Seasonal Swimming Pool Preparation
Getting your swimming pool ready for seasonal opening is a process that takes more than a bit of water and your garden hose. You cannot just add some water and expect to jump into clear, crisp, clean water in your pool. Experts in the pool industry know there is a step by step process pool owners must take to ensure the pool water looks fantastic, all while chemical safety and equipment integrity is maintained. In all, there are six steps a pool owner must take to get a swimming pool ready to “dive right in.”
How to Care For Your Swimming Pool During Autumn
If your property has a pool, you no doubt must have made the most of it during the summer months. But now that autumn is upon us, you need to start winding down to get your pool ready for the cooler weather that lies ahead. While there are a number of companies that provide swimming pool services Ottawa, there are some basic things you can do to care for your swimming pool during autumn as well:
- You will need to keep an eye on the pool’s water balance. This means regular pool testing using a test kit to make sure that the chlorine levels are right. While companies like ours provide excellent swimming pool services Ottawa and use the latest electronic water-testing equipment in this work, you too can buy a basic water testing kit for this purpose and test the chlorine levels yourself.
- The pool equipment running time should now be gradually reduced to six and then to four hours per day depending on the chlorine demand and if anyone is using the pool.
- If you are using a pool cover, make it a point to take it off regularly and check the pool regularly and test the water as well.
- You will also have to gradually reduce your chlorine dose output and salt chlorinator in line with the user load.
- You may have to test the water for phosphates and ensure that the salt levels are appropriate.
- Test your swimming pool water for any pH or mineral imbalances and treat problems if any, with the right chemicals.
- While you can definitely reduce the total time you spend maintaining the pool during autumn and the winter months, it is still important that you check the chemistry of the pool water every week to make sure you catch potential problems before they transform into serious ones.
It’s also a good idea to consider regular fortnightly/monthly swimming pool services Ottawa. This gives you the peace of mind that your pool is safe to swim in. We provide excellent pool testing and maintenance services and you will find that our solutions are very affordable as well, and this provides you value for money.
Caring For Your Pool in Winter Season
Professionals offering Ottawa pool services make regular pool care recommendations to pool owners to help them protect their investment over the harsh winter months. Once such recommendation held high on the list of must dos is the used of an algaecide. Ottawa pool services pros suggest using a preventative algeastat product and one that can last in the water for a good period of time. The final day of the pool use is when the algaecide should be added to the pool water.
Prevent Freezing by Checking the System
Ottawa pool services pros also advise regularly checking the pipes and any motorized components as winter grows closer. The pump needs to be drained as does the filter and pool heater. If water is left in these parts it will freeze and this can damage the equipment. Make sure the water in the pool is at a level at least six inches below the skimmer. During the winter time you can make it a time to reorganize the pool shed and to rid yourself of old chemicals as you stock up on the new.
When spring arrives, it is time to ensure that trees, foliage, and shrubs are trimmed back. Trim trees back as a precaution and to prevent from putting a hole into the pool’s cover. Remove debris and water that has compiled on top of the cover of the pool before attempting to remove the cover. You can do this with a sump pump or with a shop vac. Then you can take off the cover, clean the material and store it for the following year once it dries.
Use a Safety Cover that Fits Correctly
The pool cover needs to fit right to keep debris and waste from going into the pool. In addition to the right cover, the right chemicals need to be on hand. After a winter, chemical program, a few months before pool opening add a few gallons of a liquid shock. Follow this with a gallon of algaecide one week before you open the pool. Doing all of these steps means all you have to do is vacuum the pool quickly before using it the new season.
Use Powerful Enzyme Chemicals
This method of caring for a pool is not well-known but you will be surprised at how this little-known industry secret helps in caring for your pool. You will want to use an enzyme based solution when the pool is in its off season. You can pour it through a mesh over and use it while the water is still not froze over. The enzymes help to break down any non-living organic materials that get into the water including pollen, bird droppings, bather contaminants and more. It will also help in avoiding that nasty looking ring around the pool that forms at the waterline through the winter season. It makes for a faster reopening of the pool each year.
The Importance of Swimming Pool Care
The additional benefit of working with a pool maintenance professional is that you can stop worrying about keeping the pool operational and clean; you get to put aside your concerns and to just enjoy the use of the pool. You will not have to go from one store to another getting cleaning supplies and equipment because the pool pro will have it all. What’s more, there is no price you can put on the peace of mind you end up getting knowing someone knowledgeable is handling all the work for you.
