The East Tennessee Pool Winterization Checklist: Step-by-Step Protection

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Closing a pool down for the colder months is a decision every pool owner in East Tennessee faces as fall sets in. Between late September and November, daytime highs start tapering off, and night temperatures around Knoxville, Maryville, and the foothills begin to dip toward freezing.

Winterization isn’t mandatory for everyone. Some homeowners choose to keep their pumps running continuously all winter long to maintain circulation and keep water moving through freeze warnings. However, a complete, hands-on winterization remains the safest, foolproof way to safeguard your pool equipment, underground plumbing, and shell from unexpected freezes, mid-winter power outages, and costly burst pipes.

When water freezes, it expands by roughly 9% with immense mechanical force. That expansion is what cracks expensive pump housings, splits filter manifolds, and shatters PVC lines buried two feet under your patio. Taking a systematic approach to shutting everything down eliminates that risk entirely.

Here is our complete, step-by-step checklist based on how we close pools across our area.

Step 1: Drain All Pad Equipment Completely

Before touching the water level in the pool itself, start at your equipment pad. Every single unit that holds or moves water must be drained.

Every major piece of pool equipment-your circulation pump, filter tank, heater, salt cell, and chlorinator-has one or more drain plugs located near the bottom of the housing.

Locate the drain plugs: On pumps, you will usually find two threaded plugs: one at the front of the strainer pot and one further back on the wet end. Filters feature a drain cap or plug at the base of the tank. Heaters have internal drain plugs or petcocks on the header manifold.
Remove the plugs and store them safely: Unscrew each plug to let water gravity-drain out. Put all the removed drain plugs, O-rings, and pressure gauges together inside the pump strainer basket, put the clear pump lid back on, and leave it loose. This keeps all tiny hardware together in one obvious spot so nothing disappears before spring opening.
Force out remaining water: Gravity draining leaves puddles inside internal cavities and curved manifolds. Hook a shop vac up to its exhaust side, grab an air compressor, or set up a leaf blower to blow air directly through the open ports of each unit. Continue blowing until no more water mist or trickles come out.

Step 2: Seal and Cover the Equipment Pad

Winter moisture is just as destructive as standing water. In East Tennessee, winter weather frequently swings: a 55°F sunny afternoon can bring a midday rain shower, followed six hours later by an arctic cold front dropping temperatures well below 25°F.

If rain settles into open pump ports or collects around electrical components right before a hard freeze, it will ice over and cause damage.

Cap open pipe fittings: Wrap exposed pipe openings and union threads tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap and secure the edges with waterproof duct tape. This keeps dirt, spiders, mice, and rain out of your opened plumbing loops all season.
Cover the units: Cover each piece of equipment with a heavy, waterproof tarp or custom equipment cover. Tie the covers down securely around the base using bungee cords or nylon strapping so gusting winds coming off the mountains cannot whip them loose.

Step 3: Lower the Pool Water Level

With the equipment pad prepped, move your focus to the pool body.

Lower the pool water down below the level of the return jet fittings. Draining below the returns creates the air clearance you need to clear the plumbing lines properly and ensures that normal winter rain accumulation won’t immediately fill the pipes back up with water.

Use a submersible pump or set your multi-port filter valve to “Waste” while the equipment is still connected to draw the water line down to roughly 4 to 6 inches below the lowest return jet.

Step 4: Blow Out the Return and Suction Lines

Clearing all remaining water out of your underground plumbing runs is the most critical mechanical step of the entire winterization process. Leaving even a few cups of water trapped in a low-lying pipe elbow can result in a cracked line underneath concrete decking once the ground freezes solid.

