Every once in a while Mother Nature shows her stuff. A "woman scorned" maybe...? That's a whole different topic.
As the East Coast of the United States prepares for Hurricane Irene, I wanted to share a few ideas with you on how to do what you can in protecting your swimming pool, spa or hot tub.
Let's be honest, if you're in the direct path of a major storm, be it hurricane (cyclone), tornado, 'Noreaster, sever thunderstorm, there's not much you can do except batten down the hatches and pray.
Practically though, there are a few things that you CAN do. Let's go down a quick list.
2. If possible, protect the filter, pump & heater with a tarp or some kind of covering.
3. Consider temporarily covering the pool with your winter cover or safety cover. This is especially a good idea if you have lots of trees in close proximity of the pool. In case of flying tree limbs, the cover will take the brunt of the damage rather than your pool. For your spa or hot tub, secure the insulating cover so that it doesn't blow off.
4. As the storm approaches, you may want to consider shutting down the power to the filter system (unplug any removable power plugs). No sense in having electricity going out or a power surge that would or could "fry" the pump or other pool or spa electronics (heater, control systems, salt/chlorine generators, etc.).
5. Add an "initial" dose of a good quality algaecide to the pool. Follow the label directions. When a hurricane passes, you could easily pick up an additional 4 to 8 inches of fresh water in under 24 hours. Your pool's water balance will dramatically change. That can be handled afterward. The extra algaecide will help to keep the water in "decent" shape just in case you have lost power and are not able to circulate and filter the water for several days. Portable/movable spa & hot tub owners shouldn't have to do anything chemically to the water.
6. DO NOT SIMPLY CLOSE DOWN OR WINTERIZE THE POOL! Closing the pool early (before September will almost surely result in very green and sour water at the following spring's opening.
How about partially draining the pool?
Some people recommend draining the pool down. I DO NOT. The water helps to support the pool regardless of whether it is inground or aboveground.
The worst thing that can happen is that the pool overflows.
If you have an inground pool & have a somewhat high ground water table, the lack of water in the pool and the abundance of water UNDER the pool could result in the pool being pushed out of the ground (especially true of concrete or one-piece fiberglass pools). That's a very bad thing.
After the storm, just pump out the excess.
That's what to do before the storm. Now how about after the storm?
1. Assess any damage.
2. Remove accumulations of leaves & debris from the cover (if you put it on) and the pool. Scoop the leaves, vacuum the pool of dirt & fine debris. If your water level is really high, you may want to vacuum the pool on direct waste (if your filter has a multiport valve), that way you can bring the water level down and remove the dirt & debris at the same time.
3. Rebalance the water. After the water has circulated & filtered for about 2 days, restore the pH, total alkalinity & calcium hardness to their correct levels and parameters. Here's a link to that information.
4. Shock the pool to kill bacteria and environmental waste. All of that rain will introduce a lot of environmental wastes that need to be oxidized.
5. Go back to enjoying your pool for the remainder of the swimming season. Winterize the pool when you're ready.
One last thing to remember: In case of power outage or water shortage, your swimming pool contains THOUSANDS of gallons of fresh, clean, potable water. Just boil it up & you're ready to go. When treated properly, your swimming pool is more sanitary & better filtered than what comes out of your tap!
That's what to do in case of a hurricane. The prep work shouldn't take longer than one 60 to 90 minutes. It will be well worth your while.
I wish you well.
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