Here’s a few tips if you want to keep using your pool during Winter.
As the weather starts to turn cooler, many swimming pool owners are planning. Since Tampa winters typically do not get too cold, you have the option to keep the pool going even when the temperature drops. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a quick list of tasks that will allow you to prepare your pool for winter use.
Reasons to Use Your Pool During Winter
Owning a swimming pool has its advantages such as pool parties and exercising, but using your pool in the winter has its own set of benefits.
Here are a few reasons you may want to make this a common practice:
- Continued Swim Season — Put simply, there’s nothing quite like being able to use your swimming pool all year round.
- No Winter Cover Needed — Although you can choose to use a cover to protect the pool between uses, you don’t have to use a winter cover.
- No Reopening Process — You’ll avoid the reopening process that’s necessary whenever you decide to close a pool for a period.
- No Spring Clean-Up — If you maintain the cleanliness of your pool throughout the winter season, then you won’t need to do a big clean-up once spring arrives. Though, we still recommend basic pool maintenance.
Ways to Prepare and Maintain the Pool During Winter
Like other seasons, you need to prepare and maintain the pool for winter usage. This will enable you and your family or friends to enjoy themselves while staying warm and safe. Here are some simple steps to follow:
Keep the Pump Running
Even though you probably don’t need to worry about freezing temperatures in the state of Florida, it never hurts to take precautions. To be on the safe side, make sure your pump is running between 12 and 24 hours every day to prevent any issues. We would recommend staying on the low side unless you’re in an area that drops below freezing so that you can save energy and money.
Install a Pool Heater
Although the water in your swimming pool isn’t likely to freeze, you don’t want to take a dip in a cold pool. Keeping the pool covered will help control its temperature a bit, but nothing beats a pool heater. If you don’t already have one and you want to use your swimming pool for winter, a heater will be an absolute blessing.
Adjust Water Chemistry
To reduce the chance of problems with the pool while you use it during the winter, it’s important you check and maintain water chemistry.
Here is what you should try to achieve so that you can properly balance the water:
- Alkalinity: 80 to 150 ppm (parts per million)
- pH level: 7.2 to 7.6
- Chlorine level: 1 to 3 ppm
- Calcium hardness: 175 to 225
Perform a Deep Cleaning
Cleaning your pool is one of the most important parts of the process. After all, you don’t want to use your pool during the winter with a bunch of algae, bacteria, or dirt inside. Use a skimmer net to remove any debris from the pool’s surface and a pool vacuum to clean the bottom. This will help ensure a safe swim and allow you to conduct a much shorter cleaning for the spring season.
Clean Pool Accessories
You’ll also want to prepare your pool for winter usage by removing all of the pool accessories. This includes any skimmer baskets, ladders, steps, automated cleaners, pool toys, and any other related items. Once all of these accessories have been removed from the pool, you should scrub them down before using them again.
Cover When Not in Use
Closing the pool between each use can help control the water’s temperature, but the primary reason to do this is for safety and health reasons. Both winter covers and safety covers will effectively allow you to protect the pool by keeping out debris, animals, and people. A safety cover provides the best protection and must be anchored down, whereas a winter cover isn’t quite as effective but will save you the burden of securing it.
Contact Larsen’s Pool & Spa for New Pool Construction and Pool Remodeling
Following the steps listed above will allow you to properly prepare your pool for the winter season. As the premier custom pool builder in Tampa, Larsen’s Pool & Spa can help you with any new pool construction or pool remodeling needs. If you have any questions about our services or would like to know about our swimming pool financing options, give us a call at (727) 786-7665 today.