While pools offer endless fun in the summer, for pool owners living in states with major seasonal shifts, it’s important to properly prepare your pool for its yearly shut-down. To help, pool liners supplier LOOP-LOC shares the following six tips for prepping your pool for the offseason.
Timing is everything. If you have the chance, get ahead of offseason and close your pool as soon as you are done using it for the year. However, it’s not always that simple. It’s best to wait until the temperature falls a bit below 65 degrees, which will prevent algae from spreading.
Brush it down. Once you have accounted for the weather outside, the very first thing you need to do in preparing to close your pool is to clean it. You will need to brush down the sidewalls and floor, vacuum larger sediments and debris, and skim off the top of the water. In doing so, you are preventing algae blooms from populating in the nooks and crannies of your pool.
Chemicals have a season. Prior to adding winterizing chemicals, you will need to test your water to see the status of it. Once you balance all of the levels (alkalinity, pH, etc.) you will be good to go. You can research online or ask your pool provider for the best chemicals to apply to your pool setup to have a successful winterizing.
Keep it low. This step if for those who live in colder areas during the offseason. If your area regularly experiences freezing temperatures, you will need to remove water from your pool. This is in an effort to prevent freeze damage, as water expands when it freezes and could displace what is in its way. Ideally, your water level should be placed below your skimmer.
Remove any pool accessories. Anything that can be detached from your pool, should be. This goes for things such as ladders and rails. If you leave them in your pool during the offseason, you are bound to run into some problems, such as rust or difficulty installing your safety cover. Something like a ladder will cause an impediment to the integrity of the cover and worse off, leave the cover open to debris and small critters entering the pool.
Cover for safety. Your choice in a safety cover is critical to a clean pool next summer. Look for a cover that will filter out rain and snow while protecting your pets and family.
Source: LOOP-LOC
