Just because it’s too cold to be using your pool, doesn’t mean you should just leave it alone. There are a couple precautions you should take during the cold months to make sure your pool stays in tip-top shape throughout the entire winter.
Keep The Water Clean
Since the water in your pool will be stagnant in the winter, it’s important to add certain chemicals to prevent bacteria and algae from growing in the water. Adding an algaecide and chlorine to the water right before you close up shop for the winter will prevent algae from growing while it’s not in use.
Prevent Freezing
Like any outdoor water system, it’s extremely important to prevent any of the pipes, filters, or pumps from freezing when it starts to get cold. If the water freezes inside these pool parts, it could cause the pipes to burst or other major damage. Keeping your pool heater on and adjusting it throughout the cold weather is a good way to prevent the water from freezing. However, keeping your water heater on constantly for months can be pricey. An option to keep the costs lower is to install freeze protection equipment. There are several different versions on the market, but the basic idea is that the equipment will sense when the water has gone below a certain temperature, and will turn the heater on until the water is warmed up.
Pool Cover
One of the most important ways to protect your pool when it’s cold out is by having a good pool cover. Make sure you keep it clean and remove any heavy water, ice, snow or dirt periodically. After all, the pool can only be protected by a cover that’s in good condition.
Get It Up and Running
The absolute best way to keep your pool clean and working well is to keep it running. However, since that’s not always possible for the entire year here in Oklahoma, it’s important to start everything back up again as soon as the weather warms up consistently, even just a little bit. It doesn’t have to be 80 degrees and sunny for a week in a row for you to open things up.
For more advice on how to care for your pool in the winter, call Red Valley to talk with an outdoor expert.