With winter just around the corner, it's time to think about protecting your pool from the rigors of the cold, as well as your equipment, to ensure clean water when the sunny season comes back. Winterizing your pool is more than just covering it; it also requires special attention, especially when it comes to protecting devices such as the EcO probe.

In this article, we explain how to prepare your pool for the cold season and how to care for your EcO probe to extend its life. We will also tell you about iopool's Winter Kit, which will make this task even easier.

Why winterize your pool?

Winterizing a pool means preparing it for the months of inactivity, to protect the pool and equipment from frost, dirt and chemical imbalances. Poor preparation can lead to costly damage, such as cracks in the lining or malfunctioning pumps and filters.

There are two types of winterization:

1. Active winterizing: the pool remains in minimal operation throughout the winter, with filtration running at low speed and chemicals adjusted to keep the water healthy.
2. Passive winterizing: in this case, the pool is completely shut down, with the water level lowered, pipes protected and a cover installed.

In both cases, basic maintenance is required to keep your pool in good condition.

Key steps to successful winterizing

1. Thorough cleaning: remove leaves, debris and dirt. Brush the walls and vacuum the bottom to leave the water as clean as possible before winter.
2. Water treatment: check pH, alkalinity and disinfectant levels to prevent the water from becoming a breeding ground for algae and bacteria. A shock treatment is recommended before closing the pool.
3. Lowering the water level: if you opt for passive winterizing, make sure to lower the water level below the skimmers to prevent frost damage to the pipes.
4. Protect equipment: drain and clean pumps, filters and pipes. Use anti-freeze plugs to block pipes and avoid any risk.
5. Cover: choose a suitable cover to protect your pool from debris and limit water evaporation during the cold season.

Winterizing the EcO probe: a few precautions

Just like the rest of your pool's equipment, the EcO probe requires special attention during wintering. Although the probe is designed to withstand a wide range of climatic conditions, when the water temperature drops below 4°C (39°F), we recommend removing it from the pool to protect it.

Here's how to properly winterize your EcO probe:

1. Access the “My pool” menu
2. Open the “Devices” page
3. Click on the EcO button
4. Click on “Enter wintering mode”.

For more information, please find this article dedicated to winterizing your probe.

The iopool winterization kit: your ally for successful winterization

Available on our website, the Winter Kit will be the perfect ally to protect your EcO probe during winter. This kit includes:

• 2 wintering foams to soak in water to keep your sensors moist all winter long
• a tube of 50 6-in-1 iopool strips to use during active wintering or when the season resumes
• a calibration kit to recalibrate the sensor at the start of next season.

Investing in this kit ensures that your sensor will be ready for use as soon as spring returns, with no risk of deterioration during the cold months.

Conclusion

Winterizing your pool is not just a question of practicality, it's a guarantee to protect your investment and avoid unnecessary repair costs, but above all to ensure a carefree re-opening in the spring. Don't forget that your EcO probe is an integral part of this maintenance, and our Winter Kit is here to help you extend its life. If you have any questions about winterizing or the kit, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department.