winter proof your Pool
Protect Your Pool and Let Aqua-Tech Manage Every Step
As another long, hot summer comes to an end, it’s time to say goodbye to days spent making memories with family and friends, hosting pool parties, and relaxing beside the crystal-clear water of your own backyard oasis. Your pool has been the heart of countless summer moments, creating a space to unwind, entertain, and enjoy.
Now it’s time to protect that investment. A professional pool closing is one of the most important steps you can take to safeguard your pool through the harsh winter months. Proper winterization helps prevent costly damage caused by freezing temperatures, protects your equipment and plumbing, and ensures your pool is ready for a smooth, stress-free opening next spring.
Your pool is more than just a place to swim,it’s a valuable investment in your home and lifestyle. Give it the care it deserves so it’s ready to create even more unforgettable memories when summer returns.
What a Professional Closing Includes...
A pool closing, also called winterization, is the process of preparing a swimming pool to sit unused through freezing weather without damage. It involves balancing the water, clearing every plumbing line so nothing can freeze inside it, draining and protecting the equipment, adding winter water care products, and installing a cover. In Winnipeg it is done once the water holds below 18 degrees Celsius.
Water and water care
- Before we arrive please get a winterizing water test: including pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, sanitizer and stabilizer
- Before we arrive please balance to winter targets, which sit higher than summer targets because levels drift down over six months
- Before we arrive please correct existing problems before closing, because algae, cloudiness and staining all get worse under a cover
- Would you like a winter water care kit applied, sized to your pool volume?
Cleaning
- Pool brushed and vacuumed (upon request for extra charge)
- Waterline cleaned (upon request for extra charge)
- Filter chemically cleaned, not just rinsed, to strip out oils, by-product, pollen and dust (upon request for extra charge)
- Solar blanket cleaned and treated so it can be stored wet without sticking or tearing (upon request for extra charge)
Plumbing and equipment
- Water lowered below the skimmer and return lines (Complete Pool Closing)
- Every line blown clear, then plugged
- Pump, filter, heater and hoses drained
- Antifreeze added where it belongs, and deliberately not added where it does not
- Salt cell removed, inspected, cleaned and set aside for indoor storage (if applicable)
- Chlorinator drained and flushed (if applicable)
- Power and gas shut off at the source
- All removed plugs, baskets and fittings bagged and left somewhere you will find them in April
Cover and hardware
- Ladders, rails, robotic cleaners, hoses and floats removed
- Winter or safety cover installed, with leaf net if you use one (Complete Closing)
- Water bags or deck anchors set so the cover cannot tear or drop into the pool (Complete Closing)
- Water level brought back up to roughly three inches below the skimmer faceplate (upon request for extra charge)
When to Close a Pool in Winnipeg....
Most Winnipeg pools are closed between late September and mid October. The trigger is water temperature, not the calendar. Once the water holds steady below 18 degrees Celsius, algae growth slows enough that the pool can sit covered for six months. Closing while the water is still warm is the most common reason a pool opens green in the spring.
Too early. Warm water, no circulation, no sunlight, and a cover on top. Algae grows in exactly those conditions. Your winter water care gets used up in September and there is nothing left working in January. You save a few weeks of maintenance and pay for it with a green opening.
Too late. A hard overnight freeze arrives before the lines are cleared. Water expands as it freezes, and a cracked return line or a split pump housing is a spring repair bill rather than a closing invoice.
The window between those two is real but not enormous, and it moves every year with the weather. That is why our closing calendar is weather-dependent and why the dates fill from the last week of September onward. Book by early September and you choose your date. Book in October and you take what is left after the first cold snap.
A Proper Closing is What Makes Spring Easy
Almost every difficult pool opening traces back to how the pool was closed. Green water, a stained liner, a pump that will not prime, a heater that will not fire. None of those are spring problems. They are closing problems that took six months to show up.
A closing done properly means you open to water that is close to balanced, equipment that starts on the first try, and a liner without a waterline stain to scrub. It is the difference between an opening that takes an afternoon and one that takes three visits.
Our technicians will also tell you what your pool actually needs going into winter, not just what is in a standard kit. If your calcium is low or your liner is showing wear, you want to know in September, not in May.
Choosing a Winter Cover
Both solid winter covers and mesh safety covers handle Manitoba snow loads. They trade off against each other rather than one being better.
If you have young children or pets, a mesh safety cover anchored into the deck is worth the difference on its own. If you want the cleanest possible water in May, a solid cover wins, as long as you keep the cover pump running.
Closed it Yourself and Something Looks Wrong?
Call the maintenance team. If you have closed the pool and the water level is dropping, the cover is sagging, or you are not confident the lines were cleared properly, we would rather look at it in October than in May.
In most cases we can get a technician out within a day. A line that was missed is a ten minute fix in the fall and a plumbing repair in the spring.
