When the swimming season comes to an end, it is normal to have questions about how to maintain your swimming pool in winter. In fact, this is a very important process, as it prevents costly future repairs and ensures an easy and quick reopening the following season.

For this reason, at The Fun Lab, we would like to share in this post some recommendations to consider in order to properly winterize your facility and maintain your swimming pool during winter.

First of all, it is essential to thoroughly clean the pool floor, water surface and skimmers or perimeter overflow grates. At this stage, it is advisable not to drain the water from the pool basin, as concrete, steel or PVC pools often experience problems after remaining empty for a period of time. For example, cracks frequently develop due to ground pressure and, as a result, leaks, detached tiles, deterioration of joints or separation of PVC liners, among other problems.

Regarding filtration equipment, although it may seem logical, completely shutting down the pumps until they are restarted the following season is not recommended. On the contrary: we recommend periodically switching them on during the first few weeks after shutdown to prevent the pumps from becoming blocked or seized. On the other hand, shutting down the filter without thoroughly cleaning it could lead to contamination and sedimentation of the filter media and an accumulation of stagnant water that would eventually become contaminated. The timers can be reprogrammed to recirculate the water for short periods of time to prevent this.

As there will be no users during this period, we recommend completely switching off the measuring and chemical dosing equipment. However, we must properly clean and dismantle the equipment, as well as hermetically seal the chemical storage tanks and clean their pipes.

Properly covering the swimming pool is another basic measure to prevent any type of external element from entering and damaging or dirtying it. Installing a cover is recommended to prevent the pool from filling with tree leaves, insects, sand… and all kinds of elements that may accumulate due to the wind and the passage of time. This will also ensure that it is protected from all weather changes.

In the case of heated swimming pools, they can be shut down without any problems, although it is important to bear in mind that, the lower the temperature, the lower the demand for disinfectant, the lower the likelihood of possible water contamination and, of course, the lower the cost. If the shutdown lasts more than 15 days, in accordance with the provisions of the decree on Legionella prevention, all domestic hot and cold water systems must be disinfected again, thus ensuring a trouble-free restart.

For all the reasons mentioned above, it is crucial to learn how to properly maintain your swimming pool in winter, so that it can be closed under optimal conditions and its service life and proper operation can be extended as much as possible.

Without a doubt, it is essential to have a professional team carry out these tasks to ensure satisfactory results when the pool reopens the following year.

At The Fun Lab, our team can help you maintain your swimming pool in winter so that your facility does not suffer any damage. Count on us, we will be happy to help you: hola@thefunlab.es.