7 Off-Season Pool Care Pro Tips

You may not be swimming in winter, but that doesn’t mean your pool doesn’t need care. Ongoing pool maintenance is a year-round requirement, to ensure your pump, filter, heater, and other pool equipment is usable when it’s time to swim in the spring. Fortunately, keeping up with small, weekly pool care chores can keep your pool in great shape and avoid major repairs once you’re ready to use it again.

1. Watch what’s in the pool. If your pool is covered, open it occasionally to remove any debris on the cover or under it. Make sure the cover and any attachments, water bags, or lawn anchors are attached, because winter storms can put stress on the cover; anything unattached could come loose.
2. Check the chemistry. A big part of protecting the investment you put in your pool is maintaining the right balance of chemicals. Leaving the pH, alkalinity, cyanuric acid, and calcium hardness off balance can cause damage to your pool equipment and surface. During the winter months, balance the pH weekly. For a spa, check the chemistry every two or three days. Use an algaecide to keep algae in check, but you can reduce the sanitizer levels while the pool’s not in use.
3. Mind the equipment. Check the filter gauge, pool pump, heater, and exposed plumbing from time to time. Make sure everything is functioning properly, perform backwashing, and clean your filter.
4. Take special care when it freezes. Water left in your equipment during freezing weather can ruin your equipment and plumbing. Circulation is vital for your pool equipment when it freezes so that you don’t have to repair frozen equipment.
5. Keep trash out of your pool. Debris can build up, so remember to empty skimmer baskets, pump baskets, floor cleaner containers and cleaner bags. When your water and equipment stay clean over the winter, opening your pool will be easier in the spring.
6. Clean the surfaces. Get in the habit of skimming, vacuuming, and brushing organic debris weekly, and you’ll prevent algae growth on your pool surfaces.
7. Maintain the right water level. Top off the pool’s water level correctly, to keep the pool primed and protect the pump. In a warm climate without freezing temperatures, the pool can be filled nearly to the top. In a colder environment, keep it four to six inches below the skimmer.

When you need someone to help take care of your pool, you can trust Millennium Pool Service to get the job done right. With over 30 combined years of experience in the pool industry, we provide a comprehensive range of services for customers in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland. When you hire Millennium Pool Service, you get a well-qualified, industry-trained staff, services that are tailored to your needs, and a commitment to 100% customer satisfaction. In Virginia, call 703. 939. 5062, in Maryland, call 301. 591. 3750, or contact us through our website.