You have been listening to the weather reports and know there is a storm on the horizon. What should you do to protect your swimming pool? Depending on the type of storm your area of the country gets, you may want to shut off the pool pump and make certain the pool cover is firmly in place.
When you have adequate notice, it’s easy to get your pool prepared before a storm blows through and when this happens you will have an easier time with post storm pool clean up. In a perfect world you would always have notification of storms and would be prepared, but when you get surprised by one or you’re at work and just can’t take care of the pool before the storm hits, there are some simple steps you can take to get your pool back in tip top shape after the storm has passed.
What To Do To Your Pool After It Rains
Here are items you will want to check once it’s safe to go out into the back yard and address the pool.
Clean it. You may work with a pool contractor on a regular basis, but depending on his schedule and the devastation the storm has wrought, he may be busy and you may have a wait before he can take care of your pool clean up. When this happens, it’s up to you to step up and clean the pool. Remove twigs, leaves, branches and other items that may have blown into the swimming pool. After you’ve cleaned everything you will want to brush the pool walls, steps and floor and then run the vacuum. After you’re done vacuuming, clean the filter to remove any items can clog it and damage it.
Test the water. Grab your pool water test kit and check the water chemical levels. If you didn’t have your pool cover in place rainfall can easily get the chemicals out of whack. It’s important that the pool chemical levels are maintained properly at all times to ensure the water is safe for swimming. Also, improperly balanced pool chemicals can lead to staining and equipment damage. Rain will cause the pH to drop and it will also make the water more acidic. If the rain has watered down the water, you will need to add more chlorine so it can do its job and keep the pool water clean and free of bacteria.
If the storm has added water to the swimming pool you may need to pump out the additional water to get the levels back where they belong.
Light showers that don’t bring high winds or flying debris means you won’t have to stress too much about the pool chemistry or after storm clean up, but it still doesn’t hurt to test the water to assure yourself the chemicals are properly balanced.
What should you do to prepare for a storm if you have sufficient notice?
- Remove or store pool furniture so it doesn’t blow into the pool
- Cover grills
- Store cushions from all patio furniture
- Move potted plants out of harm’s way
- Cover the swimming pool
- Store all pool toys, games and pool floating toys
Disconnect electrical and gas lines to your pool. If you aren’t certain how to do this, make sure you ask your pool contractor for tips before you ever have to do it on your own. Turn off all power to the pump before the storm hits and turn off the pool pump timer so it doesn’t turn on in the middle of the storm.
Ready the pool water. Add a bit of algaecide to the water to prevent algae build up after the storm. Algaecide will also help ward off organic contaminants that the storm could blow into the water.
For safety’s sake
Stay out of the swimming pool when there is a storm in the event of a lightning strike. It may be fun to play around in the yard during a rain storm – just ask anyone who lives in the desert region of the country, but it’s not safe to be in the swimming pool while a storm is going through. Close the pool, batten down the hatches and ride it out!