Pool Closings Across Winnipeg and Surrounding Areas
Our closing crews run across Winnipeg and out into the surrounding municipalities. That includes River Heights, Tuxedo, Charleswood, Linden Woods, Bridgwater, St. Vital, North Kildonan and Fort Garry, along with Headingley, East St. Paul, West St. Paul, Oak Bluff, La Salle, Lorette, Ile des Chenes, Niverville, Stonewall and Selkirk.
Routing matters in the fall. We schedule closings geographically to fit as many into each day as the weather allows, so booking alongside neighbours often means an earlier date for everyone.
Why Our Customers Love Us
Don’t just take our word for it. See why our customers love and recommend us!
We’ve been using Aqua tech services for the past 7 years. Their water lab technicians, scheduling and onsite service and Alan from planning/installations are super responsive, customer oriented and very knowledgeable and pleasant people. Kathi has a great team and so is she!
Randy D.
Speak to the Team Now!
To discuss your needs in more detail, get in touch today! A member of the Aqua-Tech team will contact you as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When should I close my pool in Winnipeg?
Most Winnipeg pools are closed between late September and mid October. The right trigger is water temperature rather than a date. Once your water holds steady below 18 degrees Celsius, algae growth slows enough that the pool can sit covered until spring. Closing before the water cools is the most common cause of a green spring opening.
2. Is it better to wait until the water cools?
Yes. Cool water is the single biggest factor in a clean spring opening. Below 18 degrees Celsius, algae and bacteria multiply very slowly, so your winter water care lasts through to April. Warm water sealed under a cover for six months is how green openings happen. Waiting an extra week or two is worth it.
3. What happens if I close my pool too early?
Warm water plus no circulation plus no sunlight creates ideal conditions for algae. Your winter water care products also get consumed in September and October, leaving nothing working through the coldest months. Most pools closed too early open green, which adds time and cost to the spring opening.
4. When should I book my pool closing?
Book by early September. Our closing calendar fills from the last week of September through October, and the schedule shifts with the weather. Booking early means you choose your date rather than taking what is left after the first cold snap.
5. How long does a pool closing take?
A standard inground residential closing usually takes two to three hours on site. Larger pools, water features, automatic covers and salt or mineral systems all add time. We will give you a window when you book.
6. What is included in a professional pool closing?
An Aqua-Tech closing covers the full sequence;1. We test and balance your water to winter targets. 2. We lower the water below the skimmer and returns. 3. We blow out and plug every line. 4. We drain the pump, filter, heater and hoses. 5. We winterize the salt cell and chlorinator. 6. We shut off power and gas. 7. We bag every plug and fitting. 8. We remove ladders, rails and accessories. 9. We install your winter or safety cover with bags or anchors.
7. Should I lower the water level?
Yes, but only partway and only temporarily. The water is dropped below the skimmer and return lines so the plumbing can be cleared. Once the lines are blown out and plugged, the level goes back up to roughly three inches below the skimmer faceplate. That water weight keeps the liner and the pool structure stable through freeze-up.
8. Do I have to drain my pool for the winter?
No, and you should not. Never drain a pool fully for winter. The water weight holds a vinyl liner in place and counteracts ground pressure against the shell. An empty pool can float, shift or collapse. The level is lowered partway to clear the plumbing, then topped back up before the cover goes on.
9. What kind of winter cover works best for Manitoba winters?
Both solid winter covers and mesh safety covers handle Manitoba snow loads. Solid covers block all light and give you the cleanest spring water, but they need a cover pump to clear standing water. Mesh safety covers anchor into the deck, shed snow load and add a child and pet barrier, but they let light through, so a second shock treatment is needed before freeze-up.
10. What chemicals should be added to my pool before winter?
Your pool needs a winter water care kit sized to its volume. A typical kit includes winter shock, a long-lasting algaecide, and a stain and scale preventer. Before any of that goes in, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and sanitizer all need to be balanced to winter targets, which sit higher than summer targets because levels drift down over six months.
11. Do I need to winterize my pool equipment?
Yes, and this is where the expensive failures happen. Water left sitting in a pump, filter, heater or salt cell will freeze, expand and crack the housing. Every line and vessel has to be drained or blown clear, plugs removed and stored, and power or gas shut off at the source.
12. Can I leave my robotic cleaner in the pool over winter?
No. Remove robotic and pressure-side cleaners along with their hoses, plus ladders, rails, skimmer baskets, solar blankets and floats. Freezing water expands and will crack housings, wheels and cords. Rinse the unit, dry it fully, and store it somewhere that stays above freezing.
13. Can a saltwater or mineral pool be closed the same way?
Mostly, with a few extra steps. The salt cell is removed, inspected, cleaned and stored indoors. The chlorinator is drained and flushed, and antifreeze is deliberately not added to it. Mineral systems have their own cartridge handling. Let us know which system you run when you book so the technician arrives prepared.
14. How much does a professional pool closing cost in Winnipeg?
Closing cost depends on four things: your pool size, whether you want a mechanical closing or a full closing with cleaning and water balancing, whether you run a salt or mineral system, and what winter water care your water test calls for. Call 204-233-8822 with your pool volume and we will quote it in a few minutes.