Winterising: the guide to protecting your pool properly

• Active winterising: filtration runs a few hours a day, water keeps circulating, avoiding frost and algae. Suited to our region.
• Passive winterising: everything's shut down, drained and protected. Essential above 1,000 m altitude, rarely useful on the Var plains.

Active requires a bit more attention but makes the spring start-up much easier. It's our default recommendation.

The marker: water below 12 °C for several days in a row, generally mid-November in the Var. Winterise too early, and you let algae settle into still-mild water. Too late, and you risk a cold snap on unprotected equipment.

1. Test and rebalance the water (pH first). 2. Shock treatment with unstabilised chlorine. 3. Winterising product: neutralises limescale and algae for 4 months. 4. Deep clean the filter (not just a backwash). 5. Lower the water level below the return jets. 6. Programme filtration: 2 to 4 hours a day, ideally during the coldest hours in automatic frost-protection mode. 7. Winter cover or closed submerged shutter.

For the rare Var pools at altitude, or if you cut the power all winter:

• Drain the pipework and pump.
• Winterising plugs in the skimmers and return jets.
• Gizzmos in the skimmers to absorb frost pressure.
• Opaque cover to block photosynthesis.

The spring start-up will be heavier — plan for a full day.

Never fully drain your pool for winter. The weight of the surrounding ground can lift or deform the structure, especially on in-ground panel pools. An empty shell is more fragile than a full one.

The same goes for the liner: it dries out and cracks if left exposed to dry air for more than a few days.