10 TIPS TO WINTERISE YOUR POOL

Our 10-point winter pool care checklist maintains water quality during winter and helps reduce maintenance and chemical costs over the cooler months, ensuring you’re swim-ready come summer . 

1. Clean the pool: Brushing the walls and floor, and then vacuum the whole pool on a regular basis will prevent algae from blooming
2. Balance pool water: The pool’s pH level needs to be between 7.2 and 7.6, which you can easily check by taking a water sample from elbow depth to your local Swimart for testing where after you can add the appropriate treatment to bring the pool to the correct level
3. Clean the filter: Ensure that the pool’s filter is clean, as any grease or oil deposits will harden over winter and make the filter even harder to clean in the warmer months
4. Check chlorine levels: To keep your pool clean and clear, it’s important to maintain your pool’s free available chlorine at a constant level of 2-3 PPM (parts per million) throughout winter
5. Use a shock treatment: Regularly 'shocking' your pool helps remove organic and inorganic waste (referred to as chloramines), which range from sweat and suntan lotion to bird droppings and dead bugs
6. Remove algae as soon as you see it: When there is an algal bloom, most of the sanitiser in your pool is used trying to control and kill the algae, leaving no residual to keep pool water clean and healthy
7. Reduce filter-running times: The pool’s filter should operate 3-4 hours each day during winter. 
8. Set your solar heater to winter mode: If you don't have an automatic controller on your solar pool heating system, manually switch it to winter mode or switch it off completely if you’re heading out of town
9. Use your pool cover: Using your pool cover when you're not using the pool will help keep leaves and other organic material out of the pool, which means less cleaning for you and less food for algae and bugs to feed on
10. Keep up your maintenance schedule: Once you’ve completed your preparation for winter, it’s important that you keep to a weekly maintenance schedule even when you're not using the pool. This involves doing a visual inspection to make sure all your equipment is working properly and checking the water level

Swimart’s professional home care services will help winterise your pool and ensure it remains in peak condition throughout the cooler months. Find out more by calling us on 1300 991 104.