Do you ever find yourself standing and looking out the window or door at your swimming pool, yearning for summer and for the time when you can swim again? If you do, you’re not alone. Do you know, though, that just because the pool has been closed for the winter that doesn’t mean that you ignore it for the winter months? It’s true! You need to give your swimming pool some thought and perhaps even some care throughout the winter months.
Caring for a pool in the winter isn’t a task that will take you much longer than a few moments and for the most part it involves taking time to give your pool a once over — whether from inside the house or outside the house just to assure that everything is still looking good and that the pool remains covered and cared for.
Winter Swimming Pool Cover Care Tips
- Make certain the cover remains secure. If there is a windstorm coming you definitely want to check the pool to make certain the cover is tightened down. If a windstorm comes through without warning, you need to check the pool after the storm to check the ties and make certain the pool is covered.
- When there is a snowfall you also want to check and make sure the weight of the snow isn’t damaging the cover or the ties or the pool itself. To remove snow from a pool cover, you need to be careful. Don’t use a shovel. Carefully use a pool or roof rake and gently move the snow from the middle of the pool cover to the edges then brush it off.
- If there is ice or standing water do not pull chunks of ice off the pool cover. You run the risk of the ice ripping the cover if it’s frozen to it. Also, if you move a large chunk of ice and drop it, it could fall through the cover and into the pool. For standing water removal, grab your shop vac and vacuum it off.
- Make a note on your calendar to check the pool and the pool cover at least weekly.
- If there is a snow storm or a windstorm, check the pool immediately after.
- If you notice damage to the pool cover or the pool itself because of snow or ice, give your pool contractor a call and ask him to come and inspect the pool and to see if the cover can be repaired or do you need to replace it. You definitely don’t want to leave the cover ripped and/or flapping in the breeze until spring arrives.
When is the last time you inspected your swimming pool and its cover? If you can’t remember, please go out and check it today!