Check Your Water Level

• Remember to periodically check under your pool cover to make sure that the water level in the pool is not up on the tile line. Rain water during the off season can raise the water level in your pool. When your pool was closed water was drained out of the pool to at least the wall returns so the lines could be blown out and plugs put it. Over the months since closing, rain water has most likely been raising your pool water level. It is important to keep the water level off the tile because if there is a prolonged freeze the ice can crack your tile. You can drain water from the pool by setting up a siphon with a garden hose.

If You Did NOT Winterize Your Pool/Spa

• If you have left your spa or pool open for the winter keep your pump running to keep the pipes from freezing.  It doesn’t take long for plumbing to freeze up if the pump cut off and it is really cold out. You can program the pump to run 24/7 but at a slower speed. You can also set your heater to it’s lowest temperature setting for your spa when you aren’t using it. Then you can just turn the temperature back up an hour or two before you want to use the spa to give it time to get back up to temperature.

If You Loose Power and the Pool/Spa is Not Winterized

• Remember your pump won’t run if the power goes out unless your pool pump is wired to a back up generator. If you do loose power for an extended period of time and it is going to stay below freezing, call your pool professional to help you do a quick winterization or you can go out and do it yourself. The main thing to remember is to open up the plumbing and get water out of the lines. You can drain some water out of the pool or spa, blow air through the lines, or suck some of the water out of the lines. Remember water expands when it freezes so if constricted in plumbing it will crack it to make extra space so get the water out of the plumbing. You don’t need to go overboard and drain the whole pool though. Cracked plumbing can lead to very expensive repairs.