Keeping Your Pool Healthy Throughout The Winter

Posted by  on 1 February, 2016

With winter in full force across the Northern Hemisphere, millions of pool owners have had to say goodbye to their cherished, warm weather escapes for yet another season. Extend the life of your pool for many more summers to come by following these helpful and easy tips.

Failing to properly winterize your pool can lead to a number of major problems, ranging anywhere from cracked motors and heaters to everything in-between. It is better to take the time and do things right than be lazy and run the risk of ruining your outdoor recreation investment altogether. Here we go, folks!

Essential Pool Winterization Advice

Drain all the water, not just what you can see – this is a common rookie mistake that can have severe consequences. It may be a bit more time-consuming to flush the lines, pump, heater, and filter, but it’s absolutely necessary if you want to prevent the system from malfunctioning.

Keep in mind that when water freezes, it expands; this is what causes lines to crack and force you to dole out a bunch of money in repair bills. You will also need to drain the water located beneath the pool skimmer. This is typically 4-6” of depth, and will likely need to be removed by hand with buckets and/or a vacuum.

Sump pumps work equally well for pool draining; whatever tool you use, just make sure no water is left standing when you close the cover. Speaking of the latter, it’s always a good idea to keep your pool cover in good condition throughout the long winter months.

Your Pool Cover Needs Care Too

Trim nearby tree limbs to prevent falling debris from puncturing the liner and keeping animals and children from accidentally falling inside the pool. Keep the cover clear of snow and ice buildup, too, as the weight of this precipitation can cause even the most durable of covers to collapse.

If you choose to leave your pool running during the winter, you’ll want to add the proper amount of chlorine and algaecide to the water before sealing it off. This will keep your pool from looking like a pond full of muck and grime the next time you go to get in it.

Last but not least, be sure to perform periodic inspections of the water level (if your pool is left running) and cover throughout the winter season. This will prevent you from running into any unexpected surprises.