How to Prepare Your Pool For Winter

Now that autumn has arrived and the warmer temperatures of summer have begun to fade, it’s a good time to begin readying your swimming pool for the cold winter months ahead.

Remember, vacation pool maintenance is very important. If you don’t properly prepare your pool for the off-season, you could end up with a disgusting green mess next spring, which will probably cost you much more in the long run that simply preparing it now for the coming cold weather.

So, how do you get your pool ready for winter? There are many benefits of pool maintenance and here are the recommended steps to take when performing this annual task:

Clean It

You’ll want to remove all debris from the water, skimmer, pump basket and filters before moving on to the next step. Failure to do so could result in items falling to the bottom of the pool over the winter, which can stain the surface and be extremely difficult to clean. Contact Sanchez Pools for pool cleaning.

Check All Equipment

You’ll want to make sure that the pump is working and that there’s no calcium build-up on the chlorination cell. If there is, an appropriate cleaner can remove the calcification before closing your pool for the winter.

Even during the cold weather months, you’ll still want the pump, filter and chlorinator to run for a few hours each day. Eddie Sanchez, owner of Sanchez Pools says “We see a lot of cracked piping during the winter months, folks need to run their pumps even if they aren’t using their pool.”

Backwash Your Filter

To clean contaminants from the filter, you’ll need to do some backwashing. If your pool uses a sand filter, you’ll want to run it in reverse and dump the waste water in the process, before running it in rinse mode to resettle the sand. You can then return the filter to the normal setting.

Cartridge filters, on the other hand, can be cleaned simply by lifting out the cartridge, hosing it down and then cleaning it to remove oils and any deeply embedded debris.

Balance The Water

Properly balanced water makes everything in your pool run more efficiently, so it’s important to keep an eye on this at all times.

You’re really defending against algae outbreaks, but ensuring the water remains balanced will also help your surface and your equipment to last longer. Pool resurfacing or fixing cracks can get expensive.

Add A Phosphate Remover

Add a phosphate remover to eliminate the food source of any algae that could build up over the winter because usually, this is what causes algae in a pool. When you open your pool next season, you’ll be glad you did since algae is what makes the pool turning green in winter.

Use Your Pool Cover

A cover protects your pool from the elements, so if you don’t have one, you need to get one. I mean, do you really want to be skimming and vacuuming your pool when the temperature outside is below freezing?

Continue Basic Maintenance

Even during the winter months, it’s a good idea to check the water chemistry and filter gauge every couple of weeks. You might even want to take a water sample every now and then to your local pool dealer, to make sure everything is still in good shape.

Remember, just because your pool is closed for the season doesn’t mean you can relax on your maintenance responsibilities.

Winter will come and winter will go, but your pool will be there for many years of fun and enjoyment. So taking the right steps now will make things easier once the weather turns warm and you’re ready to once again begin using your backyard pool.