Winterizing Your Pool
The leaves are falling (sometimes into your pool), pumpkin spice is everywhere and football has taken over the TV – fall has arrived! While that means lower temperatures and crisp evenings out on the patio, it sadly means that pool season is dying down (unless you have a heated pool). Although Arizona temperatures are mild year-round, it’s still a good idea to take the steps to winterize your pool for the off- season. Here’s our Pink Dolphin Pool Care recommended tips for winterizing your pool.
Down the Drain
When will you use your pool again? This is an important question to ask before you start the winterization process, as how often you use the pool in the off-season or how early you plan to dive back in will determine how you winterize. The first option is to drain the pool so that you are essentially starting from scratch when the time is right. This is much less work in the winter months, but it’s more time consuming when the temperatures start to go up again. It will take several days to get your pool swim-ready.
Cover it Up
The other option is to cover the pool. This is a sort of happy medium between draining and keeping up maintenance. Covering the pool means less regular maintenance and less debris to clean up after. However pool covers can present a hazard to children and pets. Covers may look like solid surfaces and your little ones may try to walk on them. This could lead to devastating accidents. We always recommend pool gates and alarms, especially with pool covers.
Keep Up the Routine
If you choose not to drain your pool, it’s essential to keep up with regular maintenance. The pH balance can change more frequently with lower outside temperatures, and the pool needs to be balanced for the chlorine to work properly. This is a prime time for maintenance to start slacking and algae to start moving in. Keep up the pool brushing, skimming and vacuuming, as well. Test the water regularly and shock when necessary. When the swimming season rolls around you’ll be happy you kept up!
Check and Test
The winter is a great time to check and test all of your pool equipment, in addition to the water. Run the pump and check the pipes for connections and leaks. If you keep your pool full and the pump running throughout the winter, you may have to cover or insulate the pipes if the temperature dips below freezing (32 degree Fahrenheit) for an extended period of time. Test the gate components, including latches and locks. Does anything need to be repaired or replaced before the spring? If you have a pool alarm, be sure to check that, too and replace any batteries.
Let the Pros Handle It
When in doubt, call Pink Dolphin Pool Care to help you winterize your pool or maintain it through the off-season. Not only can we help you keep up on the maintenance or drain the pool if you choose, but we can also go through and check all the equipment, service anything that needs it, and replace any faulty parts. The Arizona summer sun can do a number on pool equipment, so it’s important to check it even when the temps are low to make sure you’re prepared for the next season.
