Pool Closings vs. Pool Winterization: What’s the Difference?
As pool season comes to an end in Hampton, Virginia, pool owners will often hear the terms pool closings and pool winterization. While the two processes are closely related, they aren’t exactly the same. Understanding the difference can help you make sure your pool is properly prepared for the colder months.
What Is a Pool Closing?
Pool closing refers to the overall process of preparing your swimming pool for the off-season. A complete pool closing from Fox Pools includes everything from chemical balancing to equipment winterization, including the use of 30,000-gallon winter kits and Gizmos® pool accessories to protect your pool during the cold months. The goal is to leave your pool clean, protected, and ready to remain unused until spring.
What Is Pool Winterization?
Pool winterization focuses more specifically on protecting your pool’s plumbing, equipment, and other components from cold and freezing temperatures. This can include removing water from plumbing lines, blowing out the lines with specialized equipment, plugging the lines, and properly draining or protecting pumps, filters, heaters, and other equipment. Winterization is important because the water trapped inside pool plumbing or equipment can potentially freeze, creating pressure that may result in cracks, leaks, or expensive repairs.
Why Proper Pool Winterization Matters
Proper pool winterization helps minimize the amount of water left in vulnerable plumbing and equipment where freezing temperatures could cause problems. For Hampton-area pool owners, properly preparing your pool before freezing weather arrives can help protect your investment and make the spring pool-opening process easier.
Does Every Pool Need the Same Winterization Process?
Note every pool needs the exact same winterization process. The appropriate procedure can depend on factors such as the type of pool, plumbing configuration, pool equipment, cover system, and local weather conditions. At Fox Pools our pool winterization service is custom designed for your pool to keep your pool safe all winter.
For example, an in-ground pool with extensive plumbing and multiple pieces of equipment may require a more involved winterization process than another pool with a different configuration. When you’re unsure what your pool needs, having a pool professional inspect and winterize the system can help ensure the appropriate steps are completed.
Protect Your Pool Before Winter
Pool closings and winterization work together, but they serve slightly different purposes. Pool closing prepares the entire pool for the off-season, while winterization specifically helps protect plumbing and equipment from cold-weather damage. For pool owners in Hampton, Virginia, taking the time to properly close and winterize your pool can help prevent avoidable problems and give you a cleaner, easier pool opening when the next swimming season arrives.


