Close an above-ground pool before the first hard freeze. Clean it, balance the water, and lower the level only as far as your pool's maker directs. Drain the pump, filter and hoses, store them indoors, then float an air pillow and secure the winter cover. Doughboy and Bestway keep water in their pools; Intex takes its Easy Set pools down.
When to close a pool up here
The deadline is set by the equipment, not the calendar. Once nights start dropping toward freezing, any water sitting in the pump, filter tank or hoses is at risk, and the closing has to happen while that water can still drain out. In practice that means closing once swimming is done and the water has cooled, and before the first hard frost, not after it. Makers draw the line in different places: Bestway tells owners of its year-round pools to winterize before freezing temperatures arrive, and Intex's manual for its Easy Set pools says to drain and put the pool away once temperatures drop below 41°F.
Fall is short in the Northland, and pool closings compete with raking, gutters and storm windows for the same few weekends. Put the closing on your fall list early, alongside the other jobs in our home repair planning guide. If a cold snap shows up in the forecast before you're ready, at least pull the pump, filter and hoses indoors that day; the rest of the closing can wait a little, but frozen equipment can't be undone.
The closing, step by step
The order matters: cleaning comes before the water goes down, and the equipment comes off before the cover goes on. Follow your own pool's manual where it differs from the outline below.
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clean | Skim, brush the walls, vacuum the floor and clean the filter one last time | Leaves and dirt left under a cover sit on the liner all winter |
| 2. Balance the water | Test it and balance it; add winter chemicals only as their labels or your pool store direct | Whatever is in the water sits against the liner for months |
| 3. Lower the water | Drop it only to the level your pool's maker specifies, and plug the fittings as the manual says | Keeps water out of the skimmer and return while leaving the liner supported |
| 4. Drain the equipment | Disconnect the hoses, drain the pump, filter housing and hoses, pull the cartridge, and store it all indoors | Any water left inside can freeze and crack a housing |
| 5. Air pillow | Inflate it, center it and tie it off so it stays put | Gives the ice sheet something to push against besides the wall |
| 6. Winter cover | Stretch it snug and secure it with its cable and winch or clips | A loose cover catches wind and lets debris in |
| 7. Winter checks | After big storms, check the ties and keep water from pooling on a solid cover | Standing water and heavy wet snow load the cover and the top rail |
Water chemistry is the step not to guess at. Balance comes first, then any winterizing product, used exactly as its label says; if you're unsure, take a sample to a pool supply store. Intex's manual makes the same point, sending owners to a local pool dealer for winter chemicals because the right ones vary by region.
If you'd rather hand it off, national cost guides put a professional pool opening or closing at about $150–$300 per visit, according to HomeAdvisor, and HomeAdvisor's closing guide puts winterization alone at $175–$300 per visit. Those are national typical ranges, not our price; our above-ground pool service quotes the closing flat, in writing, before we start.
Drain it or not? It depends on who made it
This is the step to check in your own manual, because makers disagree for good reasons. Doughboy's round-pool installation instructions say that if you drain the pool for any reason, you must leave at least 12 inches of water, measured up the metal wall from the ground, and that failing to do so may void the warranty. Bestway's winterizing guide for its year-round pools says those pools never need to be drained completely; instead the water goes a few inches below the inlet or outlet valve, a distance that differs by model, and a cold-resistant inflatable such as a pool pillow and then the cover go on.
Seasonal pools are the opposite case. Intex's Easy Set pool manual says the pool must be drained, taken apart and stored once temperatures drop below 41°F, because ice damage can cause sudden liner failure or collapse. The pattern across those three: Doughboy's steel-wall pools and Bestway's year-round pools keep water in them all winter, and Intex's storable inflatable-ring pool comes down. Doughboy ties its 12-inch rule to the warranty, so don't drain a steel-wall pool just to be safe. None of these rules transfers to another maker's pool, so the manual for your brand has the final say.
What freezing does to pool equipment
Water expands as it freezes, and pool equipment is full of places where that water has nowhere to go. A pump housing, a filter tank, a valve body or a hose fitting that still holds water can split overnight, and the crack often doesn't show until spring, when the pump won't prime or the filter weeps at a seam. The skimmer and return fittings on the wall hold water too, which is why the lowered level or the manual's plugs keep water out of them.
The pool itself takes a different kind of load. Surface ice pushes outward on the wall and skimmer as it forms, which is what the air pillow and the lowered water level are there to manage, and snow piles weight onto the cover and the top rail. If you also own a hot tub, its winter shutdown is a different job with its own rules; see our hot tub service page.
How far should I lower the water in an above-ground pool for winter?
Only as far as your pool's manual says, and no lower. For its year-round pools, Bestway specifies a few inches below the inlet or outlet valve, with the exact distance set per model. Doughboy says never to leave less than 12 inches of water in its steel-wall pools, even when draining for another reason. The goal is to keep water out of the skimmer and return while the liner stays supported.
What happens if water freezes in a pool pump or filter?
It can crack the housing. Water expands as it turns to ice, and a pump body, filter tank or fitting that still holds water has nowhere to give. The damage often stays hidden until spring, when the pump won't prime or the filter leaks. Drain the pump, filter and hoses completely before a hard freeze, pull the cartridge, and store everything indoors where it stays above freezing.
Does an above-ground pool need an air pillow under the winter cover?
If the pool stays partly full, plan on one; it's standard practice. The pillow floats in the middle under the cover, so the ice sheet has something to push against besides the wall and skimmer, and it helps a solid cover shed water and snow toward the edges. Bestway's winterizing guide floats a cold-resistant inflatable such as a pool pillow on its year-round pools. Inflate it firmly, center it, and tie it off.
What if a hard freeze comes before my pool is closed?
Protect the equipment first. Shut off the pump, disconnect the hoses, drain the pump, filter and hoses, and bring them inside the same day; they're what freezing breaks first. Leave the water level alone until you can do the full closing, and finish the cleaning, balancing, pillow and cover during the next mild stretch.
Want it done before freeze-up? Call or text (715) 919-7956 with a photo of your pool, its cover and the pump and filter, or request a closing quote. You'll get a flat written quote before any work starts.