Winter Pool Maintenance

In Florida, many of us stay pretty busy during the winter months. We don’t shut down and wait for spring like some people in freezing parts of the country do. As busy as we get, however, it’s important not to be so busy that winter swimming pool maintenance is neglected.

Maintaining your pool during the winter is just as important as taking care of it in the warmer months: you have to stay on top of what’s happening in your pool in order to provide a safe, clean and enjoyable experience for everyone. Here are some maintenance tips from the pool experts at Pool Works of Auburndale, FL.

How pros approach winter pool maintenance

Every pool professional will tell you that a neglected pool is an unsightly pool and possibly a dangerous one. Here’s a look at how the pool-cleaning team at Pool Works approaches winter maintenance, along with some suggestions for you.

Clean the pool

Before doing anything to the pool and its water, we want to clean it. This means removing leaves and debris and scrubbing the pool walls and floor to dislodge algae and help prevent future growth.

With the right tools, you can perform several rounds of cleaning during the winter months to keep your pool looking good.

Check the water chemistry

All year long, your pool water should be properly balanced for pH, sanitizer and certain chemicals. A simple test tells our technicians if any of the levels are off. During the winter with cooler pool water, some chemicals are naturally preserved, so keep this in mind when adjusting.

Engage the pool cover – or add one

A secure pool cover is not only a great safety device for a deserted pool; it’s also a great way to save money. Pool covers reduce the need for certain chemicals, give your filter a break, and save you time on cleaning tasks.

Keep the pump running

You won’t need to run your pool pump as much during the winter as you do in the hot summer months when the pool gets a ton of use, but you still need the pump. Four to six hours per day is usually enough during the cooler times of the year. If you see green stains beginning to form on the pool surfaces, run the pump a little more. If the weather report warns of a freeze, keep the pump running overnight.

Watch the water level

Low humidity during the winter can cause pools to lose up to two inches of water per week from evaporation. Too much water loss will mess with the chemical balance. Extreme water loss can cause the pool pump to burn out. If rain doesn’t replenish the lost water, replenish it manually.

Scheduling your winter pool maintenance

As noted, we all tend to stay busy during the winter, making it easy to overlook pool maintenance – there’s a lot less use of the pool, and it becomes one of those out-of-sight, out-of-mind things.

If you’re doing your own winter pool upkeep, create a schedule or calendar with notes to remind you when to perform certain tasks. It’s really that simple. Even simpler is to hire Pool Works to handle 100% of your winter pool maintenance as well as maintenance all year.

Speak with a pool cleaning expert today at (863) 967-2863. You can also reach out with our handy contact form.