Preparing Your Pool for Winter

It’s that time of the year again. Nights are getting cooler, and autumn is in the air. And for the thousands of residents who have pools in their yards, it’s time to prepare the pool for another winter season.

But wait. Be careful not to put problems to sleep for the winter which will wreak havoc on your pool when spring starts. Improper winter maintenance can lead to damaged equipment, unsightly stains and serious algae growth that can be expensive and costly to clean up. 

Here are some suggested steps you can follow to “winterise” your pool:

• Take a water sample into Pool Splendour or your local pool professional for a comprehensive water analysis and receive a complete personalised prescription for your pool.
• Brush the walls of your pool and vacuum it thoroughly to remove any debris. Clean the skimmer and pump baskets.
• Chemically clean the filter media using Aqua Tide’s FILTER GRIME X, a special filter cleaner to clean oils, greases and any scaling that is present. In cold water, dirt in a filter can cake and harden, leaving you with a tough clean-up job in the spring.
• With your pump and motor operating, use Aqua Tide’s PROTECTA BLUE, an algae preventative. Then add Aqua Tide’s CHLOR ‘N SHOCK around the pool edges to shock treat the pool water. Continue to run the pump and filter for at least 2 hours after application.
• Finally put your pool on a winter maintenance programme, apply Aqua Tide’s FLOATA TABS (one tablet per 20-25 000L) to the weir every 10 to 14 days to maintain free chlorine levels between 1-2 ppm. Add Aqua Tide’s CHLOR ‘N SHOCK (one 500g bag per 50 000L) every 3-4 weeks to oxidise contaminants and PROTECTA BLUE (one 1L bottle per 50 000L) every 6 weeks to keep algae under control. 
• Pool Splendour or your local pool professional can provide you with a programme to suit your needs.

After completing these steps, you can cover your pool to protect it from winter’s leaves and debris and know it will be ready for the next summer season.

Pool Splendour carries a full line of winterising products that can meet the needs of both commercial and residential pools. Smart pool owners realise that a little investment of time and money now can help prevent a whole host of problems in the spring. Do yourself a favour and winterise your pool correctly. When the flowers begin to bloom, you’ll thank yourself!