How to stay Pool Perfect this Autumn and Winter

Raking up leaves around the garden has a certain charm. It evokes childhood memories of warm jumpers and romantic movie images of couples strolling through red and gold leaf-strewn parks.

Add water – pool water – to the equation and the nostalgic smiles quickly turn to disgusted grimaces. But while no-one likes scooping soggy dead leaves out of the pool on a chilly autumn day, not only will the backyard become a no-go zone because of the unappealing water-filled hole, there’ll be a tonne more work (and expense) when summer rolls around again.

It’s important to protect your investment and don’t let it ‘go to sleep’ over autumn and winter. And with the unseasonal, unpredictable weather we often experience, you may even be able to take a dip so it’s ideal to have your pool ‘swim ready’ for that last-minute swim. Windy and stormy weather can also blow leaves and dirt into the pool which, if left to settle, can become difficult to remove.

Here are our top tips for maintaining a healthy pool during the cooler months:

Reduce pool pump operation time. And remember, if you switch the filter on during off-peak periods, you can save money.

Install a pool cover to reduce evaporation, chemical usage and protect your pool from fallen leaves. The other benefit from investing in a pool cover is that it will also lock the heat in your pool, giving you a longer swimming season and more time to enjoy your pool, even at night!

Ensure chlorine levels and pH levels are in a healthy range through regular water testing and maintenance. Take a water sample up to your local pool shop on a regular basis to help you keep everything in check. This will make life easier come spring.

Thoroughly clean your skimmers, filters, and pool cleaning equipment every week. These items can be hiding bacteria. The same goes for vacuuming, make this a weekly task to help stop the build-up of any algae or black spot. Finally, on a monthly basis backwash and pop in some algaecide to help keep your pool at optimal health.

You’re either the type that finds cleaning your pool relaxing or the type that dreads it like no tomorrow. Either way it’s a good idea to seek the advice of a trusted professional and with some simple pool maintenance through autumn and winter, you can almost be guaranteed a fresh clean pool by the time the warm weather is here again.