Everyone knows you must maintain your swimming pool properly to enjoy it fully. Maintenance is crucial if you want a pristine pool and to avoid developing nasty bacteria and algae. And everyone knows you should take care of your pool during summer, clean it regularly, preserve the proper chemical balance, and keep an eye out for algae developing. 

But what about winter pool maintenance? What should you do when summer ends and you can’t or don’t want to use your pool? Do you leave the pool as it is, or is there a specific winter pool care that you need to look up? 

Maybe these questions have kept you awake, especially if you are a new pool owner, so we’ve decided to help you. We’ve prepared answers to these questions and many more regarding pool maintenance in winter.

The important thing is not to ignore the pool maintenance during winter as you can make yourself a huge problem, especially in the spring, once you are ready to use the pool again. 

Our pool maintenance service in Miami had to solve many problems for our clients just because they forgot about pool maintenance in winter. And if you don’t want to make the same mistake, keep reading and follow our advice.

Pool Care in Winter – The Guide

There is something you can call a universal winter pool maintenance procedure; however, you should always first consider the place and the climate you live in before doing anything to your pool. 

Winter pool care is not the same for warmer and colder climates. If you live in a place where winters are mild, and you don’t get snow, you could even spend the winter without covering your pool. If you live where winters are cold and nights can be freezing, you need to take a few additional steps before closing the swimming pool season. And doing these few extra steps will save you money in the long run and secure you a happy new swimming pool season in the spring. 

Pool Maintenance During Winter – The Essential Steps

Warm Swimming Pool With Blue Water and Wooden Russian Bath in Sunny Winter Weather, Outdoor.

We’ll share with you what we think are the essential pool maintenance steps during winter, and if you follow them, you won’t have problems in the spring when the new season starts.

Cleaning the Pool

Before you put your swimming pool to sleep, you need to clean it properly. Cleaning a pool before winter sleep differs from cleaning it regularly during summer. You’ll want to clean it thoroughly, which includes brushing and vacuuming. 

Balancing the Water

Once you are done with the cleaning part of winter pool care, you’ll need to balance the water. By now, you probably know how essential balancing the water is, and you’ve done it a few times already. But to be sure, balancing the water means balancing the pool chemicals and keeping everything in order. Before retiring the pool, you should balance the chemicals and test the water to see the results.

Now it would be ideal to test the water with test strips at least once a month to be sure everything is in order. If you are not using the pool, and especially if everything is covered, there will be no need to balance the water again during winter. But anything can happen, so you should perform this task regularly and monitor the levels of chemicals to prevent a disaster. 

And if you forget to check the water, you may end up with a pool full of algae in the spring. 

Removing Pool Accessories

It’s vital to remove anything from the pool as part of the pool maintenance during winter. There shouldn’t be any objects in the water during the pause period. 

Cleaning the Filter

Before the winter hits, you should clean your filter, but you shouldn’t forget about it. You’ll want to check the filter periodically to see if it works properly.

Checking the Pool Pump

During winter pool maintenance, you should regularly check your pool pump to see if everything is okay and that it’s still running. By doing so, you are avoiding significant and unnecessary expenses in the future. 

Checking the Heaters

If you have heathers in the pool, you should check them also while performing your regular winter pool care. 

Checking the Pipes

Before closing the season, you need to check the pipes and see if there is any excess water in them. If there is, you are risking cracked pipes if there is a case of freezing temperatures. Even if you live in a reasonably warm place, you never know when a cold outbreak can affect your area. And if your pipes crack, you have a significant and expensive problem on your hands.

Draining the Water

You don’t want to drain every drop of water from the pool, but as part of pool maintenance in winter, you’ll need to get rid of at least some. You’ll want to drain until the water is below the pool skimmer. That way, your pool is safe from freezing if there’s a possibility for something like that. Also, it’s critical to drain your pump, heater, and filter. 

This part of the pool care in winter is because you want to prevent anything from freezing. Because if some of the equipment gets frozen, you might need to break the bank to repair everything or buy new stuff. 

Covering the Pool

And finally, the last step of winter pool care is to cover the pool. Some people leave their pool uncovered; nevertheless, we advise you not to risk and close it just to be on the safe side.

Finding a high-quality cover made of long-lasting and durable material that fits your pool is essential. And be sure that it’s not a hassle to put it on. 

A good pool cover will save you time and money and make the new season easier to prepare for. It will prevent rain, snow, leaves, dirt, and debris from falling into the water. And most importantly, it will help you maintain the chemical levels in the required balance. 

As part of your pool care in winter, you will want to remove any debris and water falling onto the cover. Also, if it happens to snow, be sure to clean it off the cover. Otherwise, you are risking damaging it. 

Winter Pool Maintenance Just Before Spring

Perspective View of Black Pool Cover Pump for Keeping the Water Away From Pool Covers or Spas.

As spring is just around the corner, you’ll want to start preparing for the new season. The first thing you should do is throw out all the old chemicals and buy new ones. You’ll also want to check the chemical balance and if everything is working correctly.

Before the season starts, you have a chance to prepare everything, clean, and fix if something is broken. 

Consult With a Professional

If you still aren’t sure if you can manage to maintain your pool during colder months, or you are confused with anything we mentioned in this article, be sure to Contact Florida Pool Patio

You should always consult a professional if you are unsure what to do. It’s the best way to prevent a disaster and ensure everything is in order and ready to be up and running when spring hits. 

We are a pool company with a team of professionals that helped many clients take care of their pools. We are sure we can help you, too, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.