Top 5 Winter Pool Care Tips

While winter may not seem like the ideal time to show your pool some TLC, it is in fact just as important as any other season when it comes to pool care. The colder months are an ideal time for algae to take over your pool, or for damage to occur to your lining and equipment. By doing a little bit of winter pool maintenance every day you will avoid major headaches going forward into summer – a little goes a long way! Here are five winter pool maintenance tips to ensure the pride and joy of your backyard stays healthy all year round.

Clean your pool:

This may seem like a no brainer, but cleaning your pool is an essential building block to keeping it healthy year-round. Skim your pool and remove anything that could help algae grow. Then thoroughly scrub and brush all pool surfaces. Again, you’re removing any potential algae growth that may have had time to form over summer. Finally, take the time to manually vacuum your pool. Debris would have fallen during the cleaning process and it’s important to get them off the floor.

Run your filters:

Your pool will most likely be cloudy following a good clean. Running your pool pumps will help clear this up. You also want to make sure that your filters are given a good clean and backwash before winter to stop oils and fats accumulating and thickening during the colder months. You still need to run your pumps during winter. Though, not as often as during summer. Run your pumps for between approximately 3 and 4 hours daily, depending on the size of your pool.

Ensure pH levels are correct:

Another essential part of winter pool maintenance is keeping your water healthy. Give your pool a good shock treatment to ensure it’s winter ready. Keep an eye on pH levels and adjust accordingly if pH levels are too low or high. You want to keep it between the 7.2 and 7.6 range and will need the right product to do so.

Buy a pool blanket:

Pool blankets obviously keep debris out during winter. Another important function they perform however, is trapping heat in the pool water. This in turn helps stabilise pH levels. It also helps speed up the water re-heating process during spring. Overall, pool blankets contribute to less ongoing pool maintenance during winter and are an essential part of pool ownership.

Check your pool from time to time

Finally, remember to check on your pool from time to time. You can’t forget about it once you have performed your winter shutdown and expect it to take care of itself. Make sure your pool is clean; pH levels are correct; and don’t forget to run your filters daily. Winter is also a great chance to check your paving or pool decking, as well as to make sure your fencing is in tact and being effective.

If you require a pool check or help with your winter shutdown then contact our pool care team today!