Maintaining Your Pool During the Winter Months
As the holiday’s approach, winter maintenance for your swimming pool is probably not the main topic on many people’s minds. You also may, or may not have, heard of “winterizing” your pool. That’s because the term has different meanings depending upon where you live. In the northern states, it is somewhat common practice to drain and cover a swimming pool as the winter months approach to prevent pipes from freezing. In Florida, however, there is an entirely different set of important steps to keep our pools properly maintained year-round.
The following is a list of the top four things that every Central Florida pool owner should do to maintain their swimming pools during the winter months and the beginning of the spring season.
Continue to Clean Your Pool
Maintaining your cleaning routine, even if you’re using your pool less or not at all, is still very important during the winter months. Leaves continue to fall this time of the year, so debris traps can become clogged and dirt can build up, obstructing your pool’s filtration system. Old leaves can also cause stains on the sides and floor of your pool and promote algae growth, both of which increase your effort and costs when swim season comes back around. Continue to keep your filter clean, use a leaf skimmer to remove debris and leaves from the pool’s surface and clean up any sunken debris with a pool vacuum. Your pool and your wallet will thank you later!
Monitor the Water Level
As we’ve discussed before, maintaining the proper water level in your pool is very important. During the summer when the heat is at its peak, evaporation is something to watch, but the same goes for Florida pools in the winter months. There is less rain and colder, drier temperatures in the winter which will also cause the water in your pool to evaporate. It is not uncommon for the water level to drop as much as one to two inches (possibly more) every week during this time of year. If your pool loses too much water, it can shift the balance of the pool chemistry as well as cause component damage if the water drops below the skimmer level and air is sucked into the system. Check your pool’s water level regularly in order to prevent it from going down too low and refill with water to the proper levels as necessary. Remember the mid-tile line rule of thumb to determine if there’s too little water in your pool: at mid-tile line is perfect, under mid-tile is too low.
Prevent Algae Build-Up
We all look forward to the few colder days that we do get to enjoy during Florida’s winter, however, the temperature fluctuates enough that pol water is still prone to algae bloom and build-up. Keep your pool running to circulate it through the winter months and test the water regularly to make sure your pool’s water chemicals are balanced to prevent algae build-up. Chlorine levels can be reduced slightly as there are less people using the pool and water temps will be lower, but you should continue running your pump for four to six (4-6) hours every day. If you do start to see that greenish tinge in your pool, follow the proper steps to take care of the algae growth before it gets out of control, and shock your pool if necessary.
Consider Investing in a Pool Heater
If you want to enjoy your pool year-round in Florida, a pool heater is the best way to be able to do that! We rarely see snow in Florida (especially in the Orlando and Central Florida area), and most parts of the state don’t experience any type of frozen precipitation in the winter months. So why not get the most out of your pool by investing in a pool heater instead of closing it up? Pool heaters have very low annual operating costs and are competitively priced whether you go with gas or heat pump heaters. You may also want to look at solar pool heating as it is the most cost-effective use of solar energy in many areas and climates.
Pools by Bradley is Here for YOU
After Pools by Bradley helps you build the pool of your dreams, it’s extremely important to protect your investment by always having required maintenance performed and properly taking care of your pool even in the winter months! You can to do this on your own or hire a pool servicing company. We intend to inspire you to improve the recreational time you spend with your family and friends in your new outdoor environment. BUT – we especially also want you to protect your investment! When researching and choosing pool service companies to properly take care of your dream pool, make sure your hire a LICENSED professional pool service company.
Our motto is “take care of the customer and everything else will take care of itself”. When you choose Pools by Bradley to help you build your dream pool, you can rest assured that you’re choosing the very best. As a local family owned and operated company founded in 1996, we have received numerous design awards and honors. Pools by Bradley is rated as one of the top 50 pool builders in the U.S., plus recognized as the “Best Pool Company” in Orlando by Orlando Magazine several years in a row! We offer custom built pools and spas with additions ranging from water features and lighting effects to rain curtains and water slides…the sky’s the limit! Contact us online or call us today at 407-323-7496 to see how we can help you build the pool of your dreams!