Your Pool In Winter

During the long winter months when your pool isn’t in use, caring for your pool in winter even more important.

Don’t let it sit there forgotten about until next season.

The better you take care of it now, the easier it will be to open for next season!

Pool Covers

In colder areas, many of you closed your pools months ago to protect your pool from the harsh conditions. Adding a pool cover is a necessity to protect your pool from snow, debris and any animals, so it’s important all pool owners understand how to maintain them.

First, ensure that your winter pool cover is securely attached to your pool. That can mean for an above ground pool inflating the air pillow, tightening the cable, or securing cover clips. For an inground pool, you need to make sure the water blocks or bags are secured and all your safety components are in place.

Remove debris and water from your pool cover. Use a hose to remove plant debris, such as leaves and twigs, and a vacuum to remove any excess water.

Use a roof rake to pull the snow off your pool cover. The excess weight can cause damage, especially when dealing with above ground pools. It’s easiest to remove the snow when it’s still fresh, but always make sure to take the proper safety precautions when dealing with snow and ice.

Pool In Winter Chemistry

Most of us do not completely drain our pool in winter, so chemically balanced water is key to a clean swimming pool. Balanced water will prevent algae, bacteria, waterlines, and decontamination making the opening process much easier for pool owners.

Check your pool chemistry every two months when not in use. Improperly balanced pool chemistry can be the cause of algae and bacteria growth.

Discard all pool chemicals from the previous season. You don’t want to save the chemicals for the following year as they lose their potency.

Use an enzyme product to help break down non-living contamination and prevent a waterline ring from forming. Adding this product will save you from having to scrub your pool tile or finish when opening your pool in the spring.

Have any questions about the proper care for your pool during the winter? Contact us here!

Dealing With Fall Leaves

Autumn has arrived. With it comes warm days, cool nights, and lots of fall leaves drifting down into your backyard swimming pool. Below are tips for making the process as quick and easy as possible.

Removing Fall Leaves from a Pool

If leaves have found their way into your pool while it is uncovered, here’s how to remove them quickly and efficiently:

Use a pool rake to gather and remove leaves, allowing them to dry if possible before hauling them away. Ideally, you want to make two or three passes around the edge of the pool before moving inward.

After making a few passes with a leaf rake or vacuum, you may need to gently brush the bottom or sides of the pool to free any leaves stuck there before collecting them.

Removing Fall Leaves from a Pool Cover

If you have a solid or mesh safety cover or an automatic safety cover, the good news is it will help prevent fall leaves from getting into your pool. However, you will need to regularly remove leaves from on top of the cover. Here are the steps to follow:

If the leaves on your cover are dry, use a leaf blower or pool brush to move them onto the deck or into the yard, and gather them there. If the leaves on the cover are wet, you’ll want to have a leaf rake specially designed for use on pool covers. It’s an inexpensive item you can attach to the end of your pool pole.

Get Ahead of the Game

The best way to minimize the time spent dealing with leaves is to prevent them from getting into your pool or onto your cover in the first place.

You might also consider buying a leaf net. It is a lightweight net that lays on top of your pool cover. Regularly pulling it off, emptying the leaves, and repositioning it greatly simplifies the process of “leaf management.” However, you choose to keep your pool leaf-free, don’t forget to enjoy this wonderful season.

Have any questions on how to keep your pool in tip-top shape all year long? Contact us here!

Pool Safety Covers

The statistics don’t lie. With an average of 10 deaths a day by accidental drowning in the USA it is up to everyone who owns a swimming pool to be aware of the steps they can take to help try and prevent these needless deaths. Even though there are over 80 million residential swimming pools in the USA. Our goal and yours as a pool owner should be to get this average amount of daily accidental drownings down to zero. One of the important items you need to ensure your pool is safe is pool safety covers.

When People are using your pool

When there are people in the pool it is up to you and the supervising adults to keep a close eye on the children. Establish a firm set of rules for your pool that everyone clearly understands and are strictly followed.

When the pool is unattended

This is where a pool safety cover comes in handy. These covers will ensure that no unattended child, animal, or leaf is able to fall into the pool.

Out of the season, it’s important to check your cover to make sure it is working properly. This will keep your family and pool safe during the entire year.

If your pool isn’t covered, you need some pool safety covers that will protect you from harm. Contact Cincinnati and Patio and we can find the perfect safety cover for you.

Fall Maintenance

The weather is cooling, summer is ending and the leaves are about start falling. Fall pool maintenance is key to keeping your pool issue free going into winter.

Here are some changes and services to consider for your pool this fall.

1. LEAVES & DEBRIS.

Fall pool maintenance involves a lot of leaf removal. When leaves accumulate in the pool, algae begins to grow and thrive. Leaves that sink to the bottom of the pool stain the flooring material. If you have a lot of trees around your pool, keeping your pool covered while not in use can save lots of cleaning time.

2. HEATING CYCLE.

It is a good idea to adjust your water’s heating cycle so your pool is comfortable for swimming. Outside temperatures are falling and so to keep costs down, cover your pool at night.

3. PREPARE FOR THE EARLY FREEZE.

If you live in a colder climate, the first freeze of winter can happen early and unexpectedly. Depending on how far north you live, you may want to partially winterize your pool.

No matter where you live, be sure to get on board with fall pool maintenance to ensure your pool is hassle-free going into and coming out of winter.

4. POOL FILTER.

If you’ve had a busy summer, it might be a good time to clean your pool filter. With the debris from falling foliage and lower temperatures, a clean filter to start the fall season is important.

5. GENERAL FALL POOL MAINTENANCE

Removal all pool toys. Ensure the pool is in the good general order. Use your pool vacuum, brush tiles and clean the pool deck.

Need help with pool maintenance or with closing your pool for the season? Contact us here!

Close Your Pool

Closing your pool for winter is the most important step in ensuring it lasts season after season.  But, with so many different how-tos available online how can you be sure you are closing it correctly?  That’s what we’re here for. To tell you the best way to close your pool.

We have composed a list of generic steps to help you close your pool:

1. A few days before you plan to close sweep all silt off the bottom of the pool and remove all debris
2. Two days before closing add a phosphate remover to prevent and kill algae
3. Run the filter for 24-48hours
4. On Closing Day add or remove water to reach the level specified in your owner’s manual
5. Balance the chemistry of your pool: total alkalinity should be between 80-120ppm and the pH between 7.4 and 7.6
6. Drain pool lines and add antifreeze to prevent damage to your pipes
7. Turn off all power to support equipment and remove fuses/turn circuit breakers to off
8. Remove and store ladders, slides, and diving boards
9. Install your safety cover, winter cover, or leaf net**

**optionally install an air pillow first.  An Air Pillow is a large air pocket underneath your cover that stops water/snow from pooling in the center of your cover

Remember, if you have any questions you stop in the store or give our friendly experts a call and we will be more than happy to help you with your pool closings.