The Importance of Winter Pool Care
When the summer swimming season ends, it’s easy to forget about weekly pool maintenance due to a lack of swimmers using the pool. However, winter presents the most problems for pool owners, with temperatures fluctuating below and above freezing. These temperature changes can lead to a host of issues like algae or bacteria blooms, and irregular cleaning (or none at all) can mean the homeowner will have to spend precious time and money on professional services later. These common winter problems will showcase why the pool needs maintenance year-round.
Untreated algae blooms
While algae and bacteria aren’t as dangerous without swimmers around to catch diseases, they turn the water into a sickly green and cause long-term discoloration that requires professional bleaching and cleaning to remove. Their activity typically slows down when the temperature drops but doesn’t stop entirely. Fallen leaves and sudden temperature changes can provide algae and bacteria with an environment to proliferate, overgrowing a pool in days.
Stained plaster
If the pool’s pH and other chemical levels aren’t maintained properly, the accumulated material can deposit sediment on the waterline or the bottom of the pool. The stains caused by sedimentation are challenging to remove without highly toxic chemicals, making the pool unusable for days or weeks. In worse cases, the plaster could be damaged or spring a leak, which might require an expensive repair or replacement.
Damaged pipeworks
Lowered water levels, irregular debris cleaning, and sedimentation can spell doom to the pool’s piping and filtration system. Replacing the motor can cost several hundred dollars, and changing the entire pump can lead to a bill in the thousands. To prevent these problems, check the chemical levels in the water frequently and clear the filter and skimmer baskets of fallen leaves and other debris.
Frozen equipment
If the pump system runs throughout the winter months, it might freeze over when the temperatures get too low overnight. To prevent frost from damaging the system, empty the pipeworks and keep the water level a few inches below the skimmer line. Rain, snow, and melted ice can introduce more water into the pool, which needs to be removed via vacuum to prevent it from entering the pump before the next bout of frost.
Failing covers
Some pool owners cover their pool for most of the winter, and it’s easy to forget to check that the cover is doing what it is designed to do. Regular cover cleaning and maintenance will keep owners from coming to the pool only to realize the cover failed to provide protection.
If you’re worried about how the pool will look after winter, it’s best to continue maintenance throughout the winter months to prevent any surprises. A professional pool service can assess the pool’s state before and after the season to ensure every part is operational and ready for swimmers.
Pool Tile Cleaning Vegas offers pool tile cleaning, calcium removal, acid washing, pool draining, and media blasting services, in Las Vegas and Henderson. Call us at (702)605-6936.
