What If I Don’t Close My Swimming Pool?
Many pool owners have pool heaters, so they can extend their swimming pool season. Because of this, many pool owners wonder if it’s okay to leave their pools open during the winter.
While we do have many customers who leave their pools open, there are some important things to consider and to take care of all winter long.
Winterizing is, of course, your decision. What part of the country you live in also plays a vital role in this decision.
To help you make a decision, let’s answer the question, “What if I don’t close my swimming pool?” And, let’s look at what you need to do to keep it open.
Freezing Pool Lines
Because you have to maintain your pool during the winter, some owners decide it’s not worth the work. Others don’t mind.
If you leave your pool open, and the temperatures go below freezing, you must take action.
When temps dip below freezing, you must protect your pool equipment, so you don’t end up with damage. One way to do this is to keep your pump on.
By running your pump, you have a constant flow of water that may help keep your lines from freezing and your pipes from bursting.
You can also use a pool timer with freeze protection that turns your pump and heater on when the outdoor temperature drops to a certain point.
Pool Maintenance
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can ignore your pool chemistry.
If you keep your pool open, you must conduct ongoing maintenance just as in the summer:
- Balance the water
- Clean the filter
- Maintain the equipment
- Brush and vacuum the pool to keep it free of leaves, dirt and debris
While you will use less chemicals in the winter, you will still need to use them.
In Cases of Power Failure
While not common, this does indeed happen in the winter. If you lose power, you want to take the following steps:
- Turn off your breaker.
- Close the valves of your pool lines.
- Open the filter air bleeder.
- Loosen all drain plugs on your pump, heater and filter drain plugs
Final Thoughts
If you choose to keep your pool open during the winter, we recommend you have a chat with your pool dealer who can help guide you through the process.
On the other hand, if you’d like to close your pool for the winter, check out our blog on pool closing to help you.
As always, if you close your pool, we encourage you to close late and open early for the best-looking pool water in the spring.
Got questions? We are here to help!
