How to get your pool winter ready?

Swimming pools provide great fun for family and friends during sunny weather, but if you don’t live in one of the areas of the country where sunshine and warm weather are year-round, now is the time to ready your pool for winter.

Guardian’s CEO, Steve Sadinsky, says “Preparing your pool for winter will keep your valuable property from being damaged and save you money. It’s important to prevent leaves and other debris from becoming a problem in your pool; and correctly winterizing your pool can cut expenses for chemicals and electricity in half, eliminating much of the usual maintenance process.”

Of course, it’s important that a certain amount of baseline maintenance is done. When pools are properly winterized, then pool chemistry is kept in balance, and scaling, staining, and equipment damage can be prevented. Failing to do this can lead to unnecessary expense.

Guardian Pool Fence Systems offers a handy list of steps you can take to ready your pool for cold weather:

1. Thoroughly clean the pool – vacuum and brush to remove dirt and debris
2. Fill the pool with chemically treated water – almost to the point of overflowing
3. Calcium Hardness level should be kept within the 200 – 400 ppm range
4. The water’s pH range should be maintained between 7.4 to 7.6. (water pH that’s too low or too high can harm the pool finish while it’s covered.)
5. Total alkalinity level in the pool should be kept in the range of 80 – 120 ppm, depending on which sanitizer you use
6. Keep the pool chlorine at recommended levels
7. Run the pool filter for 2-4 hours each day (a timer can help here)
8. Inspect your pool at least once each month during the winter season, to be sure there is no staining, there are no changes in the color of the water, and no scaling has started

If you live in an area where the temperature is likely to fall below freezing, additional measures should be taken. Check with local pool-supply dealers to find out more.

“Pool safety is a year-round concern, even in the off-season,” says Guardian’s Sadinsky. Protecting your pool with proper safety fencing is a good idea during the winter as well as during warm weather.”

Are you thinking about having a pool fence? Please contact us for a free estimate