Swimming Pools In Winter
It is winter now and most swimming pool owners have forgotten the relaxing swims of summer and are huddled up in front of the fire. This is not a time to completely forget about the pool though…
Keeping the swimming pool nicely ticking over during winter will minimise the work required to get it ready for swimming in the summer.
Some owners choose to have a mobile pool service do the work, so they don’t have to worry about it, while others are happy to do it themselves.
The pump works best with regular use. We recommend that you have the pump on for a few hours each day to keep it running nicely and to circulate the water. The water has a better chance of keeping clear if it is moving.
Winter is also a time of major rain and wind. This often brings unwanted leaves and debris into the pool. Popping out to the pool after wind to check the skimmer basket and remove any debris and leaves will allow the water circulation to keep bacteria and algae from building up. Maintaining an empty skimmer and pump basket will also ensure the pump isn’t straining and possibly being over heated and burning out.
The water level can become an issue in winter, particularly in Taranaki where we get heavy rain. Checking the pool after heavy rain is important to make sure the weir door and skimmer basket are operating to skim the leaves and debris off. If the water level is too high the leaves stay in the pool and can cause stains on the bottom and promote the build up of bacteria and algae.
If the water level is too high, it is simply a matter of putting the filter on ‘waste’ until the pool has reached the correct level (If a valve is fitted on your waste pipe make sure it is open first and then closed after).
If you know how to ‘Backwash’ your filter, a high water level is the perfect opportunity to give it a solid go. Don’t forget to put the filter back onto ‘filter’ or you may end with the opposite problem of having not enough water!
The water balance still needs to be checked, though not as often as the summer, and chemicals added to prevent any build up of bacteria and algae.
Winter is also a good time to check the overall quality operation of what makes the pool run, like the filter media. Getting in a pool technician to do this can be helpful. Do you know when the last time your filter sand was changed? We recommend every 3 to 4 years depending on the usage of the pool and converting from sand to glass.
Keeping the swimming pool maintained over winter, means the pool area looks pleasing to the eye all year round. If you find it a chore to get out to do regular cleaning, we can help you with that. Keeping the pool clean over winter also means the first day you want to take a dip in the pool, when the weather warms up, you can just dive right in!