Preparing Your Pool For The Winter
Many people choose to keep their pool running all year round, to ensure the water is kept free of debris, and circulating water is less likely to freeze over, especially if under a winter debris cover. If so, a continued support of a long life algicide along with a regular backwash & check of the pH and the chlorine levels is all you require. If however, you plan to switch everything off, then there are a number of things to do before adding the required chemicals:
Time To Close Your Pool With Our Winterisation Guides
- Clean any dirty surfaces. A good tile & liner cleaner will be more successful if used before the surface dries.
- Check any repair work as you won't want to delay when the warm weather returns. Patches can be applied underwater whilst there is still some warmth in the water. Pipe leaks are likely to deteriorate over the winter. Sand filters should have the sand replaced every 3 years (or ask for Recycled Glass, every 5 Years). For even clearer water, we thoroughly recommend our Glass Pearls as only replaced every 10 years, trapping even finer particles (less than half the size that sand traps), giving almost drinking quality water, so less chemicals used, and the quicker backwashes also saves water and any reheating costs. The old sand will be looser, and easier to remove at this time. Cartridges or sand will benefit from a soak in a degreasing agent to work better when reused.
- 'O' rings can retain their sealing properties and will be easier to operate by applying some Magic Lube as directed.
- Lower the water level a few inches below the skimmer level to allow for several inches of winter rainfall to top it back up. (Should you have a high water table this is not recommended to avoid side wall pressures.)
- To avoid risk of frost damage, you may want to drain the water from any surface pipe work, and remove drain plugs from the filtration equipment.
- Adding the correct dose of long life Algicide now to properly balanced water will keep the clarity over the closed down period with minimum attention.
- If you have a Nature2 cartridge for minimum chemicals & softer water please say, so you are sold the correct algicide.
- Covering your pool with a non permeable cover will keep everything out of the pool, though you will have to ensure that rainwater and leaves that collect on the top are pumped off regularly.
- The higher quality fine mesh covers will allow the rain through, keeping the top debris more easily removed with the cover.
- If you choose to ask us to do the work for you, please also book your early Open-Up Service, (chemicals are included in our Valet Service Options) as we are usually stretched to fit everyone in at the same time as soon as the warm weather comes.
Please note that whilst we are happy to give our recommendations, Tubs and Wellness cannot be held liable for any problems created by any advice given here.
To find out more information about any of our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.