How to maintain the swimming pool in winter

Summer is over, and now we must decide what to do with our outdoor pool.  

If you have motors or tarps to heat the pool water with, you can continue to use it for a few more months. If you don’t have a complete heating system, you may have to end the season and decide how to protect the pool in winter. 

In a previous article we talked about tips for decorating terraces, and today we want to give you the best tips on how to maintain a pool in winter. Read on!

Winter is a very important time for the pool maintenance, as we have to prepare them to withstand several months of inactivity, cold and adverse weather conditions. However, if you take the right measures before winter, you could reduce costs and shorten the start-up time the following year. What is the best way to maintain the pool in winter? What should we do when temperatures drop? Should we leave the pool with water and keep it in good condition, or is it better to empty it? Here we answer your questions. 

Closing swimming pool for winter

Emptying the pool water

Can a pool be left empty in winter? The emptying of the pool involves the total elimination of the water that occupies it. If you decide to do so, you have to consider that it is not profitable to empty a pool every season. The volume of water is a great expense, and the start-up of the installation would demand time, work, and money.

Also, consider that an empty pool is a hole in the ground where the surrounding soil exerts pressure from outside the walls. The weight of the substrate on the space of the pool that does not have water generates pressure in the opposite direction, which can cause cracks. Water protects the pool shell from the aggression of wind, sun, snow, and other natural factors.

Therefore, if you decide to do it, try not to let the pool be empty for a long time.

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Hibernate a swimming pool

How to conserve the water of the swimming pool in winter? The process of winterizing swimming pools is achieved by treating the water, to which a product called winterizing must be added, which maintains the water and prevents its decomposition. The overwintering agent is watered when temperatures drop to between 14 °C to prevent microorganisms from reproducing. 

Experts confirm that winterizing is the best option for maintaining the pool during the winter because the condition of the water only needs to be checked every two to three weeks.  In addition, the filtering time and the number of chemicals used are less than in summer. 

With a good winterization, you will save time and money when starting up your pool next season – don’t neglect your pool this winter!

Swimming pool winter maintenance

If you want to know how to maintain your pool during the winter in the most efficient way, follow these tips:

Clean the pool

This will be the first and most important step. Remember to carefully brush the walls and run the pool cleaner. Then you have to verify that the pump pre-filter and the skimmer baskets are free of leaves and other debris. Cleanliness is essential for the products to work perfectly. 

Water pH

The optimum pH should be between 7.2 and 7.6 so that the effect of the disinfectant used is ideal. The filter needs 8 hours of operation to distribute the product and obtain the optimum level of free chlorine concentration.

Winterizing product

After 24 hours of chlorination, this product should be placed in the pool. Then, after 3 months, you will have to repeat the process.

Covering the pool

These covers protect the state of the water, as well as the structural elements of the pool (walls, skimmers). It is advisable to use a dark cover to avoid the transfer of the sun. Not only do we allow a better guarantee against frost, but we will reinforce the safety of children and pets throughout the year.

Products to keep water in pool in winter

Maintaining pool water is important. Here we leave you some essential chemical products to do the maintenance. 

•  Winterizing product for swimming pools.
•  Chlorine and pH analyzer.
•  Product for shock chlorination.
•  Filter solids descale.

If you follow all these tips when the winter is over, you will surely have saved a lot of time and money. You will discover that the water is still in good condition when you remove the pool cover. Give it a light cleaning, and get back in the water!