Important Tips For Winterizing Your Pool (NAPSA)—Now is the time to start planning your pool closing and winterizing. Colder weather can mean substantial damage to your pool surfaces and pool equipment. Taking the time to winterize now will save you time and money on unnecessary repairs next year. Pools that are not winterized properly are susceptible to: *Freeze-thaw damage to pool surfaces *Damaged or broken pool equipment *Underground pipe damage. Every year, hundreds—and in some cases, thousands—of dollars are spent repairing pools that were not closed properly the previous fall. Pool owners who endured such repairs are oftentimes surprised to learn how easily the damage could have been prevented. Here are some helpful tips to protect your pool and ensure easy opening next year: *Conduct a final pool water test. Visit your local store to receive a quick, computerized water analysis to ensure the wateris balanced. *Brush the walls of your pool and vacuum thoroughly. Clean the skimmerbasket andlint trap. *Use a special filter cleaner to thoroughly clean thefilter. A dirty filter can cake and harden over the winter, leaving a messy and difficult cleanup job. *With pump and filter on, add the appropriate amount of winter shock around the edges of the pool. Wait an hour and then add winter algaecide. Keep the pump and filter on for another hour. *Drain the pool, then add pool winterizing antifreeze to pipes and equipment. *Finally, cover your pool to protect it from winter winds, leaves, dirt and debris. Your pool is a major investment —protecting it with BioGuard pool care products means being able to enjoy it for years to come. Visit a BioGuard dealer or www.BioGuard.com for more information.
