Your fibreglass pool can either be a saltwater pool or a chlorinated pool. Either way, you’ll need to winterise your pool, before you can close it before the winter season starts. But is there any difference between closing a saltwater pool and a chlorinated pool?
The winter season is usually when people close their pools unless they have heated pools and spas. There are certain differences between saltwater pools and chlorinated pools, that you should take note of when closing your fibreglass pool. Let’s look at what these are.
The Difference Between Chlorinated and Saltwater Pools
If you have a chlorinated pool, then you’ll need to add chlorine to the pool water from time to time. With a saltwater pool, you’ll need to add salt to the saltwater generator instead. Here, salt is used to create chlorine, which then sanitises the water in the sydney pool.
Saltwater chlorinators also tend to come with sensors that can measure the water’s conductivity. In case you need to add more salt to the saltwater chlorinator, to maintain the levels of chlorine in your pool water, it will let you know. Note however that if you have a chlorinated pool, on the other hand, you’ll need to manually check for the chemical levels in your water. You can use a pool water testing kit, which is available at most pool supply stores, to do this.
Check the water chemistry of your pool water every week during the winter season, and add chemicals if necessary.
How Can You Maintain Your Pool?
The way you maintain your chlorinated pool is very similar to how you should maintain a saltwater pool as well. After you’ve closed your pool for the winter, you’ll need to check the chemical levels of the pool water on a weekly basis. If you have a chlorinated pool, you’ll need to add chlorine to your pool’s water. If you have a saltwater pool, then add salt to your saltwater generator.
In addition to this, you’ll also need to clean as well as vacuum your pool, from time to time. You can’t leave the pool water lying around stagnant, once the pool season ends.
You’ll also need to check the pH level of the water, the total alkalinity, as well as the calcium hardness of the pool. Wherever needed, you’ll need to add salt or chemicals to the water in your pool, to maintain its water health.
Should You Worry About Your Pool Freezing?
Depending on where you live, you could very well find yourself with a fibreglass pool that has been frozen over. Even saltwater pools freeze, as they only have a small fraction of the salinity that the water in the ocean has.
This is why, if you think that it’s likely that your pool water will freeze, you should drain the amount of water in your fibreglass pool. Drain it until the water reaches below the level of the skimmer. If you need to blow any lines out, then you should also ensure that you do that, before you close your fibreglass pool.
Do You Have To Drain Your Pool?
Whether you have a chlorinated pool or a saltwater pool, you’ll need to drain the water that’s in your pool. However, you won’t need to drain all the water out of your fibreglass pool. The filter system of your pool will have certain return outlets. This applies even if you have a saltwater pool.
The water in your fibreglass pool should be drained only until it’s below these return outlets. Otherwise, if water ends up getting into the plumbing of the pool, or even the filter, it can end up freezing inside. If this happens, then the frozen water could end up cracking integral pool components. By the time you’re ready to open your pool up again, you could be looking at expensive repair jobs.
What About Pool Stains?
When the pool water is lying around stagnant for any length of time, it can cause the surfaces around it to stain. This is why you’ll need to regularly clean your fibreglass pool. You can make use of anti-staining agents, to prevent stains from forming in the first place.
In the winter months, it’s possible for minerals that are present in the water of the pool to settle down on the bottom and the sides of your pool. This is what causes stains, such as rings around the pool, to form. In order to prevent these stains from forming in the first place, you’ll need to add a scale to your pool. For saltwater pools, you should consider adding a stain sequestrant as well.
How Can You Winterise Your Pool?
The first thing you should do to prepare your pool for closing is to use your skimmer net to get rid of any debris from the surface of the pool. You’ll also need to use your pool brush to scrub the sides and the bottom of the pool. The pool should be vacuumed, and you should also run your pool filter for at least one hour. After this, clean the pool filter.
You’ll also need to check for the levels of chlorine in the pool water, or the amount of salt in the water, depending on the kind of pool you have. Add more salt or chlorine, as necessary. You should also ensure that the chemicals in your pool are balanced. The pH level should be between 7.2 and 7.8. The total alkalinity should be between 80 and 120 ppm. The calcium hardness of your pool should also be between 200 and 400 ppm.
You’ll then need to add anti-staining as well as winterising agents. You’ll also need to add algaecides, to ensure that algae don’t form in your pool. Your pool pump should also be allowed to circulate for at least eight hours every day. Finally, you’ll also need to add enzymes to the pool water to get rid of contaminants.
Conclusion
Closing a saltwater pool isn’t that different from closing a chlorinated pool. Most of the steps you’ll need to undertake at the same time. But you’ll need to swap out the chlorine in place of salt, should you have a saltwater pool. Use this guide to learn about the differences between closing a saltwater pool and a chlorinated pool.
