To avoid disappointment and preventable pool expenses, you’ll need to take certain maintenance steps to winterise your pool until springtime. That way, when the cover rolls back, you’ll have a fresh pool ready to dive into on the first warm day of swimming season.
SPASA Australia (Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Australia) recommends the following 10-step procedure to prepare your pool for winter:
- Backwash your pools filter thoroughly and clean with reliable pool filter degreaser & cleaner products.
- Remove all debris from the skimmer basket and hair/lint pot.
- Lubricate O-rings on all pool equipment with silicone lubricant.
- Balance your pool’s total alkalinity level with bicarbonate of soda if level falls under 80-120 parts per million.
- Set your pool’s pH to around 7.2-7.6. To lower pH, add muriatic (hydrochloric) acid and to raise pH, add soda ash.
- Mix pool balancing pH chemicals in a full bucket of water and add to your pool to prevent acidic damage to pool surfaces.
- Mix either 500g of granular-or-750g of liquid chlorine in a full bucket of water and add to your pool.
- Add 750ml-1l of a reliable, long-term algaecide product to your pool. Use algaecides specifically designed to prevent algae blooms in closed pools on warm days over winter.
- Set the pool timer for your filter system to operate around 2-4 hours per day during off-peak electricity times.
- If you have a salt chlorinated pool, ensure cells are cleaned and lower setting controls to half production and a constant chlorine level of 1 to 2 parts per million during winter.
- Check pool chlorine & pH levels every fortnight.
- Check pool water level is half-way up skimmer basket.
- Empty full skimmer basket.
