We have said goodbye to summer, and the last of the autumn leaves have fallen. Our swimming pools are closed up for the season, and it won’t be long before the first snowfall of winter is upon us. Maybe you think all you need to do is sit by the fire and sip warm beverages until spring arrives and you can reopen your pool. But have you ever stopped to think, “Does snow affect my swimming pool?” Snow and ice can indeed cause damage to your pool if left unattended. Let’s take a look at the basic steps you can take to protect your pool from snow and ice.
Winterize Your Pool
It is essential that you winterize your pool properly. Take a look at our recent blog article for specifics. Basically, when closing your pool at the end of the summer season, you will have:
- lowered your water level to just below the skimmer
- balanced your water with winter chemicals
- blown out your plumbing lines
- Inflated and installed air pillows
- secured your pool cover
Be Vigilant
If left unattended, snow and ice can cause serious damage to your pool cover and even your pool. The cover can be torn or sunk by the weight of the snow and ice. If ice is allowed to accumulate, vinyl liner pools can experience tearing to the liner, and gunite pools can experience cracking. To mitigate or eliminate the chances of this type of damage to your pool and pool cover there are some things you can do.
Protect Your Pool Cover
Your pool cover is the first line of defense against damage from the weight of snow and ice. Snow is much heavier than rainwater, and ice is heavier yet. This weight can cause the cover material to stretch and break, and even pop cover anchors. To avoid this you will have to be vigilant about clearing the snow from the cover.
When It Snows
If the first snow of the season is a light dusting, you can use a leaf blower to remove the snow from the pool cover. If the snowfall is more than a light dusting, use a long-handled broom to sweep the snow away. Never use a shovel or other sharp object that could damage the cover.
Remove the snow from the area surrounding the pool. That will provide a place for melting snow to run off and for you to walk.
What If It Freezes?
Do not try to forcibly break up or remove ice from your pool cover. Allow it to melt and then use a pool cover pump to remove the water. Cover pumps sit on top of the pool cover and pump the water off the cover once it reaches a certain level. Removing this water alleviates the stress on the cover from the excess weight of the melted snow and ice. You do not want that water to remain on the cover and refreeze.
Now that you know the answer to the question, “Does snow affect my swimming pool?” you know there is some effort required to get your pool through the winter unscathed. If you follow the steps we recommend here, we are sure you will find your pool and pool cover in great shape when spring rolls around. Aqua Pools is your source for all your needed pool supplies. Give our professional staff a call if you have any questions or concerns.