How To Prepare Your Pool For The Winter

Your pool might get used every day throughout the summertime, but what about when winter rolls around? Very few people use their outdoor pool year-round, and instead opt to close it down until the weather warms up again. However, the proper measures must be taken so that your pool doesn’t get damaged during its off-period and make prepping for the summer any harder than it needs to be.

Without proper wintertime maintenance and prep, your pool can be susceptible to burst pipes, damaged filters and a buildup of algae and bacteria. To avoid all this, here are the best ways to prepare your pool for the winter and keep it protected from these issues and more.

Deep Cleaning

The first step to preparing your pool for the winter involves some good old-fashioned cleaning. Roll your sleeves up, grab your pool brush and get to scrubbing everything from the floor to the walls and all the different nooks and crannies spread throughout.

Doing so will help to kick up any algae and debris that’s seeped into the bottom of your pool. If your water starts to turn green or you spot some mysterious stains, grab an algae brush and get rid of them as quickly as possible. Once you’re all finished, vacuum away all the dirt and make sure everything is spotless before you move on to the next step.

Balancing Chemicals

One of the most important parts of pool maintenance is making sure the pH, alkalinity and other mineral levels are all balanced appropriately. For example, pH levels should be between 7.2 and 7.8 and chlorine levels should be less than five parts per million.

Once you’ve balanced all these components, you need to add special winter chemicals that will help prevent algae buildup. Algaecide, pool enzymes and winter pills will help keep algae away and sanitise and clear your pool throughout the winter. Then, use extra strong chlorine to “shock” your pool and kill any remaining bacteria. If you live in a particularly cold environment, antifreeze must be used to stop your pipes from freezing and bursting.

This process can be confusing, so don’t hesitate to enlist the help of local pool companies who offer cleaning and maintenance services.

Equipment Maintenance

Now that you’ve finished preparing your pool for the cold months ahead, it’s time to clean the pool filters and all the other equipment that you’ve been running throughout the summer. This will stop any germs and algae inside them from spreading into your pool water.

If you don’t do this, any scum and scaling left behind in your equipment will have months to infest all areas of your pool and will be a nightmare to clean once you’re ready to use it again when the weather warms up.

Pool Coverings

A pool cover is a necessity in keeping your pool clean when it’s not in use, as it will stop debris, dirt and rainwater from entering the water and dirtying it up again. Make sure that your pool cover fits tightly and won’t fly off in the wind or let dirt and debris through any cracks.

If you don’t have a pool cover, it’s well worth investing in one. There are many different options on the market for a range of budgets and environments, such as safety covers, slatted covers, solar covers and more.

Store and Rinse Pool Accessories

If you have pool accessories such as ladders, toys, and thermometers, give them a good clean and a rinse and store them safely away until your pool is in use again. There’s no use leaving them out in the cold where they could get damaged or destroyed, and keeping them in storage will help you extend their lifespans for as long as possible.

If you have an accessory like a diving board that’s stuck in its place, you can purchase weather-resistant covers for them so that they can remain protected during cold temperatures.

Also, Read Here 5 Benefits of a Smart Pool

Reassess Every 2 Weeks

Throughout the winter, check up on your pool every two weeks or so to make sure all the chemicals are balanced, the water level is correct and dirt and debris haven’t fallen through any gaps in your pool cover. Empty your skimmer basket if need be and keep an eye on the filter gauge to see if a backwash is needed. As long as you do all this, you should be able to stay on top of any issues and reopen your pool with ease once summer rolls around again.