Grab a test kit and make sure the chlorine, alkalinity, pH, and total hardness are at the recommended levels. Make sure to balance the pool water chemistry before winterizing the pool. There are winter chemical kits available that also help protect the water during the winter months. The winterization kits add a higher dose of chlorine and algeacide needed to protect your pool during the winter.

Make sure the pool is clean from leaves and debris. Leaves have tannins that can dissolve in the water and stain the pool surface if left for extended periods of time. Clean out the skimmers and pump baskets too. Left over debris eats up sanitizer in the water and could make your pool turn an ugly green color. Yuck.

When water freezes, it expands with tremendous force. The pressure it puts on your pipes will rupture them. If they rupture, you're in for a serious migraine. Protect your pipes and your equipment. Drain all the water from the pool equipment - no water, no freezing - to prevent damage your pumps, skimmers and intakes.

Cover the pool if you have a lot of trees & leaves so they won't make an enormous mess. A safety pool cover can protect your pets and little ones from accidentally falling in and there are tarp type covers for pools that have water tubes that weight the cover down.

Turn off the breaker that runs your pool automation system or other electronics like pumps, timers, and lights. If the breaker is on, and a timer light up, you run the risk of turning on a pump that doesn't have any water in it - which burns up the gaskets and fry's the pumps.  Ouch.

Water does evaporate from your pool in winter. Especially during those days in middle Tennessee when the temps are above freezing. If the hoses are frozen, there's no way to fill the pool, and the water running from the hose to the spigot could break one of your interior plumbing connections. Disconnect hoses from your spigots, and keep them in the garage, or under the house where they can't freeze and harden.

Check on your pool periodically to make sure the water level is where you left it after its been winterized. Every year we get calls from people that don't realize they've had a leak until the pool is closed. Also, if you see any algae you can dilute granular chlorine in a bucket of pool water and pour it into the pool to keep it from turning that nasty green color.