A light sprinkle of rain here and there is unlikely to affect your pool’s chemistry levels, but when there’s a heavy downpour or continuous rain for an extended period, it doesn’t take long for your pool to become unbalanced. An unbalanced pool quickly equals poor water quality. Here’s what to do next time you have heavy rain to prevent it from disrupting your pool’s crystal clear shimmer.
Why is a heavy downpour bad for my pool?
A heavy downpour can dilute the chemicals in your pool water which can be a problem, not only that, but rain typically brings pollutants with it. Microbiological organisms such as bacteria are often in the air, and when it rains, they end up in the pool. Other contaminants such as heavy metals from clouds, and organic debris will also commonly make their way to the pool in a heavy downpour. All these things can be detrimental to the quality of your pool water, and if they are not eliminated quickly, they can make the water acidic.
Chlorine is added to a pool to kill contaminants but when there are too many for the chlorine to manage, it attaches to them and makes what is known as chloramine. Once your chlorine has converted to this state it becomes useless and can’t sanitise the water. After a while, leaves and other organic matter start to break down in the water and this can throw out your pool’s pH levels. When the pH levels are out of whack, it’s not uncommon for the pool to start turning green. Other chemistry levels that are commonly affected by heavy downpours are your pools (TDS) total dissolved solids levels, calcium hardness, alkalinity and more.
When your pool gets too full, it prevents the circulation system from working properly, and your circulation system plays a key role in keeping the pool clean and sanitary. The extra water stops the skimmer door from closing, and this prevents debris from staying put in the skimmer, it simply floats back out into the pool. After a while, it will sink to the bottom.
How to deal with a pool that’s too full
Knowing how to empty your pool from a melbourne pool range is an essential skill that all pool owners should learn how to do. It can inhibit water from spilling over the pool and flooding the areas surrounding it. Here’s how to do it:
- Turn the pump off
- Rotate the multi-port lever to the waste setting
- Open any valves on the waste line if you have them
- Remove automatic cleaners and skimmer plates from the skimmer if any
- Turn the pump on again
- Leave it on the waste setting until water has receded to the normal level. It drains out quite quickly, so be mindful of this
- Turn the pump off
- Turn lever back to filter setting
- Replace cleaner and skimmer plate if any
- Switch the pump on again
How to prevent your pool water from being significantly affected by a heavy downpour
Clean up the pool
Clear out any debris and leaves from the pool using your pool scoop. Empty the skimmer basket before returning and run your pool cleaner to suck up any smaller bits and pieces that may have got left behind.
Re-balancing the pool
An integral step to maintaining your water quality is rebalancing the chemicals. There are several ways you can do this. You can do it yourself with a water analysis kit, take a sample to your local pool shop or hire a professional to come out and rebalance the water for you. If you are choosing the latter, you don’t have to do much except ring to book them in. If you take a sample to the pool shop, they’ll be able to tell you what’s unbalanced and how you can fix it. Going down the DIY route gives you an instant reading of your pools chemistry levels via a dipstick and colour chart. You can then rebalance them if necessary.
Chemicals most likely to be negatively affected by heavy rain:
- Chlorine
- pH levels
- Calcium Hardness
- Total Alkalinity (TA)
- Total dissolved solids (TDS)
How to bring back a pool that’s gone green
If you’ve left your pool to its own devices for an extended period after a heavy downpour, it’s a good chance that it’s started going green, or cloudy at the very least. This happens fast especially when the weather is warm, and there is plenty of sun. It provides the perfect environment for algae to thrive. To bring your pool back to its former glory, you’ll need to shock the pool. What is shock? It is dosing the pool with a heavy portion of chlorine. Make sure your pH levels are balanced and add a suitable oxidiser, algaecide, and clarifier to the water. To get optimal results, add them to the water once the sun has gone down. The sun’s UV rays break down chlorine so, by adding it at night, you can ensure that the chlorine is working to its full ability. Run your pump overnight to ensure the chemicals are mixed throughout the water adequately. Repeat this process if necessary.
How to bring back a pool that’s gone brown
When rain buckets down, it saturates everything. Rain fills up in garden beds, the ground and everything in between. Often the overspill from the areas surrounding the pool ends up in the pool, bringing dirt and mud with it. You can fix your brown pool by adding a flocking agent to the water. It works by binding to the dirt particles and sinking them to the pool floor. Clearing out the dirt is much easier when it is on the bottom rather than mixed through the water.
Purchase a pool cover
If you’re going to get any accessory for your pool, it should be a cover. For starters, it can drastically cut down on the amount of rain that gets into your pool. They are not only good at stopping rain from entering the pool, but they can reduce chemical, heat, and water loss by a whopping 70%. Some work better than others, and it’s best to investigate the different options before buying one to ensure you are reaping the full benefits a cover can offer.
If doubt speak to a professional
To keep your pool functioning to its best, ensure you are using the correct chemicals for your pool and the proper dosages. Always refer to your user manual and if you can’t or are in doubt, speak to a professional. This will ensure your pool water stays crystal clear and your equipment is protected from avoidable damage.
When you have experienced a heavy downpour of rain for a few days, it’s best to get onto the steps mentioned above as soon as you can to avoid your pool water becoming unbalanced and unhealthy.
If you need some advice about rain and your pool, or you are in the market for a new swimming pool, talk to our team here at Fibreglass Pools Melbourne. We are fibreglass pool experts and would be happy to assist in any way we can.
