Once the hot and sunny seasons are over, it’s time to brace for the coming winter season, especially when it comes to your swimming pool. After all, it’s important to have a regular maintenance for your pool during the winter season as it can let you save money once you open it once more come spring or summer.
That said, here are a number of really helpful tips to help you winterize your pool:
1. Use a pool cover
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In areas where temperatures are colder than the other regions, pool closing begins immediately right after pool season to keep the pool well-protected from any incoming harsh conditions. If you live in such area, adding a pool safety cover is necessary to protect your pool from elements like snow, animals, and debris. Additionally, you have to make sure that your pool cover is properly maintained. Here’s how:
- Make sure that the cover is properly attached to your pool. If you have an above ground pool, you’ll have to either inflate the air pillow, secure the cover clips, or tighten the cable. Meanwhile, if you have an inground pool, you should make sure to secure the water bags and the safety components.
- Remove any water or debris off the cover. You can use a vacuum for removing excess water or a hose for the debris.
- In case of snow, use a roof rake to remove them. Excessive snow on top of your pool cover can lead to damage, especially if an above ground pool. You can easily remove snow while it’s still fresh. However, make sure you follow proper safety precautions when doing so.
However, in the event you don’t want to cover your pool, you’ll have to make sure to remove any organic matter which has fallen into your pool. You can use a pool net to remove fallen leaves or debris that got into your pool. You can also use an automatic pool cleaner for removing dust and dirt from the surface of your pool.
2. Maintain your pool’s pH level
During the winter season, the water in your pool may get cloudy, which is a normal thing that happens due to an increase in pH level. To fix this issue, you have to use a hydrochloric pool acid and apply a few drops to lower the pH level.
Most experts would recommend maintaining your pool water’s pH level between 7.2 and 7.8. Meanwhile, the optimum pH is 7.4 as it is the same as our eyes and mucous membranes. This is basically the most comfortable range which in turn can help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi.
3. Don’t forget to keep your pool chemistry in check during winter seasons
Most pool owners don’t bother emptying their pool for winter. As such, it is important to keep a balanced pool water chemistry to maintain a clean swimming pool. With a balanced pool water chemistry, you can prevent the growth of algae and bacteria which can lead to contamination if left unattended.
To balance the chemistry in your pool, here are some tips you want to follow:
- Check the chemistry of your pool once every two months when it’s not in use. Always remember that an imbalanced pool chemistry can lead to algal and bacterial growth.
- If you’re in a warmer climate and left your pool uncovered during winter months, it’s still important to maintain its chemistry. Remember that this will be the same water you’ll be swimming during warmer seasons, so keeping it clean and decontaminated will prevent the occurrence of any potential health risks.
- Get rid of any non-living contamination in your pool by using an enzyme product. This will keep you from having to scrub the tiles in your pool where waterline rings have formed. It will also prevent them from forming in the first place.
- Don’t use any pool chemicals you’ve had from the previous season. You don’t want to use them the next year since they will lose their potency really fast.
4. Run the filters
Your pool will also become cloudy due to the constant scrubbing and vacuuming. Thus, it’s important to run your filters until the water in your pool clears up. You should also make sure to thoroughly clean the filters even before the winter season starts. During the hot season, oils and fats will accumulate in the filter. Once winter comes, they will harden or thicken, making them quite difficult to remove.
During winter seasons, the need for filtration becomes less compared to summer seasons. You can limit your filtration to just a few hours every day during the winter. Doing so will keep your pool clean at all times.
5. Check your pool parts
Most pool parts are kept out of sight, making them easy to forget. However, regardless of where you’re from, you need to make sure that your pool parts are given periodic maintenance so that they’ll always be in good running condition.
To keep your pool parts in good shape at all times, here are some tips you might want to consider:
- Check the filter, pool pump, and heater periodically to find out if they’re still functioning properly. If they’re not maintained properly, it might lead to some costly repairs especially if they’ve already been broken or malfunctioning for quite some time.
- As you check your pool parts, make sure that any excess water is removed. Keep in mind that freezing water will cause the pipes to crack, thus leading to even larger issues.
- If you spot any damage, don’t hesitate to contact a local pool professional as soon as possible to fix the issue and maintain your pool during the winter season.
Conclusion
Whether you have inground, above ground, or fiberglass pools, you have to make sure that they’re properly and regularly maintained not just during the summer but during winter seasons as well. This way, you can keep them in good condition at all times. It can also help prevent any health risks due to algal and bacterial growth brought on by a dirty and unmaintained pool.
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