How to store an Intex pool for winter. Essential guide on how to protect your pool from damage due to freezing temperatures and debris. Plus other useful tips.
Storing an Intex pool for winter is essential for several reason, as it helps protect the pool and prolong it’s lifespan white ensuring a safe and hassle-free reopening in the spring.
In fact, this will be our fourth season taking down and storing our Intex pool during the colder months. And although it’s not exactly high on the list of things we want to do, it is necessary to prevent freezing damage, and to protect the pool pump from the elements.
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This is our own personal experience. Be sure to follow your pool’s manual.
By storing the Intex pool for winter, you ensure its longevity, save on maintenance costs, and make the pool reopening process smoother and more enjoyable in the spring.
HOW TO STORE AN INTEX POOL FOR WINTER
Clean the Pool
Start by cleaning the pool throughly. Remove leaves, debris, and any floating objects. Use pool skimmer or net to collect debris from the water’s surface.
Balance the Water Chemistry
Test the pool water using a pool water testing kit. Adjust the pH, alkalinity, and chlorine levels to ensure they are within the recommended ranges.
Remove Accessories
Remove all accessories such as ladders, toys, skimmers, and hoses from the pool.
Drain the Pool
Follow the Intex manual to drain your pool. You’ll be using the white drain connector that came with your pool, to drain it.
Connect a hose to the drain connector and allow to drain. This is a lot of water you’ll be draining and it’s important that you drain it properly either out to the street or the sewer.
Your neighbor will not appreciate 1200+ gallons of dirty pool water flooding their yard.
If you live within city limits, you may want to call and ask about the proper way to dispose of that amount of water.
How long does it take for an Intex pool to drain?
For an Intex pool size 15 feet round by 48 inches tall, it can take up to 48 hours to drain. It’s a slow drain and as the water level lowers, so does the pressure and amount of water coming through the end of the hose.
Prepare for this to take up to 48 hours or more to drain.
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How to drain the bottom of an Intex Pool
Once the pool is drained you’ll be left with a few inches of water. For this we took down one side of the metal legs and folded the pool down to allow that side to drain. As it was draining I put my rain boots on and used a mop to clean the sides and bottom of the pool. Pushing water towards the opening as I went along.
Disassemble Frame
Disconnect and clean the pool pump and filter system. Store then in a dry place, protected from freezing temperatures.
Disassemble pool from and store in dry area. For our metal pool from we like to store the legs in extra long Tupperware storage containers.
Clean the Pool Interior
The pool needs to be clean and dry for storage. To do that we used a mop to clean the liner and then flipped the pool liner over to clean the underside using both a mop and hose.
After the underside was clean, we took the pool ladder and set it in the middle of the yard. Then we flipped the pool over the ladder and used a hose to remove any mud or leaves.
Allow to dry completely.
How to fold an Intex Pool for storage
Straighten the pool as best as possible folding the walls towards the center as you go. You’re looking to turn this into a square at first and then a rectangle for easier storage.
This part is much easier with two people. If you’re good at folding, you might be able to get the pool liner pretty compact. But for us, it was a tad larger.
Since we no longer had the box the pool came in we decided to use a large bag we found on sale. Another idea is to use a large Christmas tree storage bag.
Be sure to measure properly.
Once the pool is put away, be sure to properly clean and dry the remaining pieces; To include the pump, hoses and anything else that came with the pool. We were able to fit the hoses into the bag but had to store the pump and leg attachments separately in a large plastic storage container.
Both the bag with the pool liner and pump are stored in our garage out of harsh temperatures.
SHOULD I TAKE DOWN MY INTEX POOL FOR WINTER
The Intex manual for this type of pool recommends taking down and storing when the temperatures can drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise you risk ice damage to the pool.
INTEX POOL MANUAL- To include storage instructions
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Seven reasons why you should store your Intex pool for winter
Prevent Freezing Damage: In colder climates, freezing temperatures can cause water in the pool to expand, leading to structural damage or cracks in the pool liner and frame.
Avoid Algae Growth: Storing the pool reduces the risk of algae growth in stagnant water during the winter months, saving you time and effort on cleaning and maintenance in the spring.
Project Pump and Filter: Winterizing and storing the pump and filter system prevent damage from freezing, corrosion, and exposure to the elements.
Extend Lifespan: Proper winter storage preserves the integrity of the pool materials, ensuring it lasts for many season.
Safety: An unused pool can pose safety risks, especially fro children and pets. Storing it safely eliminates this hazard.
Peace of Mind: Storing the pool away for the winter provides peace of mind, knowing that it’s protected and ready for use when warmer weather returns.
Saves Time and Effort: Reopening a well-maintained and properly stored pool in the spring is much easier and quicker than dealing with a neglected or damaged pool.
Although it was a fair amount of work to prepare this pool for winter storage, it is absolutely worth it. This pool is a fun, summer, family activity that all of us enjoy and it’s important we take the time to store it now so that we can enjoy it again next year.
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