Avoid These Common Pool Closing Mistakes!

Properly closing your pool protects its surfaces, equipment, and water quality throughout the winter season in New York. When closing your pool, avoid common mistakes like closing it too early or too late to prevent algae and avoid frost damage to the pool equipment. Before covering your pool, make sure it has been thoroughly cleaned and balance the water chemicals to prevent debris buildup, staining, scaling, and algae. You should also avoid removing too much water from your pool to avoid damage to the pool structure from the surrounding groundwater pressure.

Avoid closing your pool too late or too early.

One of the most common mistakes that you should avoid when closing your pool is doing it at the wrong time. When you close your pool too early, the temperatures may still be warm enough for algae and bacteria to grow, turning your pool cloudy and green. The water will also remain stagnant in warm temperatures, causing chemicals like chlorine to dissolve faster. As a result, the water will be unbalanced, and you run the risk of having your pool surfaces stained because of unbalanced water chemistry.

Meanwhile, closing your pool too late can be problematic if your area experiences freezing conditions. When you wait for temperatures to drop before closing your pool, you increase the risk of freezing water damaging the pumps, filtration system, and other key equipment. Instead of scheduling a pool closing date based on your calendar, it's better to monitor the weather forecast and water temperatures to ensure the timing is right.

Never skip a final, thorough pool cleaning before closing it.

Before closing your pool, make sure you have done a final, thorough cleaning of it. Even if the water looks clean and clear, it's important to take the time to brush and vacuum the pool walls and floor. If you close your pool without cleaning it thoroughly, any debris, dirt, oils, and organic debris can break down in the water during the off-season and cause algae to grow. You will be left with a nasty surprise in the spring when you discover your pool is a stained, cloudy, and green mess. When cleaning your pool, make sure to empty the skimmer and pump baskets, and clean the filter to remove as much dirt and debris as possible.

Balance your pool chemicals before closing it.

Not balancing your pool chemicals before closing is one mistake you should avoid. If your pool will be closed for an extended period, it's important to ensure the water chemistry is balanced. Test the water first before applying chemicals to ensure the right treatments are used in the right amounts to bring the water chemistry to the ideal range and ensure the water is sanitized.

By balancing water chemistry, you can be confident that the pool equipment and surfaces will be protected while they are not used in the off-season. You can avoid issues like corrosion, staining, scaling, and algae growth. Proper water balancing keeps your pool in good condition even when not in use.

Avoid draining too much water from your pool before closing.

One of the steps in pool closing is lowering the water level. However, you should remember to avoid draining too much water to maintain the integrity of the pool structure. The water inside your pool helps counteract the pressure from the surrounding soil and groundwater. When you remove too much water, especially for in-ground gunite pools, the groundwater pressure around the pool can push against the pool structure and cause the pool shell to shift and crack.

Excessive draining also exposes the surfaces to air and weather conditions, like extreme cold and snow, which they are not designed to withstand for extended periods. To avoid these issues, remove only the recommended amount of water to avoid damaging your pool during the off-season.

Call us today to schedule our pool closing service!

Following proper guidelines when closing your pool ensures that it is properly winterized and shut down for the winter season. Our team at Elite Pools offers a pool closing service that involves shutting down your pool at the right time to protect it. We also offer a winter pool service that maintains your pool during the off-season. It includes maintaining ideal water levels, protecting surfaces and plumbing from winter temperatures, keeping the water chemistry balanced, and securing winter covers. These services are available to homeowners in Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, East Hampton, NY, and neighboring areas. Call us today at (631) 537-5055 to schedule!