If it's your first winter owning an outdoor swimming pool, you might be wondering what you're supposed to do. Can you simply leave your pool alone and hope for the best? No! You'll need to do some careful preparation to keep your pool in good shape. Not properly preparing can cause costly and inconvenient damage, with issues like algae, leaf build-up, and freezing over. You'll be glad of the work you did to protect your pool from the elements once the warmer months come around. Read on to find out how to show your swimming pool some love this winter.

Balance chemicals

It's important to check the pH level of your pool and adjust as necessary before closing it up for winter. This helps ensure that the water will be clean and healthy come springtime. You should carry out a shock chlorine treatment. Do this with the pump running to make sure that all of your pipes are also treated. Chlorine will degrade over time while the pool is not in use, so you'll need an additional treatment of algaecide. Although cold weather limits the spread of micro-organisms, it doesn't stop them completely, so it's a good idea to use algaecide in your pool at the start of winter - don't wait until a problem occurs to treat it. Purchase a special winterization product, rather than a standard algaecide, to ensure that the effects will be long-lasting.

Protect against freezing damage

While it's best to keep water in the pool during winter, you will need to make some adjustments. Lower the water level to below the skimmer to prevent water from freezing inside it and causing damage. You should also take care to drain the water from all the filter equipment, pipes, and pump. If water freezers inside here, it will expand and can easily cause cracks. This kind of damage can be very expensive and inconvenient to repair, so this step is really important.

Cover the pool

A cover keeps you, your family, and your pool safe. It protects the pool from leaf fall during autumn and winter, which can cause significant problems with bacteria, as well as blocking pipes and filters. If you have children or pets, then a hard safety cover is advisable. This allows them to play freely outdoors while it's chilly, with no risk of falling into the pool. This is key when the ground is icy and there's a risk of slipping. A hard cover also prevents ice or snow from melting into the pool and raising water levels.

If you don't feel too confident about your ability to prepare your pool for winter, consider hiring a local contractor. They'll be able to recommend the best winterization products, drain your pool to the appropriate level, and ensure that your cover provides sufficient protection. Hiring a professional can increase your peace of mind, and means you won't have any nasty surprises come spring. For more information, contact a business such as Cygnet Pool Supplies & Service Pty Ltd.