Is your pool ready for summer?
How do you know if your pool is OK to dive bomb into on the next hot day? Just because it looks clean doesn’t mean that the water is safe for you to put yourself into it. Now that summer is slowly creeping away and making way for the shorter days and longer nights of winter, it is a good idea (if you don’t have a pool heating system – in which case check out what we, at Pool Heating NZ can do for you!) for you to consider what is required to keep your pool healthy until Summer rolls around again.
With time, your pool will collect debris, dust, pollens and its chemical balance will go way out of whack – especially if you are just leaving it to sit over winter. Ensuring that your pool is ready for summer requires a few steps – you can’t just drain it, fill it up again and jump in!
If draining your pool seems tempting – DON’T! Often the weight of the water will be holding your in ground pool – in ground. If you drain all the water out of your pool you will run the risk of removing the weight and your pool may move from its place in the ground and crack. If this happens, then unfortunately, you will be facing the cost of a full pool removal and replacement. This isn’t something most pool owners ever want to face.
An easy step that you can do yourself to get your pool ready for summer – or in fact just as part of your winter shutting down process is to clean your pool. Clean the cover, clean any debris, clean the baskets, and the filter systems. Check the filter media and if it needs replacing then it is wise to do this now.
Over the winter months, you might find that your water level may drop. If this is the case then you will need to add fresh water to bring the level back up to 2/3 of the skimmer. This will ensure that your filtration systems can work properly and any new debris, dust or pollen are captured by your filter baskets.
Although water can have the appearance of being clean and healthy, all sorts of nasties can lurk in pool water, even if you have a regular maintenance plan. Pool Heating NZ has a pool water testing service that we can perform at your pool. We will come and take a sample of your water and test the mineral content, the alkalinity, the pH and the chlorine (or salt) levels. We will then advise you what needs to be done to bring your pool back to its optimal health and make the adjustments you agree to.
Once you have ensured your pool has been cleaned, any repairs made, filter media replaced and your water chemical balance has been completed, you can sit back (or jump in!) and enjoy your pool to its full in Summer!
