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Winterizing In-Floor Cleaning Systems

Protect pop-up heads, valves, and booster equipment with low-pressure blowout practices and manufacturer-specific checks.

Hub: Seasonal & Climate · When to use: Your pool uses an in-floor cleaning system that needs specialized winterization.
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Winterizing In-Floor Cleaning Systems

Protect pop-up heads, water-distribution valves, and booster equipment with regulated low-pressure air and the correct manufacturer manual.

Replace fixed PSI folklore with equipment judgment

Use regulated low-pressure air and the manufacturer’s winterization method. Hard PSI rules vary by equipment, hose setup, and who is performing the work, so unsupported numbers are not reliable enough to publish as universal owner guidance.

1

Identify the exact system

A&A, Paramount, Caretaker, and similar systems share principles, but valve assemblies and recommended procedures differ.

Record the manufacturer and model from the canister, valve module, or manual.
Pull the correct winterization instructions before disconnecting anything.
2

Confirm operation before shutdown

If a head or valve is already damaged, winterization will not fix it and may hide the real problem until spring.

Run the system and confirm zones cycle.
Note heads that stick, leak, or fail to rotate correctly.
Inspect the canister lid, seals, and visible fittings.
3

Blow out with regulated low-pressure air

The goal is controlled evacuation of water, not brute-force pressure.

Shut off power to the relevant pump and controls before opening the canister or valve assembly.
Use regulated low-pressure air or the equipment recommended by the manual.
Blow out each path the way the manual specifies until water is cleared and only air remains.
Stop conditions / cautions
  • • If you do not have regulated equipment or cannot isolate the zones correctly, hire a pool professional.
4

Protect the valve and canister assembly

The water-distribution valve is often the most delicate and expensive part of the system.

Drain or protect the valve assembly exactly as the manual specifies.
Lubricate approved seals or o-rings if the manual calls for it.
Store removable internal parts indoors when the manufacturer instructs you to do so.
5

Use pool-safe antifreeze only where required

Antifreeze is a targeted supplement, not a replacement for clearing the water out.

Use only pool-formula or propylene-glycol antifreeze products when the procedure calls for it.
Never use automotive ethylene-glycol antifreeze.
Document how much was used and where it went for spring startup.
6

Leave a spring restart record

The spring startup is cleaner when you know what was removed, drained, and stored.

Take photos of final valve position, stored parts, and breaker labels.
Record which heads or seals already needed service before winterization.

Standards & Resources

Owner vs pro boundaries

Use the escalation guide when in-floor winterization moves from documentation into regulated-air or specialty-valve work.

Manufacturer manuals and model-family index

Use the family index to identify the installed in-floor or cleaner family before winterizing.

PHTA winterizing tech note

Baseline winterizing guidance and pressurized-air caution context.

Paramount in-floor cleaning manual

Example manufacturer source that documents winterization workflow for a real in-floor system.

In-Floor Winterization Boundary

In-floor systems become professional work the moment the air setup, zone isolation, or valve assembly behavior is not fully understood.

Owner-safe
  • • Identify the exact family, document zone behavior, and confirm the manual before shutdown.
  • • Inspect canister lids, visible seals, and obvious pre-existing head or valve damage.
  • • Photograph final positions and stored parts for spring restart.
Professional-only
  • • Use compressed air when you cannot verify regulated low-pressure equipment and the correct zone-isolation sequence.
  • • Disassemble specialty valve modules or infer winterization steps from a different in-floor brand.
  • • Finish the job when damaged heads, unknown manifolds, or unclear air paths remain unresolved.
Stop now
  • • You do not have regulated air equipment or the manual procedure for the installed family.
  • • Zones do not isolate predictably, the valve assembly appears damaged, or water is not clearing the expected path.
  • • The next step would be guessing with pressure or relying on folklore instead of the real manufacturer workflow.

Checklist

  1. 1Identify the exact in-floor system and use the matching manual.
  2. 2Use regulated low-pressure air and stop if you do not have the right equipment.
  3. 3Protect valves, heads, and booster equipment without forcing delicate parts.
  4. 4Document setup for spring restart before you close everything up.

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Winterization by Climate

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