Brantford Pool Closing Service

Fall Pool Care: What to Do & When 

Many pool owners in the Brantford area open and close their pools on a calendar but this isn’t always the best way to do things. When the average outdoor temperature hits 15 degrees, it is time to close down your pool. If temperatures are higher than this, you can expect algae growth and if it is lower than this, you might encounter cold snaps that freeze water. 

It takes prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures to freeze over an entire pool basin but for smaller amounts of water inside systems, it can happen quickly and unexpectedly. Freezing water makes plastic brittle and makes frozen water expand by up to 9%. This might seem like a small number but this is enough to cause a pipe to burst leading to serious water damage not only in your pool but in surrounding areas. In order to protect swim space, a pool closing service should be broken down into a multi-step approach: 

Step 1: Going into the fall season, it is important to remove any contaminants that can become worse over time. This means removing debris and checking water chemistry. A standard pool vacuum is not designed to reach into hard angles, navigate stairs or get into corners. This often means leaving debris and bacteria behind. This not only means vacuuming and heavy scrubbing but emptying skimmer baskets as well. 

Step 2: There are different steps involved in treating an above ground pool and an inground model. For example, it is important to reduce the water level in an inground pool to prevent freezing while an above ground pool gets the same benefits from installing air bags. Draining pool water so it falls a few inches below the skimmer line helps to prevent freezing. When you want to drain the water from your pool, it is important to know where it is draining to. Unlike a bathtub, you can’t just pull a plug on a swimming pool. In order to avoid water damage and a whole lot of headache, let an expert handle your draining. Winterizing drain plugs prevents water from seeping into vulnerable areas where it can freeze and cause damage. 

Step 3: It is always a good idea to remove detachable components so they can be dried and stored for the winter. It is a good idea to check up on your filtration system, as well as the pool pump and flush return lines to remove sitting water. Chlorine levels might be the main focus of water chemistry during the summer months but an application of winterizing chemicals is important when going into the off-season. A specialized chemical treatment plan prevents algae growth and freezing. From sand filters to cartridge filters, it is important to know the condition of your internal systems before months of sitting idle. 

Keeping your pool covered is the best way to prevent debris build-up. Swapping out mesh covers for solid winter ones restricts algae growth. Instead of struggling to manage test kits, winter chemicals and equipment change overs, leave your closings up to an expert.