There’s very few people who will swim in an outdoor pool all year round, with most opting to close it down for winter. When you decide to put away your swimming bathers, ensure you take proper measures, so your pool doesn’t get damaged during its hibernation period.

Shutting down your pool for winter is always more time consuming than opening it up, but if you take due care and attention, it will mean there’s less to do when you re-open it.

Here at Barrier Reef Pools, we’ve come up with seven essential tips to help you hibernate it for the end of the swimming season.

1. Ensure It Is Chemically Balanced
Treat the pool before you close it off for winter to prevent any build-up of scale and to avoid corrosion. Do this a week before the pool is closed down for the season. Ensure you have the proper chlorine, pH and alkalinity levels. Take a sample of pool water for analysis, a pH level of between 7.2 and 7.6 is advisable and alkalinity should be 80 to 120 ppm.

2. Shock The Pool
Use an extra strong chlorine to shock your pool and kill off the bacteria. Once you’ve added the shock treatment, run the pump and filter for several hours, so it gets well distributed.

3. Kill Off Any Algae
Put an algae treatment into the water so that it will prevent any algae growth. Algae will make your pool water look cloudy and could clog your filter, so it’s important to treat the pool with an algaecide.

4. Clean The Pool
Ensure it has a really good end of season clean. To do this, you may have to use some good old-fashioned elbow grease. Get rid of any leaves or debris by using a net or pole. It’s important that you brush the walls as well as vacuuming throughout. Don’t forget to clean the skimmer baskets and the pump’s lint basket of debris. Under no circumstances empty the pool as this will put a strain on the pool structure itself.

5. Clean The Filter
Your filter is an important piece of equipment, so look after it. Any grease, oil or scale deposits may harden over winter. If you give it a good clean, it won’t get clogged up and will be ready to use in the spring months.

6. Rinse and Store Your Pool Accessories
If you have any toys or fixtures like ladders or a thermometer, give them a good rinse and store them away. You may want to put a weather resistant cover over your diving board, so it remains protected in the cooler temperatures.

7. Cover The Pool
This is the final step, but before you place a cover over the pool, drop the water level slightly as it will help to reduce any staining. Make sure your cover fits well so that it won’t fly off in bad weather and check that there’s no gaps or cracks for debris or leaves to enter the pool.

Barrier Reef Pools are the experts in outdoor swimming pools and have a range of pools to suit your garden and lifestyle. We offer a comprehensive service. Why not visit one of our showrooms in Perth to find out more?