Please do not forget about your swimming pool
during the colder winter weather.
The average pool needs far less maintenance during winter as the pool uses a
lot less chemicals and is also not in use (in 99% of the homes at
least!). Chemical usage drops because the water temperature is much
lower and the water molecules get denser, which leaves less space for chemicals
(like chlorine) to escape. Algae growth is also slowed down as the water temperature
drops. A big plus is that you can reduce the running time of your
swimming pool pump as well, usually by a couple of hours a day, depending on
the size of your swimming pool, etc.
As the chlorine demand is much lower, it is important to ensure that your
chlorinator is turned down, or that your floater openings are decreased to
reduce chlorine release into the water. If you manually add chlorine to
the water, check the chlorine levels before adding chlorine. (This should be done anyway..) Too much chlorine can cause brown staining in
the pool. It is however very difficult to get chlorine levels 100%
right at the start and end of winter, due to fluctuating
temperatures.
In addition to this, if your swimming pool is only being maintained by us
(or another swimming pool company) on a fortnightly basis it will be important
for you to also check on chlorine levels in the week that we/they are not
there. (This is required even more so in summer if your service is only
done on a fortnightly basis!).
Do not to switch your pool system off for winter as this can cause other
issues at the start of summer. The swimming pool pump should not be left
off for lengthy periods of time, nor should the water stand for long periods of
time. This could lead to bacterial
growth in the water, which could be harmful to you and/or your pets if they
swim or drink the water. In addition to this, the sand in the filter can
compact and harden if left to stand for too long. This coagulation of the
sand, with the stagnation of water inside the filter can lead to the sand
becoming rancid. This reduces the lifespan of the sand, and can put
additional pressure on the system when the system is reactivated in summer.
The majority of swimming pools left to stand over winter require clean ups
at the start of the summer weather. This can be quite a costly
expense. Although the water can be
cleaned the lifespan of your sand and swimming pool pump have been
reduced. Running the pool, even for a
few hours a day will help maintain your pool over the winter months. Test your water and ensure the chemical
balances are correct.
For those using floaters in their swimming pool, try to give your pool water
a break from stabiliser/cynauric acid over the winter months and try a non
stabilised floater like KleenKlor. This
will help ensure that there is not a build up of stabiliser, which can lead to
other problems with the swimming pool chemical balances.
For any assistance in managing your swimming pool, please do not hesitate to
contact us – either telephonically on 021 557 9016/7 or pop into our shop for a
chat!
Keep warm!
