While fall doesn’t get its full start here in Oklahoma until late October, summer weather is drawing to a close. For many pool owners, the end of the season means much less water maintenance to do. But just because the seasons are changing, doesn’t mean your pool will take care of itself.
Neglecting proper care can lead to expensive repairs such as pipe breakages and equipment malfunctions. That’s why it’s important to anticipate off-season weather and prepare accordingly.
Fortunately, there are great options for every type of pool owner. Whether you like to be hands-on or as low-maintenance as possible, you can keep your pool in prime condition with the right precautions.
Before you close the door to the backyard and forget it, here are the best ways to take care of your pool after the summer season.
How to Maintain Your Pool During Off-Season
1) Keep Your Pool Open
The end of warm weather doesn’t have to mean the end of swimming! You can still use your pool as the months get colder.
If you have a pool heater, you can turn the entire water feature to your preferred temperature. You can swim and lounge in it comfortably almost every day of the year. (Just keep a warm towel near the edge of the water!)
Keeping your pool open is a great option for spa owners, who can enjoy the hot tub experience on chilly nights. This is especially useful for those who suffer from aches and pains throughout the winter and benefit from soothing pressure and heat.
There are a lot of upsides to leaving your pool open during the off-season. However, if you choose this route, there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Watch your Water Level and Chemical Balance
Routine maintenance is necessary for an open pool at any time of the year. To prevent potential issues, make sure your water level doesn’t dip below your skimmer line, and regularly check the pool’s chemicals to ensure a balance of chlorine and PH.
2. Clear Leaves, Sticks, and Other Debris Regularly
Even without intense sun and heat, your pool can get dirty. The fall months are especially notorious for filling water features with dead leaves and branches. Be sure to regularly clear the surface and empty the skimmer baskets to prevent clogged drains, full pump baskets, dirty filters, and cloudy water.
3. Ensure Freeze Protection is Enabled
Most pools come with some form of Freeze Protection. This is meant to prevent the plumbing system from sustaining any damage during freezing weather. Freeze Protect works by overriding your set equipment schedules and running continuously until it warms up to ensure you have a constant flow of water moving through the system. Moving water does not freeze nearly as easily, and your equipment will stay functional.
While Freeze Protection is very useful, it does have its limitations. Even raging rivers can freeze over if the temperature drops to an extreme, and so can your plumbing. However, this usually only happens during extreme bouts of prolonged winter weather.
If you depend on Freeze Protection during the winter, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the overnight temperatures. Tracking the weather will help you decide if you need to take precautionary measures, such as draining and deactivating your equipment so it doesn’t run without water. This method isn’t as foolproof as a complete close, but it can reduce seasonal damages by saving costly pieces of equipment.
Keeping your pool open off-season means consistent maintenance and care throughout the year. You can do this yourself or hire a team of experts, like Aquasphere, to make sure your pool gets the most effective care.
2) Purchase a Leaf Net
If you have a backyard full of beautiful trees, you likely experience a lot of extra pool debris in the fall. A leaf net may be the best solution for keeping your water clean and clear.
Leaf nets are mesh covers that sit on top of your pool. They are stretched taut and weighed down on all sides to stay secure. Fallen leaves, sticks, and other materials are caught above the water.
By keeping the leaves from reaching the bottom of your pool, leaf nets significantly reduce the amount of work it takes to remove fall debris when it's time to swim again.
Leaf nets are a happy medium between fully closing your pool and keeping it open. It’s more affordable and simple than a complete closing, but allows you more access to the water if the weather changes.
Keep in mind that if you do choose a leaf net, the pool will require the same maintenance as in the first option.
3) Close it For the Season
Closing your pool is the most final of all of these options.
It’s a professional process that involves clearing water from the plumbing and individual pieces of equipment, turning off all power, and making sure there are no residual fluids or energy in the system. Lastly, the surface is covered with a large tarp that is anchored on the sides (similar to the leaf net) to protect it from the elements and prevent anyone from accidentally falling in.
While this may sound complicated, closings are routine processes for Aquasphere. We complete an average of a dozen full closings a year, and always do so with the highest safety standards in mind.
Improper pool closings can lead to major safety hazards, including drowning and serious injury. If you have children or pets, it’s imperative to be sure the process is done carefully and thoroughly. Aquasphere only uses safety covers to prevent potential accidents and injuries.
While safety covers are the most expensive option, there are many benefits that make them a worthy investment, including:
1. Cost of Upkeep
While the pool is closed, you no longer have to pay your usual cost of upkeep for electricity, chemicals, and related maintenance. Depending on how many months you keep it on, it may pay for itself in a few seasons.
2. Safety
Because safety covers are so durable, a properly closed pool is completely safe to be around. In the event of a fall, it can support the weight of a person and will prevent them from going underwater. However, we strongly recommend that you DO NOT test this. While a safety cover will keep you from drowning, you can still cause harm to yourself by putting unnecessary weight on it.
3. Low-Maintenance
Covered pools will have much better water quality when they are re-opened–which means you can hop in for a swim right away.
Properly-installed covers prevent debris from falling into the pool and altering the chemical balance of the water. Pools that are closed improperly or left uncovered will likely be filled with plant material (and swamp-like water) by the time spring rolls around.
Off-Season Pool Maintenance Takeaways
Off-season maintenance options are a trade-off. While it’s more costly (in either time or money) to take care of it after summer, you’ll be able to enjoy your pool for longer. Lower-effort paths shut it down completely, which eliminates the possibility of swimming until it’s re-opened.
It all comes down to how much you want to use your pool and spa versus how much effort or money you want to spend on off-season maintenance.
Whatever path you’re considering, we hope you will consult Aquasphere for any assistance and expertise you need.
We look forward to taking care of you!
Comentarios