If you’ve been with us for a while, you may have read our blog on How to Develop a Pool Maintenance Routine where we discussed the many facets-and literal boxes to check-when taking care of your pool. Winter maintenance, while much simpler with fewer things to remember, is no less important for the life and health of your pool. Let’s get into it!
One of the service Denscot offers in our Winter Maintenance package, is lowering the water levels. While In the summertime water loss of any kind is unwanted and is meant to be avoided at all cost, in the winter it is ideal. If Denscot closed your pool for the winter, we lowered the water level below the skimmer and blew out all the lines. Your pool was then covered with a mesh safety cover. Mesh materials allows rain and snow to fall through the cover, rather than weigh it down and wear it out faster. All that rain and snow falling into the pool has now raised your water level again. Our technician will lower that level again to prevent water from entering your skimmer lines—because once that water freezes, you could be looking at broken pipes that need to be replaced in the spring.
In addition to lowering the water, Denscot circulates the water and balances the chemicals every few weeks. “But why? No one’s swimming in January anyway!” Exactly! That water has been sitting stagnant, whereas in the summer it is constantly cycling and being pushed through a filter. The act of cycling water encourages the water minerals and chemicals to interact differently, keeping the water cleaner and preventing unnecessary mineral buildup-or winter scale. All of this makes for a healthier pool, and a smoother opening in the spring.
From the moment our techs arrive on site, they are taking a mental inventory of gates, pipes, fencing, equipment, the winter cover, straps, and anchors. Anything that is broken gets reported and replaced or repaired. Winter maintenance is more than simply lowering the water if it gets too high. It is regular inspection of all the safety barriers around the pool area, for the health of the pool and the safety of people and animals who pass through the area.
Take a critical look at your pool area and identify the different things that may qualify as safety barriers. Applying these to a checklist will assist you in developing a solid winter maintenance routine. Such a routine will ensure that your pool and pool area are kept in optimal condition to lengthen the life and strengthen the health of your pool.
To learn more about Denscot’s winter maintenance package, visit our maintenance page.
