Learn how to prepare your pool for a storm to prevent damage to your backyard investment. Whether you live in the tropics, sub-tropics, temperate or cold regions you need to know how to prepare your pool for a storm. These days you can be hit by severe weather at any time of the year. However, when it comes to preparing for a hurricane or severe storm most home owners forget about their swimming pools. Storms may leave behind fresh air and blue skies but your swimming pool will be full of dirt, debris and other contaminants. The pool water will be overflowing and your pool chemistry way out of balance. There is the risk of a green algal bloom taking over the pool.
Before severe weather hits your area follow our simple step-by-step recommendations to prepare your pool and backyard to minimize the potential for storm damage.
Table of Contents
How to Prepare Your Pool for a Storm
1. Do Not Cover the Pool
Severe storms usually damage pool covers. The high winds cause tears in the cover or throw heavy debris such as tree branches on the cover. Even if the cover is not affected it will be weighed down by water and debris making it difficult to remove after the storm has passed.
2. Protect Your Pool Safety Fence
Aluminum fences are usually fine in a storm because the wind and rain can easily pass through the fence structure without causing damage. However, glass pool fencing is prone to damage from high winds. The glass panels in these fences are made from very strong hardened safety glass or laminated glass but a severe storm may still cause damage.
The only way to guarantee a glass fence is not damaged is to remove the glass panels and store them inside. This is only recommended for hurricanes, severe storms or tornados. Otherwise, simply board up the fence with plywood panels, lengths of timber or heavily tape the glass with a strong, waterproof masking tape.
3. Protect Your Pool Enclosure
Most pool enclosures are made from aluminum framing that is covered with insect screens and security screens. Some enclosures may include glass panels especially around the bottom section of the structure. If you have glass panels I recommend taping the glass or boarding up with sheets of plywood. There isn’t much you can do to protect insect screen material from high winds. If insect screens are damaged by a storm they are easily replaced.
Read our article about Swimming Pool Enclosures
4. Tidy Up the Backyard
Remove and store any loose objects in your backyard that will be thrown around by high winds. You don’t want outdoor furniture, pool cleaning accessories, toys or gardening tools to be turned into dangerous projectiles in a storm. Trim any tree branches that look like they may snap off in a storm especially if they are near your house or pool.
It is safe to put plastic outdoor furniture into the pool to protect it against a storm but never put metal objects in the pool as it may damage the lining and cause metal staining of the pool surface.
5. Switch Off the Filtration System
Turn off the power supply and disconnect the power cords to your pump motor, timer, saltwater chlorinator, water heater and pool lighting. Storms can cause electrical surges though power cables that are connected to electrical devices. Lightning strikes have been known to travel through the ground into power cables damaging electrical equipment. If you are in a region that has frequent electrical storms talk to a local electrical contractor about earthing your pool fence and filtration system as an extra protection against lightning strikes.
6. Cover the Filtration System
Storms are known to damage pool filters and other equipment with strong winds and torrential rain. The most effective way to protect your filtration equipment is to install a pool filter enclosure. Otherwise, to avoid damage, cover the filtration system with a sheet of plastic that is well tied down and cannot blow away.
Read our article about Pool Filter Enclosures
7. Do Not Empty the Swimming Pool
There is no need to drain the swimming pool before a storm as the weight of the pool water holds the pool in position.
There is a hidden danger when some inground pools are emptied of water. The pool can lift up or pop out of the ground as there may be pressure built up underneath the pool. When the weight of the water is removed the pressure underneath exerts an upwards pressure on the bottom of the pool. This is common in fibreglass shell pools when they do not have a hydrostatic valve fitted.
All inground concrete swimming pools are fitted with a hydrostatic valve that allows any build-up of ground water pressure to escape from under the pool. The hydrostatic valve is built into the lowest point of the pool. On the bottom at the deep end it looks like a drain fitting with a cover. Ground water under the pool can flow through the valve into the pool. This equalizes the pressure preventing damage to the pool shell.
Also, an empty pool will be susceptible from flying debris scratching the pool surface.
8. Lower the Pool Water to the Bottom of the Skimmer box
I recommend lowering the pool water to the bottom of the skimmer box. This helps to reduce the chance of the pool overflowing during the storm. As the pump is turned off during the storm there is no requirement to have water in the skimmer box. Turn the pump valve to waste (or drain). Run the pump motor for a few minutes to lower the water level in your pool. After the storm adjust the water to the correct level midway on the skimmer box flap.
I recommend the installation of an overflow outlet pipe in the skimmer box to the drain. A competent home handyman can install an overflow pipe or contact your local plumber for assistance. This permanent solution stops any pool from overflowing during a storm. This is the best solution because you don’t have to do anything to prevent the pool from overflowing during periods of rainy weather. Pool owners can go out or on vacation and not have to ever worry about their pool overflowing.
Read our post on how to Stop Your Pool Overflowing from Rain
9. Add Chlorine to Prepare Your Pool for a Storm
During a storm your pool is going to be subjected to rain and wind that deposit dirt, debris, algae spores, bacteria and contaminants in the pool.
Add pool algaecide to the water to prepare your pool for a storm and kill algae spores that blow into the pool.
Add extra chlorine to prepare your pool for a storm. This counteracts the effect of the extra contaminants entering the pool water. It doesn’t matter whether you use granular pool shock, granular chlorine or liquid chlorine. The important thing is to add more of it to the pool before the storm hits.
After the storm you will need to test the water chemistry and re-balance the water components as necessary.
Read our article about How to Shock Your Swimming Pool
Conclusion
A storm can really mess up your pool and backyard. However, if you follow our simple step-by-step recommendations above you can prepare your pool and backyard to mitigate the potential for storm damage. Once the storm has passed the clean-up process will be quick and easy.