Oklahoma weather is often unpredictable and harsh. The high winds and flooding that accompany severe storms can contaminate your pool with dirt, debris, mud, silt, and bacteria. If untreated, these pollutants can lead to unhealthy water conditions, scratches in your pool’s lining, and algae. Proper care is imperative to keep your pool clean and damage-free.
When determining how to treat your pool for inclement weather, keep in mind the season, temperature, and nature of the storm. The maintenance needed for an ice storm is very different than that of a rain storm, and knowing the difference can save you time and money after a severe storm of any kind.
Below, we’ve outlined the steps you can take to prepare for both winter storms and thunderstorms, to help you keep your pool in top condition all year long.
Winter Storm Pool Prep
It is essential that you properly winterize your pool prior to freezing temperatures and inclement winter weather. Follow these steps to make sure that your pool is correctly closed for the winter:
- Brush your pool.
- Balance the water.
- Raise chlorine levels to a high ppm.
- Add a high-quality winter chemical kit to keep the water healthy through snow, ice, and rain.
If you don’t want to close your pool yourself, we offer winterizing services.
Winter Storm Pool Cleanup
Following a winter storm, ice and snow can accumulate on your pool cover. This weighs down your cover and can very easily cause tears. If ice does build up on your pool cover, do not try to break up the ice or remove it in chunks. Instead, wait until the storm has passed. If possible, allow the sun to gradually melt the ice. As soon as the ice melts, use a pump to drain the excess water off of the cover.
Thunderstorm Pool Prep
Severe thunderstorms often produce strong winds that can sweep debris, dirt, and bacteria into your pool. Follow these steps to prepare your pool for high winds and heavy rain to set yourself up for an easier cleanup.
- Balance your water and add algae controller. It might seem counterintuitive to balance your pool right before a harsh storm, but starting at a healthy water level will make it much easier to balance your pool later.
- Turn off and cover all pool equipment including the pump, motor, filter, heater, chlorinator, and lighting fixtures.
- Move all backyard furniture, toys, and loose objects indoors to keep them from blowing into the pool or damaging your landscaping.
What NOT to do:
DO NOT drain your pool! Emptying your pool before a storm leaves the walls of your pool vulnerable to scratches, cracks, and structural damage caused by large debris.
DO NOT cover your pool! It may seem logical to protect your pool with a cover, but in high winds, your pool cover will not be effective in keeping out dirt and debris. Additionally, your cover could easily be damaged by airborne debris.
Thunderstorm Pool Cleanup
To maintain the hygiene and long-term health of your pool, it is essential to properly clean your pool following a severe thunderstorm.
- Start by removing any debris from the filter and pump.
- Use the skimmer to clean out debris floating on the surface of the water.
- Turn on your pump and filter.
- Brush the surfaces of your pool, so that all dirt and debris can be reached with the vacuum.
- Use the vacuum to remove all remaining particles from the floor of your pool.
- Once your pool is clean, test your water using test strips, a test kit, or by bringing a sample of your pool water to our Blue Haven Tulsa store.
- Shock your pool water using a simple shock chemical kit. Leave the shock treatment in for a full 8 hours or overnight.
- Finally, balance the levels of your pool water, adding one chemical at a time. We recommend using our weekly maintenance services to ensure that your pool levels are always balanced properly.
Knowing how to take care of your pool before and after a severe storm can ensure the safety, hygiene, and longevity of your pool. However, even armed with the proper checklist, managing your own pool maintenance can be a hassle. For more information on our weekly pool maintenance, give us a call today!