SIMPLE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO WINTERIZE YOUR POOL

In general, Winters in Cyprus are mild and the temperature rarely falls below 0° degrees. This does not mean that you should leave your pool unattended because we all know that spectacular Summer pools are maintained in the Winter! Here is an easy step-by-step guide on how to follow some simple steps for winter maintenance:

1. Balance the water

The pool pH level needs to be between 7.2 and 7.6. Bring a sample of water to measure it for you using our Digital pH tester or you can easily test it by yourself using test strips or a test kit. If the level is not correct, add the appropriate dosage of acid to bring the pool to the correct level.
Algae loves high pH, so by keeping your pH levels just right, this will keep the green water away!

2. Maintain the pH and Total Alkalinity levels

Total Alkalinity (the measure of the ability of your pool or spa water to resist changes in the pH) is the overseer that keeps the pH of your water where it needs to be. If your buffering capabilities are too low (low alkalinity), your pH levels can swing drastically from highs to lows. Contact us to provide you with our specialty chemicals to fix the problem instantly!

3. Keep your phosphates low

Leaves in your pool? We’re here to help! Phosphate is Algae food. If debris such as leaves, gum nuts or sticks are not cleared quickly through either the skimmer, manually scooping, vacuuming, or your pool cleaner, they’ll settle on the bottom, start to break down and cause your phosphates to rise. High phosphate levels = low sanitization levels, because sanitizers such as chlorine can’t do its best job. Contact us to provide you with our specialty chemicals to fix the problem instantly!

4. Use algaecide

Algaecide is best to kill algae, so adding it to your pool regularly (3-4 times per year) will keep any algae blooms at bay. Keep your pool water sparkling and clear the whole year round!

5. Clean the pool!

It’s important to brush the walls and floor of the pool and then to vacuum the whole pool thoroughly. Algae thrives in unclean water, so don’t forget to clean the skimmer baskets and the pump baskets of debris. An automatic robot cleaner is great for the job as opposed to manually vacuuming which consumes your time and energy!

6. Circulation/Filter schedule

Continue to filter and circulate the water throughout the winter, but follow a reduced schedule. Run the pump about half the time you do during the summer months. This will help keep your pool sparkling clean and algae free. In addition, if the temperature is expected to dip below freezing, run the pump constantly to reduce risk of damage. Make sure to clean any leaves or debris from your sand filter and give it a good backwash. Rule of thumb is to backwash once every 2 weeks. Chances are you’ll notice that the water that comes out during the backwash is very brown and dirty, this means that you should be doing it a bit more often! Let that backwash run for 2 minutes or until the backwash water turns clear. Set the handle back to filter and you’re good to go.

7. Clean your salt cell

The most important part of your salt chlorinator is the salt cells. They should be cleaned every 3-4 months to help it live its longest life! You’ll probably see some white calcification building up on the plates of your cell.

How to clean your salt cell:

1. This is done by mixing 1/10 of acid to water (a tub/bucket filled with 90% water and 10% acid).
2. Hold onto the top of your cell, and gently lower the plates into the solution for 4-5 minutes.
3. Rinse the salt cell plates with water and re-fit to your chlorinator.

8. Check chlorine levels

To keep your pool clean and clear, it’s important to keep your pool’s free available chlorine levels at a constant level of 2-3 PPM (parts per million) at all times during winter. If you’re using a salt water chlorinator, turn it to about 60-70% output.

9. Cover your pool!

Cover the pool if it will be used infrequently over the winter months. Choose a cover that will keep out leaves and other debris. A winter/safety cover is essential if you have animals or children in the house as it will prevent them from drowning and give you peace of mind!

10. Keep up your maintenance schedule

Once you’ve completed your preparation for Winter, it’s imperative that you stick to a maintenance schedule even though it’s cold and the pool is not being used. Once a week do a quick visual inspection of your pool and make sure all of your equipment is working properly, check the water level, empty the skimmer basket and pump basket and check your chlorine and pH levels.

A better way to pool..