If you are acclimating to the cooler weather and enjoying the crisp breeze of the fall season, you may be wondering how much longer you can enjoy your pool. And furthermore, what to do with it when swimming season is officially closed?
If you’re lucky enough to have a pool with a heater, then you’re blessed with the option of enjoying a refreshing dip any day of the year. But we all know that isn’t most of us!
Preparing the swimming pool for the winters requires effort and knowledge. If you intend to do the task yourself, you must understand all the requisites.
Appropriate seasonal pool care is necessary to keep your pool in the best shape for the coming year.
As the fall starts, you should initiate the preparations at your pool site. If you leave the pool unattended during the fall season, cleaning it in the winter will be difficult. Therefore, fall is prime time for providing immediate and preventative pool care!
Preparing the Pool
Following are some of the ways through which you can prepare your pool for the cold season.
Cleaning the Debris
In the fall season, the trees release their leaves and smaller limbs and stems all over your front and backyard. Unfortunately, this also includes your pool.
This is problematic because this debris from your trees, shrubs, and other foliage is organic matter. And that affects your pool’s chemistry. The fallen leaves accumulate and often make piles that can become hard to eradicate. Worst-case scenario is that the rotting mess gets blown into your pool by a rainstorm or a strong gust of wind. YUCK!
Leaves also tend to cluster in the pool. With time, these leaves may sink to the bottom and clog the filters. In such cases, cleaning the pool becomes inconvenient and arduous.
Thus, it is necessary to monitor the falling leaves. If you notice debris in the water, use the cleaners and net to take the waste out.
Covers
Cover your pool with specialized pool covers. The material of the sheets is resistant and durable. It can withstand the changes in the weather.
The debris, waste, and rainwater accumulate on the cover and the pool remains unaltered. Securely attach the coverings to the boundary and fasten the clips.
In case of snow, immediately wipe it off, because with time, it gets frozen, and the treatment becomes complicated. If heavy snow clusters are formed on the cover, the excess weight can loosen the clips and the wrapping rupture.
Sun Valley Pool Service has been in the business of expert pool care for quite awhile. Fortunately for you, that means we have additional tips to offer you about How to Maintain Your Pool in Winter.
Checking the Structures
Multiple pool parts can bear the brunt of cold winter. By checking these parts periodically, we can ensure that the pool system remains in optimum condition.
Search the filter to detect the clogged leaves or debris. If found, then immediately clear the filter. If any part stops working, you will have to make a significant investment to regain its working capacity.
If you’re a day late and a dollar short, and your pool is already looking abysmal, have no fear! Sun Valley’s Pool Cleaning Service will get you taken care of in no time!
Using Chemicals
Use chemicals and chlorinating agents to prevent contamination in the pool water. You need far less of these chemicals while your pool remains covered and unused, but not treating the water at all will result in an expensive and unsightly mess next spring.
If you are unsure whether or not to cover your pool, there are several considerations we would like you to keep in mind.
When the pools remain covered for longer intervals, the water acquires a specific pungent odor. Furthermore, algal blooms and bacterial colonies may start thriving due to dampness and little shade in the pool.
Keep using the anti-bacterial agents to prevent the colonization of microorganisms and keep the pool germ free. On rare sunny days in winter, remove the covers and change the water if it has a repelling odor.
Conclusion
Utilize all the measures to ensure that your pool remains protected through the winter. Use various cleaning techniques to keep the pool structures cleansed. Moreover, Sterilize and disinfect the water at constant intervals.
Thank you for sharing this article! I just want to add that if you don’t use your pool in winter, you still need to check the pool water chemistry every 6-8 weeks. Here are the ranges you should stick to: pH levels: 7.2-7.8; total alkalinity: 80-120 ppm; calcium hardness: 200-400 ppm.
If any of the above water chemistry items are off, your pool might form more mineral scales of salt and reduce your winter chemicals’ effectiveness.