Should Your Pool Service Winterize Your Pool in Marin?

Marin Pool Winterizing

With the change in season’s here in Marin County and the surrounding areas, many pool owners might be wondering if their Marin pool service should winterize their pool.  For starters winterizing a pool can mean many different things depending on geography. In colder climates winterizing a pool can be as drastic as draining the pool and blowing all the water out of the pipes with compressed air to prevent them from cracking.  There can also be hydro-static pressure problems for pools in areas where there is a lot of rain and a high water table. Empty pools can actually be floated out of the ground if the water table rises high enough. Luckily here in Marin pool service companies don’t need to deal with such extremes.

Here in Marin pool service companies do need to perform some amount of winterizing, but the most extreme operation is probably draining a pool owners solar panels.  There are several reasons for this. One of them is just in case there is a freeze, a pool service company needs to drain the panels to prevent the frozen water from cracking them.  The other reason to drain the solar panels is because they will not provide any use in the winter when the sun is not out enough to create warmth for the pool. So circulating water through a pool’s solar system is a waste of energy.pool service marin

Pool Service and Pool Covers in the Winter

Marin pool service companies should also suggest to their customers put away any manually operated covers for the winter.  Most manual pool covers are of the bubble wrap type and are used primarily to create heat for the pool in the summer. Let’s face it, manually operated covers don’t really prevent much debris from getting into a pool, and in fact in many cases just make the problem worse.  So since the manually operated cover isn’t providing any heat to the pool your Main pool service company should suggest you store it away during the winter to prevent damage to it during storms.

For automatic pool covers that do not allow rain water to drain through them, you or your Marin pool service provider need to be prepared to drain rainwater that accumulates off the top of them.  Otherwise damage may occur to the pool cover from the weight of the water. Draining the water off of the top is usually accomplished through the use of a sump pump. Automatic pool covers are designed to be weight bearing, but if enough water accumulates on the top the weight bearing limit can be exceeded easily.  So make sure you have a sump pump at the ready during the rainy months here in Marin.

Pool Chemistry in the Winter Here in Marin

Similar to the summer months, the main purpose of the pool chemistry your Marin pool service company maintains is to prevent the growth of algae and damage to your pool surface and equipment.  While there is less sunlight in the wintertime, algae can still be a problem for pools. So it is imperative that your Marin pool service company maintains the proper level of sanitizer in your pool.  Rain water added to a pool can also cause the pH and water hardness to become unbalanced. So it is imperative that your Marin pool service company maintain the pH to prevent the pool water from becoming too acidic or alkaline.  Acidic pool water can cause etching of the pool plaster while alkaline pool water can cause scaling. Neither of these conditions is ideal, and your Marin pool service company needs to stay vigilant during the winter time to prevent them from occurring.  Water hardness can also cause damage to pool equipment.  So make sure your Marin pool service company is actively maintaining your pool water chemistry.

For pools that use salt, it is important for your Marin pool service company to maintain sufficient salt levels in the pool water so that the chlorinator can create enough sanitizer.  Many Marin pool service companies will try to tell you that if you’re not using your pool in the winter time then using regular chlorine will be sufficient. This is just a way for them to make their lives easier and to save a few dollars on the sale they should be using for your pool.  So don’t let your Marin pool service company tell you this.

In short, it is imperative that your Marin pool service company be smart about how they handle your pool in the winter months.  While the requirements are not as drastic as they are for pools in colder geographies, there are some necessary steps that should be taken to winterize your pool here in Marin.