If you have a swimming pool, an upcoming hurricane can be more inconvenient to you. Not only must you ensure your and your family’s safety but you must as well make sure that your pool will be fine during and after the storm.
A hurricane can be damaging to your pool. It not only leaves traces like falling debris and leaves, but it can also break your pool in general. However, there are things that you can do to prepare your pool for an upcoming hurricane or maintaining after the hurricane hits.
Before The Hurricane
Before the hurricane, you should start doing the maintenance by preparing it. By doing this, you can be assured that your pool will not get that much damage from the storm. Following are the things you must do as preparation for an upcoming hurricane.
Keep Water on The Pool
Many people make mistakes of draining their pool water every time a hurricane is coming to their area. The proper way of preparing your pool for an upcoming hurricane is to keep the water on your pool.
Avoid draining the water as it can help to weigh down the bottom of your pool and its sides. In addition, it can help in keeping them in place. If you empty your pool, you will only increase the possibility of lifting your pool’s foundation during the hurricane.
Shock Your Pool
The next thing you should do to prepare for the hurricane is to add shock to your pool. Again, it is best to treat your water before the storm. It is recommended that you add shock to your pool or super-chlorinate it just like you normally do.
However, it is best if you could choose to add a non-chlorine shock into your pool. This way, you can avoid adding chlorine to water if this is what you preferred.
Check All The Electricals
It is always best that you turn off all automatic and electrical pool equipment. Disconnect all the electrical equipment and make sure to store them in a safe place where water can not reach them.
If the possibility of flood in your area is high, make sure to place this equipment in a high place. You should also turn off the circuit breaker and turn off all electrical power.
Remove All Pool Toys and Furniture
Don’t let pool toys float in the pool or stay on the side of the pool during a hurricane. Pool Furniture is also recommended to be removed from the pool.
This way, you can make sure that these objects will not get damaged. Plus, these objects can be hazardous if they become flying objects during the storm. Therefore, it is best to store these items indoors to keep them away from the harsh wind of the hurricane.
Maintain Your Water Level
Not only avoiding draining your pool is important in preparing your pool for a hurricane, but it is also to maintain its water level as it is. If you think it can be best to remove some water, make sure to decrease the water level by 2 feet.
However, if your pool has drainage, you will never have to worry about your water level even though a hurricane is coming. The excess water will just drain out through the pool’s drainage as usual.
Remove Shades
Whether your swimming pool shade is removable or retractable, it is best to keep it hidden during the storm. For retractable shades, make sure that you retract the shade properly and secure it in place.
Moreover, for removable shades, it is recommended to keep them and store them indoors during the storm. Hurricanes contain harsh winds, and any shade could not withstand the strong wind regardless of its quality.
After the Hurricane Pool Maintenance
Now the storm had passed, and you are worried and thinking about how your pool took all of it. Not because you prepared your pool before the storm, you will start to be complacent. You still need to do things to your pool after the storm, like the following.
AGAIN… Do not Drain
Once again, do not drain your pool. After the storm, expect that the water table is rising, and draining it will only damage your pool’s foundation. Additionally, do not lower the water level of your pool after the storm unless you are having issues with your pool’s drainage.
Test Your Water
Before anything else, the first thing you must do after a hurricane is to test your pool’s water. Make sure that the chemistry of your water is balanced and at the right level. If the result turned out to be bad, then you can add proper chemicals into your pool’s water to bring its balance back.
Inspect Your Pool
After you check for the water, it is now time to inspect the physical condition of your pool. Look for cracks or any visible damages. You must also check for leaks in case your pool has invisible damages that cause a leak.
Inspect the Pool Equipment
After inspecting the pool, you can now go to your pool equipment and inspect it as well. Again, look for damages and make sure to dry them up thoroughly before plugging them back in start its operation.
Follow the manufacturer’s manual to ensure your safety. Wet electricals can cause electrocution if it gets a plugin. Also, make sure that the equipment is 100% dry before using it again. This is why you must place them in a very well-protected area prior to the storm.
Clean Your Pool
After the storm, it is expected that your pool will be filled with debris, leaves, and anything else. Skim them out and remove any objects on your pool that was brought by the hurricane. Use a skimmer or a net and avoid using your vacuum.
The debris that is brought by the hurricane can be bigger than the normal debris your pool encounters on a daily basis. Therefore, if you use your vacuum to remove the debris, the vacuum will likely clog up.
Place back the Shade, Furniture, and Pool Toys
After making sure your pool is perfectly fine and after you clean it up, it is now time to place back all the pool items. It can be a great opportunity to redesign your pool area and place furniture in other places.
On a Final Note
Damages can be inevitable, especially if the force of nature causes them. However, you can minimize these damages by making sure that you prepare your pool and maintain it properly afterward.
