Once the snow starts flying, swimming isn’t likely to be the first thing on your mind.
Still, it’s good to take a moment now and then to check on your pool, huddled out there under a winter pool cover, to make sure that it’s still doing okay.
After all, the last thing you want is to excitedly open the pool for a new swimming season, only to find that there are thousands of dollars worth of damage to fix first. Yeesh.
So let’s talk about some of the key things to remember when it comes to Winter Swimming Pool Maintenance so that you don’t have to worry about expensive damages or murky, green water once summer rolls around once again.
Don’t Cut Corners when Winterizing
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that a huge part of keeping your pool safe over the winter involves doing a good job winterizing the pool.
This will involve adding chlorine, a winter algaecide and a stain preventer that is strong and durable enough to stay in the water for several months. Consult with a pool professional to make sure you get the right products. Make sure you do this after you have lowered the water so you do not drain out the chemicals you just added!
Freezing is another big danger for pools. You’ll need to make sure that you drain the water from critical pool components to avoid cracked pipes.
Invest in a Sturdy Winter Pool Cover that Fits
There are some things in life that you can cheap out on. Winter pool covers aren’t one of them.
Once you’ve invested money in building the pool of your dreams, the last thing you want to do is to skimp on getting a cover to protect it.
These are different kinds of pool covers made for different kinds of climates. Buy a pool cover meant to endure a brisk wind and some rain and you’ll find that it won’t perform so well once the full rage of a Canadian winter hits.
Make Sure Winter Cover is Installed Properly
The greatest winter cover in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t put it on right. Making even a small mistake during the winter cover installation process can leave room for dirt and debris to get in. Small animals might even find a way in to seek refuge from winter storms.
It doesn’t take a lot of extra time to double check that you’ve done the job right — but those extra minutes could be the difference between a protected pool and a big mess.
Keep Your Cover Clean
You’ve got the cover and it’s connected tight. The next step is to make sure it doesn’t get damaged by debris or excessive snowfall. Snowflakes don’t look particularly harmful in the air, but with enough accumulation it can cause some serious damage by stretching or even tearing your cover.
Taking a moment to sweep snow and ice off of the cover before the weight causes damage will keep your cover in top condition — and ready for the next blizzard!
Add Products to break down Contamination and Microorganism Growth
It’s smart to add an enzyme product in order to control organic contamination. Any contaminants that get into your pool over the winter will linger in the water. Since the water won’t circulate then this will eventually cause a stain on the pool liner that will require some serious scrubbing to remove.
Watch the Forecast
A mild and wet autumn can cause your pool chemicals to become diluted. Make sure you keep an eye on the forecast so that you can get chemicals into the pool just ahead of the freeze so that they can have the proper effect.
Add Chlorine as soon as water thaws
As soon as the sun starts shining and the ice melts, it’s a good idea to add liquid chlorine to your pool. This will go to work right away on anything that the pool might have picked up over the winter. Taking this precautionary step will mean much less work when it is time to open your pool a little bit down the road.
Open at the right time
Sure, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would wait too long to open their pool, but it does happen from time to time. Whether you’re coming back from an extended vacation or if you simply had some trouble getting out of winter hibernation mode, waiting too long before opening your pool can cause water problems.
As the spring sun begins to warm your backyard, it will also help algae to grow under your pool cover. Over time, this can grow into a big issue, and unless you want to take a dip in some green water then you will need to fix it before you can even think about swimming.
Careful planning and preparation will limit the amount of work required for maintaining your pool. It’s only once you really let it get out of control that you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and spend hours pouring chemicals or scrubbing away the remains of algae.
Is this the year?
It might not feel like it right now, but summer isn’t so far away. This could be the year that you expand your backyard to put in a new pool, or to renovate with some exciting new features you’ve had your eye on.
If you’re interested in improving your swimming pool or patio, simply get in touch with Pool Craft today! Our experienced team can give you a sense of what to expect and what we can do for you so that your backyard can become your own private paradise!
