Caring for Your Pool in the Off-Season

With the colder temperatures finally in full swing, that means it’s time to close-up your pool. You may think that putting a cover over your pool may mean that your pool maintenance can take a backseat for a while, but that’s not true. Caring for your pool in the off-season is just as important as it is during the summer. Here are a few tips you can follow for off-season pool care:

Mid-Winter Algaecide

Find an algaecide that stays in the water for a long time. On the day that you are choosing to close down your pool, put the algaecide in the water and run your pool pump for a full 24 hours after the addition in order to fully circulate it through your pool. Then shut down your circulation system for the winter and let the long-lasting algaecide do its job.

Prevent System Freezing

When you close down your pool, make sure all the water is removed from your pool pump, heater, and filter. With the freezing temperatures and an excess amount of water in these parts, they can freeze. If they freeze with water in them, they have a higher chance of cracking and breaking which can cost you a lot of money in repairs.

Clean Pool Cover

During the winter, debris like twigs and leaves and such can accumulate on top of your pool cover. Taking the time to go out and clean off your pool cover will make it a lot easier for you to open your pool back up for the summer. You may feel like it’s unnecessary to clean the pool cover since it is doing its job by not allowing the debris inside your pool, but think about taking your pool cover off with all that debris still on it. The debris will fall into your pool, making having the cover on during the winter a moot point. Cleaning your pool cover can be as simple as hosing it down to remove the debris. Take small amounts of time throughout the winter to cut down on reopening time.

Add Chlorine

Before closing your pool up, add the proper amount of chlorine to help keep it clean during the winter. You don’t want to add too much chlorine otherwise you’ll bleach your pool lining. When your pool water starts to thaw in the spring, open a corner of your pool cover and add more chlorine. This will make opening your pool easier.

While you may not be using your pool during the winter, it is important to have it checked regularly to ensure a simple opening when summer rolls back around. If you want to make sure your pool is properly closed for the winter and taken care of, call Pink Dolphin Pool Care at (602) 688-7465 to schedule your pool closure today!