Tips For After You Winterize Your Pool
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Once you have completed your closing and winterizing process for your swimming pool you might think that you are done for the season...but there are a few things that you should perhaps check on before you pack it in for the winter. If everything goes well with your double check then you are in fact done working on your pool for the year. However, you might find that one or more of the things on this list apply to your pool and still need attention.
When you close and winterize literally thousands of pools per year, as any busy pool service company might in seasonal pool areas, you definitely can notice some common themes or problems that come up time and again. This article aims to look at some common issues that arise after the pool has been closed and winterized for the year. It is always a good idea to consult with a local pool professional if you have a problem with your pool, especially given the unique nature of pools, but first you have to notice that there is a problem to begin with. Be sure to watch out for these common problems:
Pool pump not turned off / still running - It is a common occurrence every year for some pools to discover (well after winterizing) that the pool pump is running. Of course the system is closed and winterized and there is no water at all in the pump but it doesn't know that and is humming away. Often this is due to a pump which is controlled from an external mechanical timer. If the times is not turned off correctly it will kick the pump back on at the usual schedule and this can definitely damage the pump and even potentially cause a fire, so you should be sure to double check that you do not hear your pump running after the pool has been closed. It is more common than you might think.
Power off the pool / pump / heater circuits - As explained above a pool pump can accidentally run after the pool is closed and winterized and the solution to this generally is to power off the breaker to the pump altogether. This is a great idea for all of your pool equipment and most especially your pool heater. While your peripheral equipment will not be able to run or operate, and no damage should come to your equipment just from having the circuit energized, if you do not turn off the circuit you will be consuming a very small amount of electricity where it is not needed, which also ends up attracting pests. Digital circuitry, and most especially step-down transformers will generate heat even without the system operating. This small amount of power consumed by the control circuitry is enough to provide a potential heat source and attractant for pests in the cold winter season. Ideally you should power off the circuits to all of the pool equipment entirely once the pool is closed for the year.
Power off the pool light circuit - It warrants mentioning as a stand alone item from the paragraph above to ensure that your pool light it both switched off, as well as the circuit that feeds the light powered off for the winter. It is fairly common to find that the pool light turned on at some point after the pool was winterized. If the light is sunk to the floor for winterizing then it is probably unharmed other than the unnecessary power consumption from the light, but if you are a pool owner that puts the pool light on the pool deck or under the pool cover you could end up burning out the light or burning a hole in your cover...or both. The pool light circuit is sometimes located in a different spot from the rest of your pool electrical circuits, due to GFI requirements or convenience for the switch leg for the light. In any case it might not be with the rest of your pool electrical so make sure specifically that the lighting circuit for your pool is also off for the winter season.
Check your pool water level - At least once or twice after closing, winterizing and covering the pool for the year you should venture out to inspect the water level in the pool. There are different ways to winterize different kinds of pools, so that actual water level in your specific pool at time of closing will vary. What you should never see is a water level that continues to drop after the pool has been closed. Every type of pool cover system relies on water in the pool to support the winter cover. A pool that continues to lose water after closing indicates that you potentially have a leak somewhere in the structure of the pool, and where the water level stops dropping may be an indication as to what is causing the leak. Being aware of the water level in your pool and early spotting of a dropping water level can save you a ton of money versus suddenly finding out your pool is empty!
Check cover for fit - There are a handful of different kinds of pool covers available now from tarps to safety covers. It is a good idea to inspect your pool cover system a week or two after the initial winter closing to make sure the cover has not shifted or pulled into the pool. If you have a tarp style cover with water bags you will want to note and replace any waterbags which have leaked flat. If you have a safety cover, whether solid or mesh, you can inspect the springs where they connect to the deck grommets and make sure they are all connected. It is not uncommon to find one or two have slipped off.
If you have checked all of these items off the list then you likely should be in good shape with your pool once the opening season comes. Try to keep tabs on the small parts removed when the pool was winterized, like return eyeballs, drain plugs etc. and keep them all in the pool pump (or pool skimmer) strainer baskets so you can find them next year. If you have an excess of pool chemicals it is beneficial for them to be stored indoors in a basement or garage, but be aware that you should never store chlorine and acid in the same area, and you should also note that chlorine, sanitizers and oxidizers can cause corrosion so be mindful of where to store these items.
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