Winter pool maintenance is essential if you want to keep your pool in tip-top shape.
Unfortunately, many pool owners think that when winter comes, they can just leave their pool alone until the spring. Well, that’s not the case.
Your pool actually needs year-round pool maintenance to stay its best. Read on below to find out more.
Why Winter Pool Maintenance is Important
Houston and surrounding areas typically experience a beautiful, warm climate. Even in the winter, temperatures rarely dip below 50 degrees. But don’t be fooled – Houston’s warm climate doesn’t mean that your pool doesn’t need attention during the winter months. It most certainly does.
And in truth, we have had the odd snow day and a few freezes over the past few years – so it’s always good to be prepared.
Pool maintenance should be done year-round – not just in the summer.
A general rule of thumb is that there is no season where your pool maintenance should stop. Taking care of your pool is a year-round job, and it shouldn’t just be left to sit. Forgetting about your pool means small problems you could have caught early could turn into huge problems over that time you spend ignoring it.
In other words, ignoring winter pool maintenance is bad for your swimming pool and your wallet.
Many Houstonians Use Their Pool Year-Round
Thanks to our beautiful climate, many homeowners use their swimming pool year-round. It’s great because you can enjoy your pool with friends any time.
Pool heaters also extend the fun to months when the weather gets a bit colder.
Did you know that swimming is good for your health?
It’s well documented that swimming is one of the best full-body exercises you can do, and pool heaters make it easier to get your exercise no matter what the season.
If you have a pool heater, you can jump in the water and exercise from the comfort of your own backyard. Even if the weather suddenly changes from 72 degrees to a chilly 50 degrees, your pool heater will keep you comfortable in the water.
In the end, whether you’re using your pool during the winter or not, winter pool maintenance is still important.
Clean Up Those Leaves
In fall and winter, leaves can start to accumulate on the surface of your pool.
This may not sound like a big deal, but leaves can actually do a lot of damage to your pool! And let’s be honest – they make your pool look messy.
If you plan on covering your pool during the winter, don’t leave unwanted leaves in your pool beneath the pool cover.
This becomes a safety issue.
Algae will stain the walls of your pool if you leave it in there for too long. It can do more than just stain your pool, though; it can actually make guests sick, turn your water green, and cause damage leading to pool equipment repair.
As leaves decay and algae builds up, bacteria will multiply and hide in nooks and crannies. This makes it harder to remove.
As time goes on, your pool becomes a disgusting home for dead leaves and tons of nasty bacteria.
So always make sure you get pool cleaning done before covering your pool.
It’s also important to perform regular pool maintenance during the winter, removing your pool cover to do so each time.
Water Loss is a Common Problem in Winter
Did you know that swimming pools often experience high water loss during fall and winter? It’s true.
In fact, water level issues are one of the biggest winter pool maintenance concerns for pool owners.
Water loss can actually lead to serious damage of your pool equipment and bad water circulation, which hurts your pool even more.
Here’s why it happens:
Water evaporation occurs year-round, no matter what season it is. However, it can be intensified by the elements in colder seasons, like fall and winter. Yes, even in Texas!
For example, ice, snow, leaves, water, and other debris can accumulate on top of your pool cover during this time. Over time, weight increases and forces the pool cover into the surface of the pool, which leads to water rising up over the sides of your pool. This is called displacement. To fix it, wait for a warm day and pump off the pool cover. Don’t try to remove the ice by yourself! The sharp edges of the ice can damage your pool cover.
Your pool heater is a big culprit for fall and winter water loss. We use pool heaters to warm up our pools and relax, but that relaxing heat allows water to escape as steam and evaporate.
The heat from the pumps running may look like a small impact at first glance, but it adds up quickly with 8-10 hours of run time. As the pumps move the water, the spinning impeller heats up, which raises the temperature of the water, leading to increased evaporation.
If you have waterfalls or sheer descents, the arc of the spillway shoots off water, which can splash out. In addition, some water turns into mist and floats away.
The good news is that this can be prevented with proper winter pool maintenance. Make sure you inspect your pool often for possible leaks and continue regular pool maintenance as normal.
The best Houston pool maintenance company will help you protect your pool and prevent complete drying out of your pool water, no matter the cause.
Protect Your Pool with Winter Pool Maintenance from Manning Pool Service
Keep your pool running great and looking beautiful with Manning Pool Service. Our team is highly experienced and knowledgeable – and can keep your winter pool maintenance going so you can relax. Whether you need pool maintenance, pool cleaning, equipment repair, fire bowl repair, or something else, Manning Pool Service is the best Houston pool company to call. Contact us today for a FREE quote by pressing the button below or calling us at [phone number=”713-597-2642″].
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Do I Need Winter Pool Maintenance? | Manning Pool Service – Houston, TX