WHAT IS WINTERISING?
Preparation of outdoor installed (non-rubber) pools for winter, which can be done with winterising liquid, disinfectant, pool covering and draining of mechanical parts.
WHY DO WE NEED TO WINTERISE POOLS?
- Protect the pool body and water equipment from frost damage:
Without winterization, temperatures below freezing can cause cracks in the pool, hardening of the foil, freezing of the cold covers and freezing of the water equipment (pipes, fittings, sand filter, pump, taps). Microbes can build up on the filter housings, or in the spring, you may find that your filter cannot be washed back because a part has frozen. - Do not spend more time cleaning in spring than necessary:
Pools are winterised by filling them with water, which requires sufficient chemicals during the winter to prevent algae and biological deposits under the cover, to keep hardness-causing salts in solution (no scale build-up) and to provide phosphate protection for metal surfaces to prevent corrosion.
HOW CAN I AVOID WINTERISING?
Winterisation can be replaced by keeping the pool water at around 5°C throughout the winter. In this case, a winterising agent is still required, but no further disinfection is necessary. The sand filter should then be removed from the rotation circuit.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I COMPLETELY DRAIN THE WATER FROM THE POOL?
The best solution is to leave the water in your pool, even if you want to replace it in the spring, because the water acts as a kind of thermal insulator to protect your pool from frost damage.
- With liner pools, by draining the water, you run the risk of the liner curling up when you refill it in the spring.
- For tiled pools, rainwater seeping behind the tiles will break up the tiled surface.
WHY IS WINTERISING MATERIAL NEEDED?
- Stabilises pool water during the winter, when it is not circulating
- Stops/prevents algae growth
- Prevents the formation of stones
- DOES NOT prevent water from freezing!
WHEN TO WINTERISE?
Winterisation should be carried out when the water temperature drops below 15°C on a sustained basis.
STEPS IN THE WINTERISATION PROCESS
1. PREPARATION and CHEMICAL DOSAGE:
WATER HARDNESS MEASUREMENT:
Measure the hardness of the water. The amount of winterizing liquid required depends on the water hardness (we recommend: a water hardness measuring device, and on-site water hardness measurement based on an imported sample).
If you cannot solve the water hardness measurement, calculate the average hardness of the water, which is between 10 and 18 nk°.
VACUUM CLEANING:
Vacuum the pool!
pH SETTING:
Adjust the pH of the water to between 7.2 and 7.4.
WATER QUALITY CONTROL:
Check the biological purity of the water – At this point, the aim is to completely purify the water, because only water in good biological condition should be used for winterization.
If there is disinfectant in the water and it has been applied in the normal way (no excessive use in the last few days), DINAX TÉLIESÍTŐ can be applied according to the dosage recommendation. If there is no disinfectant in the water (perhaps no chemicals have been added for several days), the pool should be shocked before winterising. To shock the pool, add 0,5 kg of ALGA-SHOCK P chlorine granules per 10 m³ of water. Repeat the dosing of ALGA-SHOCK P every 3 days until the water is clear. The sand filter should be rinsed daily if the water is not crystal clear (green, maybe opalescent). Conventional chlorine testers will “bleach out” if the chlorine value is too high, so dilute the test when measuring.
APPLICATION OF WINTERISING FLUID:
After a successful shock (the water is clean and contains disinfectant), dispense the DINAX Disinfectant according to the dosing instructions below and swirl the water to mix the product well!
Depending on water hardness, calculated per 10 m³ of pool water:
0 -10 nk° (not hard water): 400 ml
10 – 18 nk° (water of average hardness): 500 ml
Above 18 nk° (hard water): 600 ml
2. WINTERISATION OF EQUIPMENT, ADDITIONAL TASKS
CLEANING THE SAND FILTER:
Clean the sand filter with DINAX FILTER CLEANER. Pour the chemical into the hair trap or skimmer in front of the pump, leave it on overnight, and then flush the water down the drain.
TIP: pumping water containing Alga-Shock (chlorine) onto the sand filter after the water has been emptied will prevent bacteria from growing in the sand and biofilm formation.
LOWERING THE WATER LEVEL:
After cleaning the sand filter, lower the water level to about 10 cm below the skimmer in the case of a sunken pool, or to about 10 cm below the edge of the skimmer in the case of a waveless pool. Do not leave ladders or other equipment in the pool.
CLOSE INLETS, SKIMMER, AND DRAIN:
fittings (drain the pipes completely in the machine room by loosening the detachable joints of the pipes.
Remove any water that has entered the engine room.
TASKS IN THE ENGINE ROOM:
Drain the sand filter: drain the water from the sand filter tank completely.
Drain the pump and electric heater: these appliances should be stored in a dry, warm place
Chemical dosing equipment: drain the water from the piping system and, if it can be dismantled, move it to a warm place
Automatic metering dispensers: the probes (electrodes) should be removed, winterised in storage liquid and moved with the electronics to a heated place.
Counter-current device: dismantle the main unit and store it for winter in a warm, dry place. It is advisable to place polyfoam in the mounting body to absorb the ice pressure (it is best to lower the water level below the level of the mounting body)
3. INSERTION OF WINTERISING FLOATS
WHY DO WE NEED WINTERISING FLOATS?
During winter, the top 15-20 cm of the water surface can freeze. The installation of these floats can prevent ice-induced damage to the pool by relieving the pressure on the pool wall when the water freezes. With this simple tool, you can significantly increase the life of your pool.
HOW TO PLACE THE WINTERISING FLOATS?
By placing the floats as shown below (transversely and longitudinally OR diagonally), the ice layer will be crushed and will not stretch the pool wall. Occasionally, the ice floats should be nudged with something such as a broom handle to break up the ice.
CAN I USE A MINERAL WATER BOTTLE INSTEAD OF A WINTERISING FLOAT?
As it is not uncommon in winter weather conditions, even in the middle of Europe, for the top 15-20 cm of the water to freeze, the bottles should be placed vertically in the water, so that they stay that way. If they do not sink deep enough, the bottle will freeze into the ice, thus losing its function of fragmenting the continuous layer of ice.
4. COVERING THE POOL:
As a last operation, cover the pool!
When choosing the size of the pool cover, make sure that it extends at least 50 cm on all sides of the pool. The cover should lie on the surface of the water to support the weight of rain, snow and other debris. The cover shall be secured against movement (e.g., with waterbags or rubber bands).
Never use black economic films for this purpose, as they are not strong enough!
5. TASKS FOR WINTER
CHECKING THE ENGINE ROOM:
During the winter, it is a good idea to check the engine compartment from time to time. If the water level at the bottom of the machine room starts to rise due to heavy rainfall, it is also a good idea to disconnect the water pump. In such cases, it is also sensible to disconnect the bilge pump.
6. TASKS FOR SPRING
It is a good idea to refresh some of the overwintered water during the spring watering. If the backwashing was done properly during the season (the pool received fresh water regularly), you do not need to drain the pool. However, if the amount of fresh water is less than the biweekly min. 5%, you should change the water completely to ensure a trouble-free season.