Nov
19
When we talk about swimming pool maintenance, we often discuss summer tactics. This article is going to suggest tactics that are appropriate for the winter months. We are of course addressing pools that exist in climates that freeze water. If you like, you can regard the following suggestions as your own personal checklist of “Winterizing Things To Do.”
Winterizing Steps
- First, don’t empty that pool! We know it’s a tempting inclination, but emptying a pool prior to the winter’s can actually destroy a pool’s structure. Believe it or not, the weight of the pool’s thick ice helps circumvent the ground’s tendency to push up and through the pool’s bottom (and sides if the pool is in-ground). If removed, the entire pool could crumble.
- Remove water from plumbing. If water is left in a pool’s plumbing, freezing temperatures will render its pipes frozen and possibly cause them to burst. Removing its water isn’t as easy as it sounds however, but using the force of an air compressor or effects of antifreeze can make the process a little less difficult.
- Continuing on, you’ll want remove water from the pool’s filter and heater as well for the same reasons described above.
- After all the water has drained from the pool’s filter, plumbing, and heater, you should then proceed to clean and remove them for storage in a dry area.
- Next, clean the pool as you would normally clean it in the summer months (vacuum, empty baskets, shock, etc.) and then remove about eighteen inches of its water. Removing this much water is important because as water freezes, it expands and rises, and you certainly don’t want frozen water bursting through your winter pool cover or cracking tiles.
- The last step in winterizing pools is protecting them from falling debris (leaves, twigs, etc.) with tight-fitting winter pool covers. You may also consider covering your pools with a cover that’s rated for safety, which will protect anyone from falling in.
The reason behind these swimming pool maintenance steps is simple: an effortless opening. Failing to perform these inground pool maintenance steps prior to winter months will cause additional problems when you’re eager to ready the pool six months down the road. In fact, a well-followed pool maintenance routine will require little more than sweeping or hosing away fallen debris and then reconnecting the pool’s filter, plumbing, and heater.
