Every summer in south Louisiana you can almost set your watch for an afternoon rain shower. While this mid-day precipitation can provide some much-needed relief, it can also wreak havoc on your backyard pool and spa.  This is especially true when a scattered shower turns into a massive deluge.  Rain, debris, and other runoff can quickly and easily wreck the chemical balance, clarity, and health of your pool’s water.  However, there are preventative measures you can take to protect your pool as much as possible if you have the benefit of a forecasted weather event, or are planning to go out of town for a while.  There are also some necessary steps to take after a storm to restore your pool’s safe, clean, clear water.

Prepare Your Pool Before the Storm

If you’re expecting rain, storms, or something more significant, there are few things you can do to lessen the impact it will have on your pool. 

1.)    Store any outdoor accessories and furniture that can blow into the pool.  Patio furniture, grills, pool toys, plants, pool equipment, and decorative items can all end up in the water, making it difficult to clean, and possibly damaging the pool’s structure.

2.)    Check and balance the water.  The better shape that your water is in before a storm, the easier it will be to restore after.

3.)    Turn off your pool’s pump.  If it runs on a timer, make sure that it won’t start the pump during the storm.  This will prevent any potential damage to your pool’s equipment.

Clean Your Pool After the Storm

1.)    Once the weather clears, empty any debris from your pump and skimmer baskets.  Once these are clear, turn your pump and filter back on.  This will cycle smaller debris out of the water. 

2.)    Once the filtration system is back online, skim the surface of the water.  This will limit how much debris will need to be vacuumed from the bottom of the pool if you can catch it before it sinks.  This is also a good time to sweep around the perimeter of your pool to prevent anything else from entering the water.

3.)    Now it’s time to brush and vacuum your pool. Cleaning the walls, steps, and floor of your pool will loosen up debris allowing your filtration system to remove it.  If there isn’t a lot of debris below the surface, your automated pool cleaner will be able to handle it.

4.)    Lastly, after all is clean, test your pool water.  Large amounts of rain can dilute the chemicals in the water, and excess debris can throw its pH out of balance.  This will ensure that your water doesn’t become green or cloudy. 

While storms are a regular part of life in south Louisiana, letting them wreck your pool’s chemistry doesn’t have to be.  Lucas Firmin Pools builds and maintains pools in the Baton Rouge area.  If you are in the market for a pool or are looking for a company to take care of your existing one, the experts at Lucas Firmin Pools are here to help.