Pool maintenance isn’t just for summer. Getting your pool ready for freezing temperatures and an extended period of dormancy will help you avoid costly repairs. With the five pool cleaning tips that follow, you can stave off problems with algae, staining, and structural damage from expanding water.
1. Skim Out All Loose Debris
Skim out all leaves, insects, twigs, and other floating debris. You can remove sediment from the pool’s bottom with an automatic pool cleaner. Also known as a pool vacuum, this device uses suction from the main pump to capture and retain sunken items. If your pool has an in-floor cleaning system or a robotic vacuum cleaner, turn it on and let it run for the recommended amount of time.
2. Use a Brush to Scour the Pool Floor and Walls
Clean off trapped dirt, dust, and algae with a pool brush. Scour the pool floor and all pool walls. This will minimize the risk of algal blooms and dangerous biofilms. However, it could create additional sediment on the pool floor. If it does, use your pool vacuum once more until all surfaces are pristine.
3. Prevent Corrosion by Balancing Your Pool’s Chemistry
Stave off problems with rust and other corrosion by balancing your pool’s chemistry. Start by testing the water. Before you cover it for winter, your pool should have the right calcium hardness, alkalinity, and pH.
Your pool’s pH shouldn’t be higher than 7.8 or lower than 7.2. Its alkalinity should measure between 80 and 120 ppm. Before winter, pools should have no more than 600 ppm of dissolved calcium and no less than 400 ppm. Although calcium shouldn’t exceed 400 ppm during the summer months, you’ll want more-than-normal calcium to ensure balance with dilution during winter. This is especially true if you use a mesh pool cover or no pool cover at all.
You can use a liquid test kit or test strips to obtain the necessary measurements. Test strips are easiest to use and provide the greatest level of accuracy. This is also a good time to add winterizing chemicals for further prevention against algal blooms and bacterial biofilms.
4. Take Out All Pool Accessories
Remove and store all pool accessories, including:
- Underwater speakers
- Underwater lights
- Pool toys
- Ladders
- Leisure floats
This will protect your accessories from freezing and other weather-related damage. It will also give algae, bacteria, and other microorganisms fewer surfaces to cling to.
5. Clean Your Filter and Drain All Equipment
Empty your pool’s filters by backwashing. This will flush out all trapped debris. Then, drain and disconnect your pool’s heater and pump. Removing water from your pool equipment will prevent expansion-related damage when the temperature plummets and water freezes.
Pre-winter pool maintenance will extend the lifespan of your pool and make your springtime maintenance cheaper and easier. If you need help winterizing your pool in Medford, NJ, contact Aloha Pool & Spa Service, Inc. for professional pool cleaning and maintenance.