By far, the vast majority of non-startup related pool damage occurs during winter months when owners simply aren’t paying much attention to their pools. While you may have closed your swimming pool for the winter, you can’t simply walk away and ignore it until spring. Careful winter pool maintenance is critical to protecting your investment and avoiding costly swimming pool removal in New Jersey. To help understand why this is true, the following is a brief explanation of the four most common winter pool problems:
- Problems with the cover.
Winter pool covers are invaluable for keeping falling leaves and blowing debris out of the water, but they are not without their challenges. Covers tear can tear when heavy rain and snow build upon their surface, and heavy winds can blow covers off. Use a pool cover pump to remove water and always repair torn covers promptly. - Plumbing leaks.
Your pool’s pipes take a beating in the winter; constant freezing and thawing cause expansion and contraction that may eventually lead to cracks and leaks. Winterizing your pool removes water from the system so it can’t freeze. If you’re leaving your pool open for the season, keeping the water moving is essential to avoiding frozen equipment. A freeze guard timer will automatically run the filter when temperatures drop and help you avoid expensive repairs. - Out-of-whack water chemistry.
Check your water’s chemistry regularly throughout the colder months to prevent damage and complications in the spring. When pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness remain out of standard ranges for long periods, your pool’s equipment and surface can experience permanent damage. Also, saltwater systems are a bit tricky in the cold; the salt generation system’s reaction that produces chlorine doesn’t happen at temps below 60 degrees. If you’ve got a salt system, you’ll need to manually add chlorine to the water all winter long to keep the water fresh and clean. - Dropping water levels.
During the winterization process, water is removed from the plug and filtrations lines to prevent the pump system from freezing, and water levels are reduced to below the skimmer and jets. After that, you need to regularly check your water level throughout the winter to ensure it stays consistent; dropping water will damage your pool liner and shell and maybe a sign of a more severe leak.
Finally, don’t wait for warmer temperatures in the spring to open your pool. The longer you wait, the greater the chance of stagnant water and algae blooms. Take the cover off and get things moving as soon as the risk of freezing is gone, and indeed, before daytime temperatures reach 70 degrees, algae love those warm temperatures even more than you do.
If you’ve had enough of pool maintenance, contact Atlantic Pool Experts. We provide exceptional pool removal in New Jersey. We’ll have that pool out of your backyard in no time at all. Call us today for a consultation.