Do you know what to do with your pool after it rains? Contrary to what you may think, you should not jump into the water immediately after it rains. Although it is technically water, it will still have an effect that might compromise your safety when you go for a swim.
While it may be fun to swim while it is raining, you need to understand its effects on the water. The more you know about it, the easier it is for you to ensure that it is safe for you and your family to use.
What to do to your pool after the rain stops
So what are the pool maintenance tips that you should apply after the rain stops? There are three main tasks for you to do.
Clean
An episode of rain will not just bring water with it. The wind that comes along with the rain will bring debris with it. This is why you need to clean before you do anything else.
Your first move should involve your filter. Remove any debris that got stuck on the skimmer and pump basket. Then you can turn on the filtration system. This will help clean the water as you work on the other areas of your pool.
While the filter is running, you can turn your attention to the surface of the swimming pool. You want to remove all the leaves, twigs, branches, and other debris that fell into it. Brush the steps and also the walls to give it a thorough cleaning. You should also clean behind the ladders. To make things easier, you can also use a vacuum to help clean everything.
Test
After a thorough cleaning, you need to check the water. Since the rain fell into the pool and mixed into the water, you want to make sure that the pH and alkalinity levels are not compromised. Rainwater is not entirely clean – especially if you just had acid rainfall. Having well-balanced water makes it safe for swimming. There are test kits that you can get to check the chemical levels. The pH levels can drop after some heavy rainfall. Not only that, acid rain can compromise the alkalinity of the water.
The chlorine should also be checked. This is the one that fights can contaminants in the water. You want to ensure it is at the right level so it can continue to protect your pool.
Restore
Once you have seen the chemical levels of your pool, you want to restore the balance in the water. You need to add the right amount of chemicals to make the water safe and clean.
Before you add the chemicals, you should check if the water is at the right level first. If not, you need to drain the water. Having too much might compromise the chemicals that you will add. If you had to remove a lot of water, you might want to test the water again.
While it is not necessary to shock the pool after an episode of rain unless it was a big storm accompanied by heavy rainfall. But if you test the water and the chemical levels are way off, then you need to restore everything.
If you think that you will no longer have rain in the near future, you can probably put back all the furniture and equipment that you removed before the rain fell. This includes your patio furniture, lounge chairs, grill, pool toys and equipment, plants, etc.
How to prepare your pool if there is a rainstorm coming
The next time there is a rainfall warning, you might want to prepare your pool so your maintenance will not be too much after.
Here are some tips that you can follow.
- Remove all pool equipment/toys and other outdoor furnishings. Put them indoors or somewhere it is protected from the rain.
- Put algaecide in the water to give it extra protection. This will make it easier to clean the water after the rain.
- Cover your pool. This will keep the leaves, twigs, and other debris from landing on the water.
- Disconnect all electrical lines outdoors. Anything that you have plugged in outdoors should be disconnected. Make sure your pump and filters are also covered.
All of these tips should help minimize the tasks that you have to accomplish to maintain your swimming pool after it rains.