Installation/Upgrading Equipment:
A pool professional can make sure you have all the right equipment and that it is properly installed as well. If your equipment requires an upgrade, the professional can make you aware of the need so you can address the issue accordingly.
Detecting Pool Leaks and Fixing Problems:
If you get a small leak in a pool it can wreak havoc, and by their very nature, small leaks are oh so hard to find. Thankfully, a pool professional has techniques and tools that can be used for identifying leaks quickly. Even better, once found, the leak can be repaired.
Seasonal Opening and Closing:
Winter comes and it is time to close the pool. Spring comes, and it is time to open it. In between closing and opening there is so much to do to get the pool clear, filled with clean, chemically balanced water. Thankfully, a pro can make closing and opening a pool a whole lot easier on you. When the pool is being opened, a professional does the following steps:
- Remove the cover on the pool. Fold the cover up so it can be stored until it is ready for use again come winter.
- The filter tank and the pump that is used for keeping the pool water clean and processed needs to be reassembled.
- If the pool has accessories like slides and diving boards, the professional can make sure they are set up. Accessories also include rails and ladders.
- The filter system is examined, the water is chemically tested, a shock treatment is used to kill off bacteria in the pool, and the water is made chemically balanced over the period of a week or more.
- During a winter closing everything is undone. The accessories are put away for the winter, the heater, filter and pump are stored, and the lines of the pool are winterized (dried out and plugged up so they do not crack and break). The pool cover is reapplied.
Step #1: Keep some water in the pool at all times.
The first step involved in getting your pool ready for summer opening is to prepare the pool for the season prior when you close it. It is important to keep some water in the pool when you are closing it for the season. While it might seem more practical, and easier to keep clean, if you are to empty the pool entirely, draining the pool of all water can cause you some issues with the pool’s integrity. The cost of repairs can prove phenomenal. There are only three reasons you should drain your pool entirely, and this is especially true if you reside in colder climes:
- The pool is loaded to the brim with leaves and other undesirable debris: If you did not cover your pool the year prior, you probably have a monstrous mess on your hands. In this situation, you do not have much of a choice but to drain the pool and give it a serious cleaning.
- The pool has developed structural issues: If the pool liner is compromised or the walls are unstable or damaged, you will have to drain the pool and repair the existing damage before it can be prepped for the season.
- You are taking down the pool to replace it with a new one: A full pool drain is definitely required in this situation.
Experts in the pool installation sector explain that removing all the water from a pool can force the structure of the pool into compromise – this is especially true if the pool is installed in an area where the water table is high. Without water to hold the pool into position, it might lift out of the ground. Many pool owners remain unaware of this risk, and this can be a costly mistake resulting in complete replacement of the pool.
General Recommendations
Step #2. Chemically Opening the Pool
Chemically opening the pool is the initial stage in which you are readying your pool for the new season. Make sure your filtration system is in full, operational order. Then connect it, make sure the baskets are emptied of undesired debris, and take out any of the plugs you installed with you closed the pool the season prior. As you perform the Chemical Open operation, the pool remains covered.
Step #3. Fill the pool to optimal levels.
In the event the amount of water in the pool has declined during the closed season, top the pool off so it is at optimal levels. The filter of the pool needs to be cleansed before you make it operational as well. Remove the cartridge for cleaning: You can use pressured water from the garden hose to clean it. In the event you are using a DE Filter, it may be necessary for you to disassemble it, clean the parts, and to put it back together. With the use of a sand filter, you have to set the equipment to backwash: This helps to make sure the sand is clean. After cleaning the sand, turn the filter setting to normal.
Step #4. Get a Professional to Conduct a Test of the Water
Each season, have a professional run a test on the pool water. Your health, safety, and comfort are worth it. You can bring a small sample of the pool water right to the pool store. Often times the store will test the water at no cost to you, but the test will prove quiet revealing: It can indicate the minerals in the water, the pH balance, chlorine levels, and total alkalinity. You can then get professional advice on making the precise adjustments you need for clear water development.
Step #6. Wait for the Water to Clear
As you are chemically opening your pool, make sure you clean the filter daily: This process continues for five to seven days until the water is clear. It might be necessary for you to put some chlorine in the pool. Once the floor of the pool is visible and the water is clear, you can take off the cover. Do not remove the cover too soon as it will result in having more to clean up in the way of debris, pollen, and leaves.
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