduced. 
• Winterizing the pool house also stops the chance of pests such as wasps and spider hiding in the pool house. 
• It saves money in the long run because it reduces the risk of repairing the pool house.

How To Winterize A Pool House?

Whether it is for your own use or you are renting it out on Airbnb, the pool house can pose some problems to make it all cozy and perfect for your guests.

Chemistry In Your Pool

Pool owners are lucky that there is no need to close down the pool for winter when they live in warm climates. The water can be kept clean and ready for use all year round. 

The first thing you should consider for your pool when you expect heavy freezing temperatures are the chemicals in the water. The pH and chlorine levels should be tested and adjusted to make sure that the water will not turn acidic or corrosive due to exposure to cold temperatures. 

Chlorine levels should always be maintained at 1-4 parts per million (ppm) year round. 

During freezing weather, you may have to increase the level of chlorine if you want to keep the water from turning green. Low levels of pH or high alkalinity can corrode or etch the pool’s surface or equipment. pH levels should be between 7.2 and 7.8. 

To raise the pH level, you can either add soda ash or muriatic acid, both found in swimming pool stores. If you are using muriatic acid, make sure that you wear protective eye gear as it can be dangerous if any gets into your eyes. Soda ash is safer and less corrosive, but it should be added slowly to maintain an appropriate pH level.

Clean The Pool And Filter

Chlorine in water is necessary to keep it clean, but if there is any debris and dirt present, it can clog up your filter. It is recommended that you increase the chlorine in your pool during the winter months, as it can prevent algae from growing. If the water becomes very cold you may freeze and cracks can occur, so make sure that you have a floating barrier to stop this. If you have trees or other greenery in the area of your pool it’s a good idea to keep them away from the surface of the pool, as they are known to grow in to the water.

Shock and Circulate

The water in the pool should circulate frequently to make sure that all areas of the pool get a chance to come in contact with the chlorine. Winterizing your pool means that you have to shock and circulate on a daily basis. It also means that you have to backwash your filter daily for optimum filtration, and ensure that the waterfall feature is clean. 

Chemical levels in swimming pools should always be kept at optimal levels even if it is colder outside, so make sure that you test the water for pH and chlorine levels on a regular basis. In addition to this, you may need to make a few more adjustments of your own. If the pool house does not have heat, close all doors and windows.

Use The Pump And Prevent Algae From Growing

Pool owners can save their pool from turning green and the pump from work harder by setting the right water chemistry to inhibit algae for winter. Run the pool pump on a backwash cycle – before closing the pool, run a backwash cycle to clean the filter. Empty all hoses and spray attachments to avoid freezing your equipment. Change water to super chlorinate it to prepare it for winter storage.

With a good management plan in place, closing your pool doesn’t have to be a tedious or expensive task. When you begin, break it down into manageable tasks to make each step easier on yourself. 

Turn Off And Winterize Pool Equipment

It is best to let the pool equipment cool down before you turn it off. When the water in the pool has cooled, turn off the electricity to the pool heater and the power to the pool pump.

Paint Pool Surfaces

Prepare for winter by painting the interior surfaces of your swimming pool house with rubber paint that will prevent rust. The walls, floor, and ceiling of your pool house need to be coated with this rubber paint; allow dry time between coats.

Cover Your Pool

Another thing you need to do is to cover your above-ground or in ground pool with pool covers. This will not only protect your pool, but also keep your water clean and fresh. Use of aluminum pool covers is highly recommended for regular use. In case you don’t use them, the best bet would be to use a tarp and some weights. Take care not to let it get crunched by snow. This is better than nothing.

Cover Pumps And Anything Else

Above ground pools usually have an air pump that helps in supplying air to the pool. These pumps need to be covered with foam plastic or rubber covers. This will keep them working all through the winter season. If a cover is not provided the air pump may be damaged by freezing water or objects in winter.

Winterizing Pool House Toilet

Winterizing your pool house toilet is a few minutes process that ensures a long life of your toilet. It is beneficial to know how to quickly and effectively winterize the toilet in a pool house without missing a single step.

To winterize the pool house toilet, you will need to close the toilet main water supply. Make sure that you are closing it tightly. After that, remove the water from the water tank by flushing it again and again. But remember, there will still be water in the bottom of the water tank. To remove that water, you will need to take one small paper glass or any small utensils.  

Once you remove all the water from the toilet water tank, it’s time to make it completely dry by making use of paper towels and any wiping cloth. 

After the procedure, do not forget to put non-toxic antifreeze in the toilet tank as well as in the toilet bowl.

Winterizing The Pool House Sink

Your pool house also may have a sink, so you will need to winterize your pool house sink, too, so that it will remain in sound condition in the winter season. 

The very first step to winterize the pool house sink will be closing the sink water supply. 

Make sure to close it tightly to prevent water from flowing through the pipes during the winterization procedure. There are chances of spoiling drainage at the sink, so it is important to winterize it as well. 

You will need to winterize the complete drainage system, including P-trap. Removing wastewater from the sink drainage is an important step of winterization. For that, you will need to remove the P-trap and drain the wastewater by collecting it in a small bucket to skip the mess. 

Once your drainage pipes contain no more water, you will need to proceed further to protect them against freezing. Putting an antifreeze solution is a great way to protect plumbing from getting damaged. Put nearly about ½ gallon of nontoxic antifreeze solution of your choice into the sink drain, and now your sink is ready for the winter.

Winterizing The Pool House Shower

It is necessary to Winterize the Pool House Shower too! To winterize the pool house shower, you will need to close the main water supply, drain out the shower pipes, and fill it with an antifreeze solution. 

Also, you will need to winterize the shower drainage pipe to protect it from damage. Make use of an air compressor to blow excess moisture out of the drainage pipes.

If you are living in too cold areas, it is advisable to remove all the shower assembly, whichever is removable, and keep it in safe and warmer places.

This way, your complete pool house will be winterized and will be ready to rock next summer for all fun activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if you don’t winterize your pool house?

In the winter season, it will be challenging to keep the pipes in working order. Cold temperatures can damage your plumbing and lead to more costly repairs. So, it is necessary to winterize the pool house before temperatures dip to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. To prevent water from freezing in the fixtures of the plumbing and cause; severe damage.

When should I winterize my outdoor shower?

If you are living in too cold areas and you know it is going to freeze in the winter, then it is better to take a step beforehand and winterize your outdoor shower. It is advisable to winterize your outdoor shower before the temperature starts to go below 65 degrees F.

At what temperature do outdoor pipes freeze?

Pipes start freezing if the temperature drops below 20 degrees F. So, it is advisory to protect them against freezing by taking prior precautions. Frozen pipes often seem to burst or leak, and to avoid it, and it is good to winterize outdoor pipes at your home. 

Conclusion

Winterizing a pool house is crucial to look after, and it is possible with few simple tips. Winterizing pool houses help you to keep fixtures, toilets, sinks, and bathrooms in sound condition. It will not allow the fixtures to freeze or crack in the winter season if the weather is freezing outside.