5 Steps To Prepare Your Pool For Winter

Now that autumn is coming and your pool usage has probably declined, it is time to start thinking about how to get your pool ready for the cooler climates of winter. 

Although our winter climates in Australia are not harsh enough for our pools to start freezing over, preparing your pool for an extended period without use is crucial.

Winterising focuses on preventing algae growth and water stagnation. These 5 simple steps will ensure that your pool remains healthy and ready for the warmer seasons of Spring and Summer. Whether you're a seasoned pool owner or new to pool care, these simple yet effective strategies will help keep your pool in excellent condition and maintenance-free throughout the winter.

Step 1: Give it a deep clean

Thoroughly scrub through your pool tiles, making sure that you have not forgotten any corners and remove any scale and bacteria that might break down and help algae to grow. Don’t forget about cleaning the skimmer baskets and your pump’s lint basket too!

Step 2: Balance the water and shock your pool

In order to prevent an algae build-up, you will need to ensure that the pH of your pool sits between 7.2 and 7.6. You can easily check your pool’s pH level by taking a water sample from elbow deep and adding the appropriate Chemical from our Pure Balance Range to bring the pool to the correct level. Shocking your pool helps remove organic and inorganic waste, including sweat, sunscreen lotion, bird droppings and dead bugs. It also ensures that the sanitiser can concentrate on killing bacteria and algae during these cooler seasons. 

Step 3: Ensure all your equipment works

Now, when you have finished preparing your swimming pool for cold weather, you need to clean the pool filters and all the equipment you have been running all summer. This will prevent germs and debris from spreading in your water. Any dirt, such as scum or scaling left in the filter over winter, will be a nightmare to remove when you want to start using your pool again. We recommend using Zodiac's Filter Cleaner and Degreaser to get rid of any clogs and grease in the filter.

Step 4: Cover your pool

A Fully waterproof pool cover would be best for the colder seasons to avoid any leaves and debris getting into the pool. Also, make sure you reduce the pump/ filter running time and the chlorinator levels accordingly.

Step 5: Check every 2 weeks

Over the winter, check the pool water chemistry once every 2 weeks. Check the water level and adjust where necessary. Keep clearing skimmer baskets, and it is a good idea to remove the pool cleaner from the pool to stop it being deteriorated. Also, check the filter gauge to see if another backwash is needed. This way, you can ensure that you stay on top of any issues when you’re ready to reopen your pool.