Every fall, South Jersey pool owners from Cherry Hill to Moorestown to Voorhees face the same question: close the pool myself, or call someone? Both are valid—but only if the pool gets closed properly and on time. Our winters bring real freezes, and water left in the plumbing will crack pipes and equipment when it freezes. So let’s walk through what pool closing in Cherry Hill, NJ actually involves, and help you decide which parts to DIY and which to hand off.

First, the Timing

Close once your water temperature holds below 60°F—typically mid-to-late October around Camden County. That’s when algae goes dormant and your water stays clean under the cover. Close too early during a warm October afternoon in Marlton and you’ll get algae; wait too long and an early freeze can damage your lines.

The Closing Steps and How Hard Each One Really Is

• Balancing the water (easy DIY): a few days ahead, set pH to 7.2–7.6, alkalinity to 80–120 ppm, and calcium hardness in range. A test kit and some patience handle this.
• Cleaning (easy DIY): skim, brush, and vacuum. South Jersey’s oaks and maples drop a lot of leaves, so be thorough.
• Shock and algaecide (easy DIY): shock, let chlorine normalize, then add a winter algaecide.
• Lowering the water (moderate DIY): drain below the skimmer and returns.
• Blowing out the lines (this is the hard part): clearing every line with a compressor, plugging them, adding pool antifreeze, and fully draining the pump, filter, and heater. This is where most DIY closings go wrong. Miss a line or leave water behind, and a freeze can crack underground plumbing—the most expensive spring repair there is.
• Covering (easy DIY): secure a safety or winter cover and keep debris off it.

So—DIY or Pro?

Here’s an honest take. If you’re handy, own or can rent an air compressor, and you’re confident you can clear every line completely, the DIY route saves you money, and it’s a satisfying weekend job. But if you’re unsure about the blow-out—or you simply don’t want to gamble your plumbing on getting it perfect—that one step alone is worth hiring out. Plenty of our Cherry Hill and Haddonfield customers do everything else themselves and just call us for the blow-out and equipment drain.

Whichever Way You Go, Don’t Wait

The worst outcome isn’t DIY or pro—it’s a pool that didn’t get closed before the freeze. Pick your approach early so you’re not scrambling when the first cold night hits Mount Laurel.

Landi Pool Service closes pools across Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Voorhees, Marlton, and the surrounding South Jersey towns. Want us to handle the whole closing, or just the tricky blow-out? Reach out, and we’ll set you up before winter.