Help is at hand if recent weather events have created havoc with your pool.
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How rain affects pools
During a rainstorm, leaves, dirt and algae spores get delivered into pool water. Phosphates get deposited into the water and chlorine, salt and minerals get diluted. Combined with sunlight, these conditions are perfect for algae to grow and affect the health of a pool. In addition, if rainwater runs off the property's roof or deck, it can also introduce foreign contaminants, alter the water's pH, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids, alkalinity and other chemical levels.
Preparing pool water before the rain
Before rain hits, it's important to balance the pool properly. Consider adding some Vitalyse Poly Plus Algaecide to help fight off many of the organic contaminants the rainwater introduces, making it easier to clean the pool after the rain dissipates.
How to treat the pool after rain
Once the rain has passed, you can begin to clean the pool. You'll want to act fast, as if the pool isn't cleaned and the chemical imbalance isn't corrected quickly, this can damage pool equipment leading to expensive repairs. After heavy rain, make sure you:
- Empty skimmer and pump baskets. The accumulated debris in the pool will clog the baskets and reduce the flow of water.
- Remove large debris and leaves from the water. They will influence the water chemistry of the pool and potentially stain the pool's surface.
- Test the pool water and rebalance it.
Brown pool: With very heavy rainfall, the runoff from the gardens and surrounding pool areas can add large quantities of dirt, garden soil and mud into the pool, turning it brown and murky. Use a fast-acting, concentrated floccing agent with a built-in accelerator.
Green pool: Leaves, dirt and algae spores delivered into the pool water decompose, causing phosphates to be deposited into the water. Combined with sunlight, these conditions are perfect for algae and other contaminants to grow and affect the health of the pool, turning it green overnight. Use an algaecide to effectively kill the algae in the pool.
Cloudy pool: Rain can dilute the chlorine, salt or minerals to where you can't see the pool floor but the water is a non-green colour. A quality pool clarifier or shock treatment will work to catch and group the tiny particles. This makes them easier for the filter to collect and remove.
John O'Brien is the founder and CEO of Poolwerx.