Remove return eyeballs: Unscrew the directional eyeball fittings and face rings from every return jet on the pool walls.
Blow out the return lines: Hook your blower, shop vac exhaust, or compressor up to the return lines at the equipment pad. Push air through the plumbing until the returns in the pool wall stop spitting water and produce a strong, steady stream of dry air.
Install mechanical plugs: While the air is actively blowing through each return line, insert a rubber expansion plug-specifically a boat-hull wing-nut style plug-into the wall fitting. Hand-tighten the wing nut firmly to expand the rubber gasket inside the pipe. This creates a water- and air-tight seal that prevents any pool water from seeping back into the line.
Blow out the skimmer lines: Repeat the exact same air evacuation process on the suction side of the system, starting from the skimmers back through the equipment pad.

Step 5: Protect Skimmers and Main Drains with Antifreeze

Because of how pool plumbing sits in the ground, deep plumbing lines cannot always be drained completely. Skimmer throats sit at the freezing line, and main drain pipes run straight down into the deepest part of the yard.

Add pool antifreeze: Pour roughly half a gallon of non-toxic swimming pool antifreeze into each skimmer line and down the main drain line. Never use automotive antifreeze, which is toxic and will contaminate your pool water. Use only non-toxic propylene glycol designed specifically for swimming pools and RV potable water systems.
Plug the skimmers: Install a wing-nut expansion plug or a threaded winterizing pipe guard directly into the bottom port of each skimmer housing to keep water from getting down the line.
Add skimmer crush protection: Place an empty, sealed plastic gallon jug or a purpose-built foam “Gizzmo” tube inside the skimmer basket housing before sealing the lid. If rainwater collects in the top of the skimmer body and freezes, the expanding ice will crush the flexible plastic container instead of cracking the rigid plastic walls of your skimmer.

Step 6: Install Your Pool Cover

Once the plumbing lines are blown, plugged, and winterized, your pool’s internal systems are safe. The final step is covering the pool itself.

East Tennessee yards are heavily wooded with oak, maple, hickory, and pine trees. If left uncovered or unprotected through fall and winter, leaves, pine needles, acorns, and organic debris will settle onto the floor and steps. Decomposing organic matter sits on plaster, vinyl, or fiberglass finishes for months, leaching tannins that cause stubborn staining, water discoloration, and permanent finish damage.

Install a solid or tight-mesh safety cover: Anchor your safety cover securely to the deck brass anchors, checking tension springs across all straps so the cover remains drum-tight.
Maintain tension: A properly tensioned cover keeps curious pets, children, and windblown debris out of the pool all winter long.
Clear excess debris periodically: Use a leaf blower to blow fallen leaves off the top of the cover before heavy winter rains or snowfalls pin the wet leaves down.

The Winterization Quick-Reference Checklist

Step	Action Item	Purpose
1. Equipment Pad	Pull all lower drain plugs on pumps, filters, and heaters; store in the pump basket.	Gravity-drains bulk water from equipment housings.
2. Pad Blow-Out	Use a blower or shop vac exhaust through all equipment ports.	Clears trapped water pockets from pump impellers and filter manifolds.
3. Pad Protection	Cap pipe openings with plastic wrap/duct tape; tie down waterproof tarps over equipment.	Prevents rain and freezing surface moisture from entering units.
4. Pool Water Level	Drain pool water roughly 4 to 6 inches below the return jets.	Allows clearance for pipe blow-outs and winter rain volume.
5. Line Blow-Out	Unscrew return jets; blow air from pad until dry; install wing-nut plugs.	Eliminates underground water volume that can freeze and crack pipes.
6. Freeze Protection	Pour 1/2 gallon pool antifreeze into skimmers/main drains; install skimmer plugs.	Protects deep and unreachable plumbing loops from freeze expansion.
7. Final Cover	Securely anchor your winter safety cover over the pool.	Keeps leaves and debris out to prevent surface staining and finish wear.

Taking these steps between September and November gives you complete peace of mind all winter. When the first hard freeze rolls over the mountains, you can rest easy knowing your equipment pad is dry, your underground plumbing is clear, and your pool will be in prime condition when it comes time to pull the cover off next spring.

Need some help getting your pool ready for the winter? We are here to help! Contact us today

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