Do you think it might be time to close your pool for a few months?
It’s completely normal to not use your pool as much for a few months of the year. This time usually tends to be in the cooler months, closer to fall and winter. Even if you don’t endure giant snowfalls or blizzards in your specific area of California, chances are you might be busy with holidays, winter vacation from school, overwhelmed at work, or maybe even some travel plans. Whatever the reason may be, if you decide to close your pool for a few months, chances are you’re going to find some tips and tricks inside this article!
Read on to learn more.
When to Close Your Pool
Don’t wait for the temperature to drop too low. You don’t want to be overwhelmed with things like holidays, work, or vacations when it’s time to close down your pool. The best time to close it down would be at the end of summer or the beginning of fall. That way, the temperature is still reasonably warm and comfortable.
How to Close Your Pool
Step 1: Balance the Water
The first thing you will need to do is to use some test strips to find out more about the chemical state of your water. When you shut your pool down for the winter, you are going to need to leave some water in to prevent damage incurring to any surface or component of the swimming pool.
However, if the pH and calcium level in the water aren’t optimal, you might risk damaging your pool with corrosion or calcification. By testing the water in advance, you can correct any issues there might be by destabilizing the water’s chemical composition.
Step 2: Remove Accessories and Clean
Once you have removed filters, drain plugs, ladders, or any other pool accessories you might have, you should clean the pool completely. You aren’t going to see the pool for a few months, so it’s important to avoid leaving any debris behind.
Step 3: Drain and Store
After you made sure that there’s nothing wrong with the water, you will be able to initiate the draining process and get rid of all the excess water you aren’t going to need during the winter. At this stage, you might even use specialty products, such as winterizing chemicals for your pool, which can provide an extra layer of protection against corrosion, weathering and oxidation.
Swimming pool covers are particularly important, because they will act as a direct barrier between your swimming pool and the great outdoors. Make sure your cover is in good shape and doesn’t need to be replaced before you store your pool completely. You wouldn’t want to risk damaging your pool because the covers aren’t doing their job properly.
If you follow the right steps, you should be able to seamlessly protect your pool while it’s closed. When you finally see mild weather and nicer days coming back, you can open it back up again!
To learn more about closing down your pool, contact our team of experts at All Seasons Pools & Spas. We have experts at all of our California locations that would be happy to assist you.
