Maintaining your swimming pool means that you need to take care of it all year round. Just because the swimming season is over, it does not mean that you can forget about the unit next summer. During the winter season, the pool can easily get damaged, and that will affect a lot of things, including your budget. In this article, we are going to tell you more about the ways you can protect the unit during the cold months, and we will give you some tips on how to do that the best way. Note that most of the things on this list will not cost you a lot of money, but they will make a huge difference in the long run.
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1. Always cover your unit
The first thing you need to do to make sure your unit is protected during the winter season is to cover it. You need to invest in a good cover because that way you won’t have to worry about the snow, the rain, animals, debris, leaves, branches, and everything else that may get inside it.
Even though all of these things can be cleaned later, it is far better to protect it than to waste valuable time and money trying to get rid of all the things that have fallen in it.
Nowadays there are a lot of different types of covers, and you can choose the right one for you depending on the size of the pool, the thickness of the cover, and the overall weather in your location. You don’t have to invest in something professional if the temperatures in your area don’t drop too much, or if there is not a lot of snow during the season. However, you should never leave the unit without a cover, and it is better to purchase it as soon as possible.
Inspect it before you put it on the unit, and make sure there are no holes or damages on it. Depending on the cover that you choose, you will be able to use it for at least a few seasons before having to fix or replace it.
2. Keep the cover in place
After you’ve installed the cover, you need to protect it. As you already know, in the winter there can be high winds, and you should make sure you don’t have to go out and check if the swimming pool is still protected several times per hour.
To make sure that the cover does not get damaged, or literally fly away, you should make sure it is fastened around the unit. You can use different things, including some water balls, or you can reuse some of the tubes you’ve been using for swimming to make sure that the cover is safe and secure. Some people choose to use even sandbags, and position them around the pool, and put them on the cover.
3. Never leave equipment in it
Forgetting different toys and equipment in the pool is one of the worst things you can do. You should never let the devices, gadgets, and toys sit there throughout the whole year unless they are specifically made for the winter season.
Note that when you do this, you risk damaging the equipment and the pool itself. You don’t want them to start getting moldy, and if that happens, you will have to spend a lot of money next season to make sure everything is clean, safe, and sanitized.
Before you cover the unit for the winter, double-check to see if everything has been removed, and it is best if you could check it from time to time as well during the season so you can make sure that nothing has fallen in.
4. Try to avoid freezing
Note that you should try and prevent freezing, and know that if it gets frozen there is nothing you can do to fix that. The reason why you should avoid freezing is that, as you already know, when water freezes it expands. This means that the filters and other crucial parts inside the unit may get damaged and broken, and the ice can also affect the tiles, floors, and the color of the unit.
According to poolpeople.com.au, the easiest way to avoid freezing of the pool, and to make sure there won’t be any damages throughout the winter is to add pool heaters. You should also know that the cover will help a lot when it comes to this, and in some cases, you can also use pumps. When you combine different things and ways to maintain your unit during the cold season, you will ensure that the water never freezes and that nothing will get damaged.
5. Add a fence
To protect your unit from small animals and pests, you should put a fence around it. Animals will try and hide in or under the covers to survive the winter, and they may accidentally fall into the unit and drown.
The last thing you want to deal with is an animal carcass when you open the unit up next season, and it will also damage the water as well as the unit when it starts to decompose. In addition to this, by installing a fence around it you will also protect your pets, children, and even yourself when you are walking around in your garden.
Choose the type of fence depending on your budget and preferences, and know that you won’t need to invest a lot of money in this. Choose something that can easily be installed and taken down depending on the time of the year, as well as on your budget.
Remember that you should always remove the rainwater, clear the plumbing before the cold months, and always drain the filter as well as the rest of the equipment. Check the chemistry levels before the freezing months come, and make sure that the water is balanced. Always clean the water before you cover the unit, and make sure there are no algae before you prepare the pool for the winter. With these tips, you will be able to avoid most of the issues that come in the cold months, and your unit will be clean and ready for the next summer when you will finally be able to use it again.
