ideas for custom-built pools

Natural Pool Opening And Repairing Damage From The Winter Weather

22 March 2019 by Anton Leinonen

Natural pools are great because they are free of chemicals and have attractive custom designs. Your natural pool is still going to need maintenance and may need some repairs before you can open it for swimming during the summer months. You will want to deal with problems with algae, damage from freezing and caring for plants and animals that filter the water.

Dealing With Algae Blooms as The Spring Weather Brings Warm Sunshine

One of the biggest problems that you will have when the weather begins to get warmer is algae blooms. This can cause water to be green and slimy, which is why you want to get algae problems under control quickly. To start, remove any heavy algae growth and begin circulating the water. If you have a separated filtration aquatic pond and garden, put a few fish in the swimming area temporarily to let them naturally eat the algae and filter the water. Before you open the pool, put any fish or plants back in the separated area.

Inspecting and Cleaning Skimmers That Have Collected Winter Debris

Natural pools also have skimmers, which are usually larger and hidden in features like rocks or coping at the edge of the pool. Over the winter months, debris will flow into the skimmers and fill them up. Check all your pool skimmers and remove the debris from the basket to ensure your pool has good water circulation when you start filtering the water to prepare your pool for opening in summer.

Inspecting Plumbing and Pumps for Damage Due to Winter Freezing

Even natural pool and swimming pond designs have pool equipment like pipes, inlets, outlets, drains, and pumps. These are the areas of your natural pool that are most likely to be damaged during a hard winter freeze. Inspect your pool plumbing and pump for damage that needs to be repaired. Draining lines near the surface and plugging them during the winter months will help to prevent damage over the winter months.

Checking for Leaks That Cause Falling Water Levels and Damage Equipment

In addition to leaking pipes and pool equipment, there may be areas where liners or seals have leaks. If you notice that the water level rapidly drops when you begin preparing your pool, this can be due to leaks in one of these areas. Have leaks repaired or new liners installed where they are needed to stop your pool from losing water.

Begin Circulating and Filtering Water to Prepare for Summer Swimming

Since your natural pool uses the circulation of water as filtration, it can take longer to get water clean for swimming. To start, you want to run pumps throughout the year whenever the temperatures are above freezing. During the spring, start running the pump more often to begin filtering water to get it clean for swimming when summer arrives.

These are some of the things that need to be done to inspect your natural pool for damage and get it ready to open. If you need help repairing damage to pool equipment and leaks, contact a pool repair service like Clear Pools Maintenance Inc. to ensure your pool is ready in time for summer bathing. 

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