Even during the winter months, swimming pools need some quality maintenance regardless if it is an in-ground pool or an above-ground one. Swimming season may be extended if a pool heater is available; although, keeping the right chemical balance in the pool is needed. When pool owners find themselves below things, they could end up paying more than they realize. Implementing efficient winter pool care and maintenance is cheaper than reviving a dead pool when swimming seasons come back around.
To elaborate further, when a pool’s needs are overlooked, the overall costs are far likely greater than would have been otherwise. Winter pool care neglect may also cause potential damage to the pool’s surface and equipment, and the possibility of dealing with nasty stains becomes high.
Why Winter Pool Care Matters
When a pool owner decides to close their pool at the end-season, “winterizing” the swimming pool is a preferred option. There are benefits in doing so and helps to:
- Keep the pool water safe and clean
- Avoid health-related issues in the future
- Ensures no damage is caused to expensive parts and equipment
Giving the pool the care it needs not only saves a lot of effort in cleaning before the swimming season arrives, more importantly, prevents damaging the pool due to disuse.
Top Winter Pool Care Pro Tips
To circumvent unforeseen problems when it is pool opening time in the summer, it is expedient to follow some off-season winter pool care tips. Here are the most important ones:
Winter Pool Care Tip #1: Prevent Freezing
When the winter temperature drops below 32 °F, pipes and central systems are the first components of the pool to bear the effects of the cold.
All water from the pool pump, heater, and pool filter must be drained as the first, essential step in pool cleaning. This step of getting rid of excess water and “drying out” the systems is important as this excess, accumulated water when frozen expands and can be the reason for the pipes to crack.
Winterizing the systems may be difficult, and so there are professional pool maintenance firms that can take care of it for pool owners.
Winter Pool Care Tip #2: Make Sure the Pool Cover Kept Dry and Fits the Pool to a T
This vital step in pool maintenance during the off-season is frequently neglected by homeowners. The pool must be covered tightly for debris to not get into the pool. Make sure to dry out the pool cover.
The pool cover will freeze if water accumulates on top. The same stagnant water will get into the pool when the pool cover is taken off when the summer swimming season arrives.
It is important to make periodic visits to the poolside to take out any dirt, leaves, or other things that may have fallen on the pool cover top. If these materials are left out until the opening swimming season arrives, they will fall into the pool when the pool cover is taken off. If this happens, all the maintenance and cleaning efforts will be wasted. The perfect pool cleaning servicing can also ensure to keep the water and other debris out of the water during the entire winter season.
Having a rightly fitting pool cover as part of the winter pool care is essential in achieving the task of keeping off dirt, debris, and even tiny animals.
Some colder areas call for closing the pools immediately right at the end of pool season to keep the pool protected from harsh conditions. Homeowners must know how to maintain them in good shape. Here are a few steps:
- Ensure that the winter pool cover is attached well to the pool. This may entail inflating the air pillow, securing the cables, or fastening cover clips for above-ground pools. On the other hand, for in-ground pools, this may mean checking that the water blocks are fastened and safety components are good to go.
- Take out any water and debris on top of the pool cover. Use a vacuum to remove excess water if any. A hose will be advisable for users to remove plant debris like leaves and tiny branches.
- A roof rake can be used to take the snow off the pool cover. The excess weight may damage the pool cover. Snow is easiest to remove when fresh but also take necessary safety precautions.
Winter Pool Care Tip #3: Add an Algaecide
As the pool will be covered for a few months, it is important to put in a mid-winter algaecide to stay in the water as part of the winter pool care. Doing this cuts down the extra effort in cleaning the pool by preventing green algae formation.
The pool pump can be allowed to circulate for at least a day so that the algaecide is incorporated throughout the pool well.
Winter Pool Care Tip #4: Drain a Bit of Water
Water in the summertime evaporates because of the heat. During winter, it expands as it is frozen. Because the water in the pool may freeze at some point and expand, it can cause tiles on the pool to crack. Thus, a basic winter pool care tip is to decrease the water level by about 1 to 6 inches below the pool skimmer. Do not drain the pool entirely either as it can likewise cause damage. Just keep the water below the tiles.
Winter Pool Care Tip #5: Mind Pool Chemistry
Chemically balanced water inside the pool is key to its cleanliness. Once the pool has been cleaned, try adding enzymes and chlorine as part of the winter pool care steps. The enzyme will prevent that repugnant pool waterline ring from forming, thus eliminating the excess cleaning work. The chlorine will maintain the water clean until it is time to open up in the summertime. An additional step to this is to put in liquid chlorine when spring arrives. Do this by opening a pool cover corner.
Winter Pool Care Tip #6: Store Accessories Away
Pool accessories and equipment can be stored out of sight when not concerned with winter pool care. Wherever the geographical location, the pool accessories will need periodic upkeep to ensure them running good-as-new. Follow these steps to keep them in good working condition in the winter:
- Inspect the pool filter, heater, and pump periodically to tell if they are still working properly. They can be costly to replace when they get damaged because of poor maintenance.
- When checking the pool parts, check again if excess water has been drained to avoid freezing the water that can cause the pipes to crack and result in a bigger problem.
- When not sure about the status of the pool accessories and equipment, a professional pool servicing that does winter pool care best can be contacted.
There is a higher chance for algae and bacteria to grow out the longer a pool is kept close. Winter months can be long and it is enough time to prepare in advance for reopening. Do not wait for the warm weather before taking the covers off and commence the annual winter pool care. Start summer preparations even while it is still a little chilly out. This will save additional pool cleaning work.
