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.
Disconnect the electrical and gas lines to your pool.
Standing water and electricity don't mix. Make sure you turn off all power before the storm. Turn off your pool pump and the timer if you have one. Cover the pump and filter if you have a cover.
Shocking your pool isn't necessary, although, it's not a bad idea either. If you get an extremely heavy rain fall, you could shock your pool for good measure. This will help fight off any contaminants that the rain may have brought to your pool.
If your pool pump manufacturer has declared your pump is rain safe, you can leave it on in rainfall. Nevertheless, during a thunderstorm, it is highly recommended that you switch off and unplug your pool pump to prevent any costly and irreversible damages to your pool equipment.
As Before the Storm, Do Not Empty the Pool
If it appears necessary to drain the pool due to excessive debris, mud or damage, start by draining less than half the water, cleaning the pool and refilling. If a complete draining is required, wait until the ground is less saturated and any high water tables have receded.
We get asked this question every time there is a heavy rain. That answer is pretty simple when you think about it. 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.
The Department of Environmental Health recommends avoiding activities such as swimming, surfing, and diving for 72 hours after it rains. Research has shown that the risk of infection is the highest during and the day after rain, and declines to around normal levels after three days.
If the pool overflows, now only will the pool chemicals be diluted, but they may contaminate the pool deck and surrounding landscape. Removing excess water quickly is important to prevent this.
But large quantities of precipitation combined with an overflowing pool and poor drainage can cause problems such as flooding, structural damage to the surrounding buildings as well as out of balance swimming pool water chemistry. No fun.
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. Also, placing your cover over your pool leaves it vulnerable to sharp branches and other debris during a storm.
As explained by Poolcenter, an online retailer and resource center, “An empty pool is subject to 'floating' or 'popping' out of the ground due to 'lift' pressure from excessive ground water caused by the heavy rains that may accompany the storm.”
It is recommended that you superchlorinate the pool water. You should shock the pool as you normally would. All electric power should be turned off at the circuit breakers before the storm hits.
Pool Losing Water After Heavy Rain
Due to a heavy rainstorm, water loss is more common with vinyl liner pools that can be damaged, come loose, or float to the top. With other types of inground pools, it is vital to get the water level down. If not drained, the water balance will change, causing cloudy water and more.
Go to the back of the filter and unscrew the drain plug. Turn the pump back on and let the water run until it reaches the point where you want to drain the water out. Turn the pump back off and put the plug back into the drain plug.
Most pool leaks are not in the underground plumbing, although it's every pool owner's worst fear, a large backhoe coming in and ripping up the pool deck. It does happen occasionally, that a leak occurs at a pipe connector under the pool deck, or beneath the skimmer, but repair rarely involves a backhoe.
If pool owners or maintenance workers are constantly filling up the pool, there may be a leak. On average, swimming pools lose about a quarter of an inch of water each day, yet variations in wind intensity, humidity and sunlight can drastically change water loss rates.
Recovering Pool Water
Adjust the pH levels as well as the water hardness. Use pool shock until the dark green water turns blue-grey. Make sure the filter is running throughout until the water becomes clear. Use a clarifier and flocculant to coagulate and drop particles to the bottom of the pool.