As temperatures start to fall in many parts of the country, most of us are thinking about putting away our swim gear and pulling out our winter woollies. For those of us lucky enough to have our own pool, we should also be thinking about how we can wrap it up safely for the cold season.
Try to make sure that you start the process before the autumn leaves start to fall and clog up your pool filters, and make sure you have the right chemical mix on hand to carry out the job. Your pool will need a different type of chemical balance during the winter to ensure that it stays clean and algae-free.
Follow these ten simple steps to ensure that your pool will be clear and sparkling 'til the end of winter:
Begin by turning off the heater.
Adjust your pool water to the right pH using the appropriate chemical compound.
Brush and vacuum the pool.
Shock the pool using an extra strong solution of your usual sanitizing chemical.
Add a long lasting algaecide.
Clean out and disconnect the pump and skimmer baskets and the pool filter.
Add special pool antifreeze to the skimmer and return lines.
Remove any ladders or ropes from the water
Collect up poolside furniture, clean and store.
Make sure you have an appropriate winter cover, roll this over and secure it firmly.
This sounds like a lot of work but a pool that is not properly winterized will re-emerge filled with algae and dead leaves, and damaged by frost or snow. Take the time to close up carefully now and you can look forward to unwrapping a clean and sparkling pool next summer.
