What to do to prep your pool for a hurricane? Fellow Floridians, you know what time it is. It’s the most dreadful time of the year (get it? Like, not the most wonderful time of the year?). It’s hurricane season. Unfortunately for us this is a yearly occurrence for our sunshine state. Some years, we get hit hard. Others, not so much. Regardless of what happens this hurricane season, we want to make sure you’re prepared for the worst. Well, you and your pool that is.
Preparing your pool for a hurricane or major storm is a little bit different than preparing for a regular storm or rainy day. In fact, in some ways, it’s quite the opposite. Hurricane season in Florida is June-December, so we’ve got many more months of keeping our eyes on the news hoping the next big storm with a name misses us. Unfortunately, the climate change we are experiencing comes with more violent – and more frequent storms.
1. Remove Loose Items
While you’ve probably invested a lot of time and energy into getting your pool patio/deck to look its absolute best and match your style exactly, those loose decorations or furnishings (think chairs, pool lights, end tables, etc) won’t be doing you any favors when a storm with strong winds comes along. Chances are they’ll go flying and either break or damage something else (or both!). If you can’t bring it into the house or storage, tie the item down.
2. Do NOT Empty The Pool
This is a big one. While at first it might seem reasonable to drain or empty your pool in preparation for heavy rain, this can actually be extremely harmful. A drained pool is no longer held down by the weight of the water, and is liable to pop out of the ground or split if the storm is heavy enough. This will be a big – and totally avoidable – bill for you. Just remember, the only reason to ever drain your inground pool is for major repairs, not storms. A total pool repair or pool restoration will not only come with a very high price tag, it will also render your pool unusable for an indefinite amount of time. Do yourself a favor, and avoid this costly mistake.
3. Trim Surrounding Trees and Bushes As Much As Possible
Thanks to the wonders of the 21st century, we’re able to have advanced notice for most bad storms. Take this opportunity to call your landscaper and have them trim the bushes/trees (including thin, dead, or overgrown branches) that are near your pool as much as possible, even if it throws off the aesthetic a bit. Leaves grow back, pools do not. This will avoid damage to your pool equipment/patio from loose branches and reduce the debris you need to remove after the storm.
4. Turn Off Electric Equipment
You’ll want to turn off the power to the pool, and if possible remove and store the pump/filtration system somewhere dry and high (especially if flooding is a possibility). Pool equipment repair or replacement can be pricey, and is not worth the risk.
5. Shock the pool
While you should definitely test and balance the water in your pool prior to a storm (adding the chemicals needed to achieve the correct pH), a bonus step is to shock your pool by adding extra chlorine and algaecide in order to destroy the contaminates and bacteria carried into the pool from the storm debris.
6. Leave The Pool Uncovered
This is where you prep your pool for a hurricane or other major storm differs greatly from preparing for a minor storm or rainy/windy day. While pool covers are great for minor storms and every day protection when the pool is not in use, you may want to think twice before utilizing them in preparation for a hurricane or powerful storm. At best, debris will cover the pool cover and potentially damage it, or at the very least make it very hard to clean. At worst, large debris could cause irreparable damage to the cover, or even tear it right off. Pool covers aren’t cheap, so don’t risk yours to avoid a little extra work for your pool filter down the line.
At Professional Aquatic Services we take our work very seriously. The last thing we would ever want is to complete a gorgeous pool renovation or a brand new pool resurfacing job and then get a call after a major storm telling us it’s been damaged. We want to save you money while providing the very best in pool maintenance and swimming pool renovation that we can.
