Unpredictable winter and spring temperatures should not keep you from enjoying your outdoor swimming pool year-round! We have several tips to make sure you are maintaining your Florida pool during the winter months so you can keep using it now and in the summer.
With proper planning and preparation, there’s no need to stop using your Florida pool just because the temperature dropped. With a few important tips and maintenance tricks, you can make sure your pool is ready to swim – even when it’s not extremely hot and humid!
Check and Adjust Your Chemical Levels Regularly.
We say it a lot because it is the most important to make sure you regularly test your chemical levels. This is particularly critical to do when the temperatures dip and then spike back up. The main levels to keep an eye on are chlorine, pH level, alkalinity, and calcium hardness. We suggest weekly testing year-round and if you plan to continue using your pool in the cooler months, our recommendation doesn’t change.
Keep Leaves and Debris Out of the Pool.
During fall and winter months, leaves can often be the biggest nuisance when it comes to pool maintenance in Florida. Taking the time to properly cover your swimming pool when not in use will go a long way toward keeping debris and leaves out of your pool. Additionally, it’s a good idea to check your pool’s skimmer basket regularly to make sure no extra debris accumulates in the filter system. Debris doesn’t just make a pool less inviting it can throw off your chemicals and promote algae growth.
Regularly Monitor for Algae Growth and Stains.
Even during the cooler months, algae growth and pool staining can occur if your pool is not properly maintained. This is another area where weekly maintenance can prevent this from occurring. If you have already noticed signs of algae in your pool, taking steps such as adding extra sanitizer or reducing your water’s alkalinity can help keep your swimming pool stay clean and crystal clear all winter long.
Clean or Replace the Filter Regularly.
Replacing or cleaning your pool filters regularly is an important part of effective pool maintenance. A dirty filter allows debris and algae to remain in the water, causing congestion, cloudy water, and staining. Every few weeks during winter months, it’s important to make sure you are changing out the cartridge or Diatomaceous earth (an effective, natural way to kill algae in swimming pools) filter for your pool output pipes and preventing any dirt or grime from entering your swimming pool. We offer D.E. filter cleaning, which includes carefully removing the filters and cleaning them, as well as cleaning out the bottom of the filter and removing the used D.E. and cleaning the backwash the filter, which means using the extra hose line to push the dirt out.
Check for and Treat Pipes, Lines, Plumbing Leaks and Cracks.
There’s nothing like a freeze-thaw cycle or quick temperature decrease to put extra pressure on pool lines and pipes. Your pool’s pipes, lines, and plumbing should be checked each season to make sure they are free from cracks and leaks which can cause a significant amount of damage if left untreated. Be sure to inspect the inside of your walls for any loose or broken pipes before adding any more water. Once you’ve identified the areas of your pool where repairs are needed, it’s important to address them quickly in order to prevent further damage. Sealants and epoxies can be a good option for repairing small cracks and holes as well as keeping larger ones from becoming major problems.
More about Swim ‘N Fun
While you can do a lot on your own to keep your pool looking good and ready for you whenever you want, sometimes you might need professional help. In fact, we recommend you have your pool serviced at least once a year just to make sure everything is as it should be. Plus, we are really good at checking your equipment such as filters, pumps, and heating systems for major and minor issues.
Swim ‘N Fun offers weekly pool maintenance. Our trained pool technicians service the pool by testing the pool water, balancing the water chemistry, skimming the pool, brushing the pool walls, emptying the baskets, vacuuming the pool as needed, cleaning or backwashing the pool filter as needed, and checking the equipment to ensure that it is running properly. Routine pool maintenance helps a pool owner to save money and time. A properly balanced pool will also help keep swimmers safe and healthy.
Swim ‘N Fun is fully licensed and insured and has been serving Central Florida since 1986. Our pool company is ready to help you with any pool repairs that you may need such as repairing a broken pool pump, pool filter, pool vacuum, pool filtration system or pool lights. Our pool technicians will arrive at your home in our fully stocked service trucks. They will evaluate the problem and then make the repair. Many times, an extensive or expensive pool repair is not needed. No job is too big or too small!
We service all major brands. Let us help you with your pool repairs. Please give us a call at 407-699-5588.