Owning a pool is a lot of responsibility. Like every other part of your home, if you don’t take care of it consistently, it can get messy, and soon you end up doing ten times the work you would have if you’d maintained it along the way.
As the seasons change, pool owners need to care for their pool to make sure it stays in good shape, which, sadly, means more than just putting the cover on once it gets cold out. If you’re a new pool owner or you just need a refresher, we’ve created this post to help you keep your pool pristine all year long, regardless of if you’re using it.
It’s pretty easy to remember and understand why you need to take care of your pool in the summer; that’s when everyone’s using it. And it’s every swimming pool owner’s worst nightmare for guests to come over, bathing suits on and floaties in hand, only to look out on a disgusting, unkempt pool.
To manage your pool and keep the water crystal clear in the summer, you’ve got to be on your game. It’s a good idea to test the water weekly or more to ensure your chemicals are in good shape, as well as adding solutions to kill algae and other pests before the season starts.
You will also need to stay on top of your preferred pool sanitizer in the summer, as well as shocking the pool after a heavy use period. And no, we obviously don’t want you to actually shock the water with electricity. Shocking the pool refers to dumping a heavy dose of chemicals into your pool to eliminate toxins and contaminants which build up quickly after a lot of people are in the water.
Basically, summer is like the sports season your team has waited all year to play, and you’ve got to be on your A-game.
Sadly, all good things must end, which includes pool season. In Oklahoma and the surrounding areas, you can usually continue to use your pool until late September, but once the cooler weather moves in, it’s time to pack it up until next year (unless you have a heated pool!).
Because you’ll probably still be using the pool for at least the beginning of fall, it’s not quite time to put the cover on, which means your primary new enemy in the fight for a clean pool is going to be leaves and other plant-based debris as the season begins. Your skimmer can’t do it alone; in fact, leaving all that junk up to your skimmers can harm the pump if it gets clogged.
We recommend a weekly or even daily check of your skimmer baskets to make sure they aren’t getting clogged. You’ll also want to make sure your automatic cleaner isn’t having any trouble, or, if you don’t have an automatic cleaner, use a net to get the leaves out.
Now pool season is finally over; time to wrap it up, winterize your water, and close down the swimming pool until next year. However, there are still things you need to do and look out for during the colder months. It’s time to check the chemicals and get them balanced out and clean the filter which is likely dirty at this point. There are a number of chemicals to add before the winter as well to deep clean and prepare the water for the cold.
Winterizing your pool can seem like a one-stop process, but after you’ve cleared the pool of debris and blown water out of the pipes and equipment, you still need to care for your pool all season long. We recommend getting your water treated once a month as well as checking the water level frequently. This can also help you catch any leaks early in the season.
If you do live in a more frigid climate where you know to expect weeks and even months of frosty weather, you should do more, including covering the pool all winter. You’ll need to clean the pool before closing it, as well as winterizing it by checking the levels and chemistry and emptying your equipment to make sure it doesn’t break from the freezing.
Once the weather finally breaks, it’s time to reopen the pool. This is your preseason, and as such it’s time to do some heavy lifting. After a long winter of sitting dormant in the backyard, your pool needs special attention now. If you’re trying to open your pool in April, it might also be a good idea to make sure your pool heater is ready to go, since the water will probably be too cold for your guests.
It’s time to check your chemicals, clean the pool, and get the pool back in shape. We recommend inspecting all of your pool equipment for leaks, cracks, and damage that may have occurred throughout the winter season. The water can also sometimes be cloudy when you remove your pool cover, which usually means the water simply needs to run through the filter for a couple of days.
For more information about the various needs of your pool, call us today at 405.364.1912. And if you don’t have your dream pool yet but you’ve been thinking about it, download our free eBook to read what you should consider before you start!