Pool Maintenance During Winter Months

Cooler weather is officially here in the Las Vegas Valley.  As we residents know, it can get surprisingly cold in our high desert environment.  Unless you are heating your pool, many of us won’t be using our pools much over the coming months. For those of us working in the Pool Maintenance industry, we often hear the comment, “I am not using my pool, do I still need a pool service to maintain it?”  We also experience a number of customers asking to delay important maintenance such as pool drains, tile cleans, filter replacement, and various repairs.  The thinking is that they would rather fix the pool when it is getting the most use.  Here are a few reasons why cold weather maintenance is important and you shouldn’t delay suggested repairs and replacements:

• Cold weather can actually cause certain components of your pool to freeze (yes, even here in Las Vegas/Summerlin/Henderson, etc).  This can cause cracks and other damage to expensive equipment.  At PoolStar, we help to ensure that pumps are set to run and that your water is circulating at appropriate times and we also regularly check that all equipment is functioning as it should.  This includes notifying you when your filters are no longer filtering as they are meant to do and impacting the water flow.  All of this is even more important when the pool is not in use as issues could otherwise go unnoticed.
• Water Chemistry is important year-round regardless of the weather. Surprisingly, algae blooms and other issues are possible no matter the temperature.  Additionally, blustery fall and winter weather can do a number on your landscaping; causing more debris to end up in your pool and significantly affecting the balance. If water chemistry becomes unbalanced it can be a health hazard even when not in use (think mosquitos and other environmental issues), and can lead to permanent damage to your pool including corrosion.  Even with optimal care, pool water needs to be changed out on a regular basis (approximately every 2-3 years).  PoolStar will notify you when your technician records that the water condition has become poor which means it is consistently testing “off” even when the appropriate amounts of chemicals are added each week (at a certain point, chemicals will have no effect on poor water).  Draining your pool is best done during the fall or early spring so that the temperature is not at one extreme or another; both of which can cause damage to a pool’s liner when empty.
• A pool left unmaintained is not a pool that will be inviting and refreshing to use when temperatures rise again. As we all know, it can get warm again very quickly in the Las Vegas area. If you have put off maintaining or repairing your pool, serious damage may have occurred or at minimum, staining and other issues that make your pool look and feel less appealing.  You may then be trying to get services and repairs at the time of year that local pool maintenance companies are at their busiest.  We have been witness to times when customers have spring plans for parties and gatherings that can’t feature their pools because necessary work was delayed.

Here are PoolStar we want you to be able to make the most of your pool and be able to dive-right in, or show off your backyard, whenever the urge strikes.  Together, we can make sure you are getting the most enjoyment out of this important and refreshing feature. The investment that you make in your pool can be a very worthwhile investment.