It’s that time of the year when summer has wrapped up and pool owners have to close their swimming pool for the season. Making your pool non-functional helps to protect it from temperature variations and unexpected damage.
This is also a great idea to maintain your pool so that it’s ready to go when the next swimming season rolls out.
It may sound challenging but you can ease it down following 5 swimming pool closing tips:
1. Right timing
Closing down the pool shouldn’t be as per your choice or comfort, it should be about the timing as well. Weather consideration is important when it comes to closing your pool. It’s advisable to shut down your pool for a few days after summer, to avoid it getting hit by heavy rainfall.
However, shutting down your pool too early can promote the growth of algae and can make your work harder while reopening it in the following spring. Not to mention, it can also lengthen your clean-up time due to filthy pool water.
It is advisable that after the departure of monsoons, open the pool again and wait to close until the temperature of the water is lower than 65°F.
2. Install pool cover
Safeguard your pool by installing a swimming pool cover or automatic pool enclosure that can dramatically reduce the amount of debris, dropping inside retains heat, prevents evaporation, prevents algae growth, and provides an added layer of safety.
A superior quality pool enclosure can sustain heavyweight that can be caused by heavy hail storms, rainfall or snowfall. In milder climates, use pool leaf nets to allow water to go through the rubbish and block leaves from slipping into the pool.
3. Maintain the pH level
The pH scale goes from 0 to 14 and tells about the acidic or alkaline nature of the water. A pH 7 means neutral water; above 7 means alkaline water, while below 7 means acidity.
According to the Better Health Channel, the ideal pH level of a swimming pool should be between 7 and 7.6.
The pH above 8 can cause skin rashes to swimmers, while a pH lower than 7 can affect swimmers’ eyes. Many factors can alter the pH level of a pool including rain, chemicals, litters, and more.
Before closing down the pool, it is important to check the pH level of the pool to avoid labor-intensive maintenance at the time of opening.
4. Skim your pool
Leaves can also bother your swimming pool if you allow them to float around on the surface.
Before closing down your pool, skim the surface to remove dead leaves, debris, twigs, or sticks. Some of the tools to skim your pool are:
- Leaf catcher: It is useful as a protector to your pool by collecting all the dead leaves.
- Pool bottom vacuum cleaner: It sucks up the leaves from the floor of your pool into the bag.
- In-line leaf strainer: It traps leaves and debris, avoiding a loss of suction from blocked baskets.
- Pool skimmer: It collects leaves, sticks, and larger debris with ease.
5. Use chemicals
Chemicals play an important role to keep your pool in tip-top shape for the coming season. Some of the important chemicals to safeguard your pool are:
- Algaecide: This chemical kills and prevents the growth of algae.
- Metal chemicals: To prevent rusting in the pool during bad weather, metal chemicals are used.
- Stain prevention chemicals: These help to prevent stains on the walls and floor of the pool from iron, calcium, or copper.
- Chlorine shock: This inhibits the growth of microorganisms and keeps your pool fresh and clean.
Final words
Swimming pools are a huge investment, so it’s worth maintaining the longevity of the pool by protecting it from unwanted invaders.
Following these tips will help you to avoid unwelcome surprises and make it easier to get things going again in the spring.