If you experienced freezing weather or a winter storm, you may be unable to properly circulate your pool water. This could be due to damage to your pool's equipment and plumbing or a loss of power. We have some helpful tips to help keep your pool from turning into a murky, green swamp until your pool equipment is repaired or power is restored.
Circulating Your Pool Water
If you have power, consider getting a submersible pump to help move the water, or using a robotic pool cleaner to stir it up. If you do not have power, brush your walls, floor, steps and tanning ledge to reduce build-up and keep the water moving. Skim the pool surface to remove leaves or other debris that may be present. Do not remove any ice as this will lower the level of the water. Try to keep the water level above the skimmer so when you can circulate the water it does not damage your pump.
Keeping Your Water Balanced
Stabilized chlorine tablets mix with the pool water slowly and take time to dissolve. If you don't have a floating chlorinator, we recommend you get one from your local Pinch A Penny. Without proper circulation, we recommend shocking your pool with Suncoast Gold Liquid Chlorinating Shock to provide a quick and high concentration of unstabilized chlorine. Shocking will kill bacteria and other nasty things lurking in your pool water. Use 1 gallon of liquid shock for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
While we generally advise keeping properly balanced pool water, don't get too hung up on having the perfect pool if your water isn't circulating. Adding chemicals without circulation could create scaling and discoloration and damage your pool surfaces. Bring a water sample to your neighborhood Pinch A Penny store for a FREE water test so we can point you in the right direction.
Turning Equipment Back On
If you removed any plugs or caps from your equipment, make sure you replace them before restoring the power to your equipment. Uncover any pumps or pipes, and reconnect aerators and lines to slides. Also, don't forget to close any air relief valves and ensure there is water in the system before turning the power back on after a freeze.
If you have additional questions, check out these pool care tips for freezing weather and reach out to your local Pinch A Penny today!
