Finally, the weather is warming up and the days are getting longer. Soon the flowers will start beautifying our roads and highways and the trees will wake up, stretch their limbs, and begin their yearly assault on your backyard pool.
The warmer and longer days will cause the temperature of the water in your pool to warm up. This is why you need to start thinking about your pool. All winter long maintenance for your pool is just a passing thought, but now is the time to take action. Winter water temperatures will not allow for algae and certain bacteria to grow but with the temperatures getting higher, if no action is taken, you will soon be reminded about the need to do so.
The same way that trees bloom in the spring, so will the algae. The water temperature will soon be able to support algae blooms in your pool. Remember that algae are a type of plant. If your pool has not been properly maintained during the winter by backwashing your filter, vacuuming and brushing the pool and adjusting the water’s chemistry, your pool is a ticking time bomb.
If your pool becomes unruly every spring, it’s likely due to the lack of maintenance during the winter. By not keeping your pool’s maintenance regiment during the winter, you have allowed for all the necessary components for “a perfect storm” to assemble in your pool. The outcome, if action is not taken, will always lead to the need to drain your pool or at least go through an expensive turnaround procedure.
Proper filtration is needed to remove dirt that blows in from the environment. Dirt contains nutrients, nutrients that algae feed on and thrive. Low levels of sanitizer will allow for algae to bloom freely and without restriction. If your filter has not been backwashed or cleaned out then your circulation is likely very poor as well. Proper circulation is fundamental in pool maintenance as it is responsible for moving the chemicals around the pool, to deal with things like algae. If you add a constant rain of tree blooms to this mix, your pool will simply be overwhelmed and unfortunately suffer.
If your pool is covered, I would suggest leaving that cover in place until the trees are done for the season. In the Austin area, the trees will complete their bloom sometime by the end of April or Mid-May. Unless you have a heater the water temperature is usually still too chilly to enjoy recreational use of the pool anyway. This will save you a lot of hard labor to remove the tree debris and minimize the chance of equipment problems or damage.
If your pool doesn’t have a cover and has a canopy of trees directly above it then you will have to take action immediately, to avoid what we commonly refer to as a “swamp”. The first thing you will need to do is clean out your filter whether through backwashing or breaking the filter down to spray it off. If you have a D.E filter you might consider a D.E filter service. The next thing is to vacuum the pool to remove any and all sediment that has been laying around on the pool floor. Once you have all the debris removed from the pool the next thing is to brush the pool with some authority. Brushing the pool walls and other surfaces will get the dirt into the water, where it will likely find its way into the filter. Once the physical part of cleaning the pool is done, you will then want to check and balance the pool’s chemistry. Keeping the chemicals in the proper range will allow them to work effectively. Next, you should run the equipment for a 24-hour period. This will allow for the chemical adjustment to circulate properly and allow for the filter to remove the dust floating around the pool. The next day, backwash your filter one more time and set the equipment run time to run at least 8 hours a day during the hottest part of the day. Lastly remember to empty the skimmer baskets, pump basket and cleaner bag frequently, sometimes twice a day. Remember to continue a weekly maintenance schedule from now until November.
Doing the above list of recommendations will help you minimize the chance of your pool turning into a swamp this spring, and hopefully save you some money. Prevention and being proactive is the key to less pool stress. Reliable Pool Care is an Austin pool company and is very familiar with the troubles spring brings to the area and is ready to help you with your pool’s needs.