Should you cover your pool when it rains?

Author: Ms. Amalia Batz DVM  |  Last update: Monday, May 16, 2022

When preparing your pool for a storm, leave it uncovered. Installing any kind of cover across the pool will not do much to protect against dust and contaminants because storms often bring strong winds and heavy rain that can cause the cover to lift off your pool.

What do you do with your pool when it rains?

Here's a quick checklist of what to do after a heavy rain so you can get back to enjoying your pool as soon as possible:
  • Remove debris from your skimmer and pump baskets. ...
  • Skim your pool to remove any debris on the water's surface, including bugs.
  • Brush and vacuum your pool.
  • Lower the water level if needed.

Will rain water hurt my pool?

Heavy rains will dilute your pool alkalinity level, causing it to fall by 5-10 ppm a day. Low Alkalinity and low pH levels in pools can create a corrosive water environment. Corrosive pool water can result in the damage of underwater metal surfaces, such as pool lights, ladders and rails.

Is it better to keep a pool covered or uncovered?

Covering a pool when it is not in use is the single most effective means of reducing pool heating costs. Savings of 50%–70% are possible. Pool covers on indoor pools not only can reduce evaporation but also the need to ventilate indoor air and replace it with unconditioned outdoor air.

What do you do with a pool before heavy rain?

Give your pool a good shock treatment 1 to 2 days before the storm hits. You can bring the chlorine level up pretty high to prolong the pool being depleted of chlorine. Run the pool for about 24hrs after the shock treatment to allow the treatment to make its way throughout the entire pool.

What You Should Do to Your Pool After it Rains

How do I stop rain on my pool cover?

After it rains, you should remove standing water as soon as possible. To do this, you'll want to use a siphon or a water pump. An automatic pool cover pump is one of the most useful pool supplies in New Haven County, CT because it can remove standing water from your cover without you needing to do the work.

Do you have to cover a pool every night?

You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.

Does leaving a pool cover on cause algae?

So while a solar cover won't actually 'turn your pool green', it will warm your water by up to 8 degrees, so if the other conditions are right, adding a solar cover can easily accelerate algae growth, very rapidly. You need to get the water balance in your pool right before putting the cover back on.

Should you cover your Intex pool when it rains?

Leave Your Pool Open

When preparing your pool for a storm, leave it uncovered. Installing any kind of cover across the pool will not do much to protect against dust and contaminants because storms often bring strong winds and heavy rain that can cause the cover to lift off your pool.

What happens if you don't cover your pool?

If you don't cover your above-ground pool, it's going to get dirt, leaves, and other debris in it. Even if you don't have any trees nearby, the wind will still blow debris into the water.

Can you swim in a pool after it rains?

Remember, rain is acidic. Hence, pool overflowing from rain causes the Alkalinity and pH levels to lower. Very low pH causes pool water to turn very clear and acidic, which destroys your pool surface and equipment.

Why does the pool turn green after it rains?

Why Your Pool Turns Green and Cloudy

This can alter your pH levels and dilute the chlorine or other sanitizers, allowing algae or other contaminants to gain a foothold. Once the algae spores have the proper conditions to grow, they multiply very quickly, which is why your clear pool can turn green overnight.

Do I need to drain pool after rain?

In most cases, your pool can even handle rain from most tropical depressions and hurricanes. If your pool is completely full after a storm or heavy rainfall, you don't need to take drastic steps such as emptying your pool. If you do, the hydrostatic pressure can cause your pool to come out of the ground.

Can you run an Intex pool pump in the rain?

You should keep the pump dry and out of the rain. Rain that is allowed to fall on the pump can get into the motor and cause a short circuit, burning out the motor in the process. Cover the pump and never allow water to fall on it from above.

How do I keep rainwater out of my above ground pool?

The best measure to keep your pool from overflowing and causing damage is to make sure that your yard drains properly; try running a hose to see where the water runs to and how fast. Make sure the deck is pitched slightly away from the pool to keep contaminants flowing out of your pool rather than into it.

Should you cover your pool after you shock it?

Solution. Never close the cover immediately after shocking the pool. It is recommended to wait several hours before closing the cover. Use a test kit to regularly test the pool water.

How many hours a day should you run your pool pump?

Overall, the lessons learned today is you should run your pool pump an average 8 hours a day to properly circulate and clean your water. The pump should push your entire pool in gallons in this 8 hour period of time. Residential pool water only needs to be turned over once daily to have proper filtration.

At what temperature does algae stop growing in a pool?

Algae growth is stopped at temperatures below 40° F, but some algae can continue to survive, and like weeds in a lawn, can go dormant over the winter, coming back to life in early spring, weeks before you open the pool.

Is it OK to run my pool pump 24 hours a day?

The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.

Why doesn't my pool overflow when it rains?

The pool will only overflow by the amount of rain in excess of the amount of rain needed to fill the pool to the top. So if your pool is the normal 3” below the top, the rain would need to exceed 3” before any additional rain would be available to overflow onto the deck.

How do you treat a green pool after rain?

Fixing a Green Pool
  1. Empty skimmer and pump baskets. If you don't the accumulated debris in the pool will clog the baskets and reduce the flow of water.
  2. Remove large debris and leaves from the water. They will influence the water chemistry of the pool and potentially stain your pool's surface.
  3. Test your pool water.

Is it safe to swim in green pool water?

Is it Safe to Swim in a Green Water Pool? Short answer – it depends. Lakes contain a full ecosystem, complete with aquatic life that feeds on bacteria and toxins. This makes swimming in green water in nature safe.

Will clarifier clear a green pool?

ADD POOL CLARIFIER

The change in your pool water colour means that you have successfully eliminated the algae and can now clean it out of your pool. If your water is still green, wait another 24 hours and redo the steps from Days 1 and 2.

Can I use a tarp for a pool cover?

CCS polypropylene mesh tarps are the best tarp for pool covers. They do an exceptional job blocking sunlight, which is essential for preventing algae growth when chemicals are not being added regularly. Polypropylene tarps are strong, too, so they can withstand the weight of ice and snow that builds up over the winter.

Can you leave an Intex pool up year round?

In warmer climates, Intex advises to keep your pool up, if you prefer. However, you must winterize the pool when keeping it full throughout the winter. If your area maintains tropical climates all year long, you may not need to winterize your pool at all, especially if you use your pool on a regular basis.

Previous article
Is a bigger pool pump better?
Next article
Can I pour Clorox in my pool?