Maintaining a Crystal Clear Pool Year-Round
Every swimming season, when I unveil my pool after a long winter, I often encounter friends and family who are astonished by how clear and inviting the water looks. Their usual question is, “How do you keep your pool so clear throughout the winter months?” Many people believe there’s an extended waiting period of at least a week required before the pool is ready for swimming as soon as the cover is removed. While this can be true, it’s not for the reasons most think. When I open my pool, I typically find that weeks may pass before we can dive in, but the amount of work I need to do to get it sanitized and ready is significantly minimized.
The key to maintaining a sparkling pool year-round is consistent sanitization. It’s crucial never to cover your pool too early or too late in the season. As long as the water temperature is above 65 degrees, continue adding chlorine regularly and operate your pool pump daily.
My First Mistake!
“The water is freezing cold, let’s shut the pool down.” This is one of the most common mistakes pool owners make, and I’m no exception. When I first became a proud pool owner, my family and I were thrilled. We swam more in that first season than in any subsequent season since we acquired the pool. However, come September, as the air turned chilly, we stopped swimming and I decided it was time to order a pool cover. I found a great deal on Jet.com, and although I only paid about $30 for it, I assumed it wouldn’t last more than a season or two. To my surprise, it has held up for four years and will be reused at the end of this season.
When it arrived, we eagerly placed the black tarp over the pool, securing it with the attached straps and adding some extra clamps to withstand the strong north winds that sweep through Oklahoma in winter.
Algae Thrives in Temperatures Above 65
While we were no longer swimming, it was premature to officially close the pool for the season. Many people view “closing the pool” as simply shutting it down when it gets too cold for swimming, or postponing maintenance until the following spring or summer. Unfortunately, thinking this way invites trouble into your pool water.
We Covered the Pool Too Soon
By covering the pool too early, we left the warm water to stagnate for months, creating a perfect breeding ground for algae and other bacteria. This oversight meant that our pool would not remain clear through winter, and as expected, it became quite unsightly. When we closed the pool in early September, the water temperature was likely still in the upper 60s for several weeks, permitting bacteria to thrive until conditions became unsuitable for algae.
We Uncovered the Pool Too Late
Just as the water temperature can exceed 65 degrees in early September, it will also rise above that mark well before May, signaling the start of the swimming season. Depending on your local climate, the exact timing can vary significantly. For instance, if your pool water typically warms above 65 degrees around mid-April, the algae that may have survived the winter will have months to proliferate before you’re ready to swim. When it finally comes time to remove the cover, you might discover murky, green water lurking beneath, necessitating days—if not weeks—of work to restore clarity. Not only does this require considerable time and effort, but it can also become costly due to the required chemicals like algaecide, chlorine shock, and stabilizers. A cost-effective alternative is to use bleach as your chlorine source instead of purchasing expensive chlorine products from pool supply stores.
The best strategy to prevent this scenario is simple: don’t cover your pool until the average temperature consistently drops to 65 degrees or lower. During this time, continue to add chlorine to fend off any algae growth.
Chlorinate the Pool Regularly
This is a straightforward task during the summer months when the pool is actively used by kids and adults alike. However, it is often neglected during the off-season. Regardless of your chosen chlorination method, it’s essential to maintain consistency even when the weather is too chilly to swim.
Less is Usually Fine
- If you use chlorine tablets to maintain proper chlorine levels, you’ll find that they dissolve more slowly in cooler water. Additionally, with fewer swimmers, the amount of chlorine needed to keep the water clean is reduced.
- For those who add bleach daily, continue this practice even in the colder months, but be aware that you’ll need to use less bleach as the water temperature decreases. This is because less chlorine will dissipate on cooler days.
- In salt chlorination pools, minimal adjustments are necessary. You might want to reduce the operational time of your salt chlorinator, saving on electricity costs during the off-season.
Moreover, if you typically shock your pool weekly, it’s advisable to maintain this routine, but consider reducing it to twice a month during the colder months. It’s vital to keep chlorine levels stable in the water during the chilly months above the 65-degree mark. Depending on your maintenance method, this should only require a few minutes of your time each day to once a week to keep your pool healthy year-round.
Continue Running Your Pool Pump
If your water is still warm enough for algae to thrive, the pump should continue running daily to keep the water clear. Similar to chlorination, you can cut back on the pump’s operation significantly depending on how far into the off-season you are.
I typically run my pool pump half as long as I do during the swimming season. In summer, I operate it for 5 hours in the morning and another 5 in the evening to avoid peak electricity rates. Once the swimming season ends but before I cover the pool, I set the timer to run for just 2.5 hours in the morning and the same in the evening. I recommend ensuring at least one complete water turnover each day. As the water temperature approaches 65 degrees, you could even reduce the pump’s operational time by half leading up to the proper closing of the pool for winter.
Determining Your Average Water Temperature
This is perhaps the most crucial aspect of knowing when to officially open or close your swimming pool. Remember, opening does not mean it’s time to swim, and closing does not mean the water is too cold. To determine the average temperature accurately, check the water in the middle of the day when it is warm, and you may find it reading significantly higher than if taken during the night.
The best approach for precise measurement is to check your water temperature early in the morning and then again about 10 to 12 hours later in the evening. Add both readings together and divide by 2 for your average temperature:
Average Water Temperature = (Morning Reading + Evening Reading) / 2
Close your pool when the average temperature falls to 65 degrees or below, and open it once it exceeds 65 degrees. By following this strategy, you’ll prevent algae and bacteria from proliferating under the cover during the cooler months.
When the next swimming season arrives, your family will be amazed at how clear the water is, thanks to these straightforward guidelines. With a little diligence, you can ensure your pool remains as pristine as the day you covered it, ready for summer fun!