When Is the Best Time to Close Your Pool?
Sunny days spent at the pool with friends and family relaxing on floaties and watching the kids have fun is what summer is all about. But when summer comes to an end, when should you close your pool? In general, closing your pool is less about convenience and more about the right timing.
There are four factors to consider when asking yourself what month you should close your pool. Keep reading to learn what questions to ask yourself before closing your pool and which materials and products work best to keep your pool in good condition through the off-season.
4 Factors to Consider When Deciding When to Close Your Pool
Winterization involves draining water from the filtration system but not the pool itself. This prolongs the life of your pool equipment by preventing freezing. Proper closing also helps keep the water clean over the colder months and makes the pool easier to open come next summer. Failing to winterize your pool will make it much harder and more expensive to open your pool when warm weather arrives, but you don’t want to close your pool too early.
Are you wondering when winterization should take place? Let’s consider four key factors:
1. Local Weather Patterns and Water Temperatures
If you’re located in a region where the weather is warm all year, you may never need to close your pool. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to consider the weather and water temperature of your pool as you think about closing it for the season.
While many public pools are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, it’s common practice to close your personal pool when the water is consistently below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you choose to keep your pool open a bit longer, you can, though you must close it down before temperatures reach the freezing point. Frozen water can be detrimental to your pool by damaging components like the pump, filter and heater.
Once you winterize your pool, consider using a winter cover or even a safety cover if you have little children. A winter cover is a protective layer that further reduces algae formation and protects the pool from sunlight. It also keeps leaves, snow, rainwater and other debris out of the pool until it’s ready to open again.
2. The Presence of a Pool Heater
Investing in a pool heater can extend pool time by about a month after average pool closures. These pool heating systems keep the water warm and help keep the pool pump and filter running by avoiding freezing temperatures. For example, solar heating systems are designed to increase pool water by up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit to extend your swimming season. A pool heater can accommodate both inground and aboveground pools to keep the pool party happening into the fall.
If you have a slide with a plumbing line, a pool heater can keep it running like normal. Just be aware that the lines can freeze sooner than the pool water if not used regularly. Proper winterization of your pool will prevent equipment from freezing and make opening it in the spring a seamless process.
3. The Use of a Leaf Net Cover
Whether you have a lot of overhead trees near your pool or the neighbors’ leaves always seem to blow over your fence, a leaf net cover can protect the water and sides of your pool. If tree debris like leaves, sticks and pollen remains in the pool until next season, it can contaminate the water and stain the pool’s walls and floor.
Maintaining fallen leaves and other debris is a time-consuming job. Picking out debris requires dedicated maintenance, so your best bet is to cover the pool with a leaf net before leaves begin to fall. A pool leaf net, along with a winter or safety cover, catches leaves for easy removal next year.
4. Think About Pool Usage
If you’re actively using the pool and the weather is still nice, by all means, keep it open for as long as possible. However, be aware of freezing temperatures at night. Feel free to continue jumping into the pool through the fall season if the water temperature doesn’t reach a freezing 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If no one is inclined to use the pool anymore or you don’t want to manage the maintenance until spring, it’s a sure sign you can close it up until next year.
Considering weather and water temperature, your pool usage and whether you have a water heater or leaf cover can help you better understand when it’s the right time to close your pool. These four factors depend on your location, surrounding environment and general pool usage, so it’s up to you and your family to decide when to close things off until next year.
Why You Shouldn’t Close Your Pool Too Early
Though you may have never thought closing your pool too early is a bad thing, it can lead to several issues, including:
- Algae growth
- Staining
- Complicated reopening
These issues can arise from warm weather and your winter protection chemicals not being able to last until spring. If you reopen the pool come springtime and find the water is unsanitary and full of algae, it’ll cost you extra time and money to fix before you can swim. Plus, closing the pool later in the year will allow your family to enjoy it longer.
Overall, waiting until the cooler months to shut everything down is beneficial for you and your family and when it comes to the life span of your pool equipment and experiencing a seamless reopening.
Prepare for Your Pool Closing With SPQ Brands
SPQ Brands manufactures products for residential pools, ranging from heaters and leaf covers to lighting and chemicals. With reliable products ready to help close your pool for the summer, SPQ is here to help you understand the best time to close your pool and why closing too early may be detrimental.
Reach out to an SPQ Brands specialist to learn how we can help you close your pool with the right solutions.