Taking care of your pool is a tedious process, especially if you want to enjoy an incredible pool time with kids, family and friends.
Experienced pool owners have daily and weekly routines when it’s in season, but maintenance is also essential when the pool is not in use.
So, what you’ve to do if you have a family vacation planned? If you do not want to return to a greener swimming pool, make sure you prepare well in advance before you leave for vacation.
Here, are the pre-pool checks:
1. Chlorine Shock Your Pool
While this affects the chemical balance of your pool, chlorine is far more effective when keeping your swimming pool free of bacteria. Perform a heavy chlorine shock treatment on your pool.
A regular shock treatment is enough to keep your pool clean for at least a week’s holiday. You can double or triple the dosage for an extended vacation. Make sure the water pump runs for a couple of hours so that the chlorine circulates in the pool water.
High levels of chlorine are dangerous, so make sure that nobody swims following the shock treatment. Even when you return after a holiday, make sure you test the level of chlorine in the pool water before you or someone jumps into it, as the chlorine levels may be still on the higher side.
2. Cover the Swimming Pool
Cover your pool with an end-to-end pool cover. Not only will it protect your pool against the debris when you’re away, but further limits the algae growth, allowing the chlorine to do its job.
There are many options for pool covers in the market. The three major categories of pool covers are mesh, solid, and automatic covers.
The mesh covers are light in weight, trap the yard debris, but let the water pass through, it can support large amounts of weight. However, the mesh covers don’t block the UV rays.
A solid pool cover prevents the ultra-fine debris from seeping into the pool water, but not as durable as the mesh covers.
And, finally, we have the automatic pool enclosures, those are visually more appealing and convenient. They are easy to use, cover the pool and uncover with a flick of a button. Compared to the other pool cover types, they are costlier and require professional installation.
3. Set a Timer
While you’re out, and there is no one to take care of your pool, then you want the pool pump and filters to keep your pool clean & hygienic. However, you need to set a timer. Otherwise, you’ll have massive utility bills, if the pump runs indefinitely.
If you regularly go on family vacations, then invest in a timer. A timer is relatively easy to set up and reliable, ensuring the pumps run only when needed. Typically, six to eight hours is more than enough to keep the pool ticking over.
4. Seek Someone’s Help To Take Care of Your Pool
If you’re going out on a long vacation, then you need someone you can trust to check on your pool every week, to ensure everything is working fine. Check if the pool cover and other accessories are working fine.
We hope this mini-guide helped you with closing your pool before heading to a vacation. If you don’t have the time for all this, then, clean the pool water, and cover it till you return home.
