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“Weather” or not you want them, storms, or at least heavy rains, are a part of nature and will always happen. Your pool is probably your happy place, a place where you can lounge around in it all day in your swimsuit. It’s all good, have fun! However, you should also be prepared for when the skies decide to open up with a big storm. Whether it’s a hurricane or just any old storm, here are some tips you should be well versed on how to prepare your pool for what’s to come. 

1. Do Not Drain Your Pool

Sure the dark rumbling clouds are very telling of what’s to come, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to drain the pool water. In fact, it’s safer to keep your pool water at optimum levels. Emptying your pool can have some real structural consequences during a storm. If you do want to avoid overflow damage, we recommend reducing your water levels by about 6 to 8 8 cm and keeping your skimmers closed. 

2. Remove All Loose Pool Items

Find and pack up any floaties, chairs, outdoor coolers, and unsecured pool gear, and put them away indoors or in a secured spot under your deck. Have you ever seen flying furniture? Trust us, you don’t want to see this.

3. Turn Off Electrical Components

There’s a real chance of electrocution when storms hit, so turn off all power sources in the pool. Also, ensure you disconnect all pump systems and even the circuit breaker to the pool equipment. 

4. Leave It Open

Keeping the cover on leaves it at risk of getting damaged by sharp branches and more. And since it’s a heavy storm, the chances of a pool cover protecting against dust and contaminants is slim. Sure it will reduce certain things, but do you want to risk damaging your cover? Cleaning your pool after the storm has passed will have its own set of challenges, nevermind adding a heavy, debris-filled cover on top of it.

5. Balance Your Chemicals

Ever seen a green, algae-filled pool? One word…Yuck! There are minimal traces of algae in most pools, however, during a storm, lightning creates nitrogen in the atmosphere which eventually ‘rains’ into a pool causing the algae to bloom. Rainwater is also acidic by nature and lowers the pH and alkalinity of the pool water. Shocking your pool with chlorine as soon as possible after a storm can minimize the issue of algae blooming, although this can be a bit tough. We recommend keeping your pool free of algae as much as you can. As for the pH, test your pool chemical levels and adjust as required.

6. Trim tree branches

You may not have time to do this prior to your big storm hitting. But if you do, consider trimming your trees down and getting rid of the low-lying branches. These branches could be ripped off and fall into your pool and perhaps even fly at your windows. By being proactive and trimming them regularly you can avoid these possible worst-case scenarios.

Contact Your Local Pool Care Experts

Soon the skies will be blue once again and it’ll be time to open up the pool once more. So, clean up the debris, adjust the chemical levels, and turn the electrical components back on. Then, bring out your pool equipment and have a great time! If you have any questions regarding regular pool maintenance or how to prepare your pool for a storm, be sure to contact your local pool care experts today.