How to Clean Your Pool After a Storm

The best way to avoid disaster is to simply plan ahead. If you know a severe storm is headed in your direction it is wise to take some precautionary measure to avoid any major problems or possible repair costs that you may incur for your above ground pool.

Here are some preventive measures:

With strong enough winds, patio furniture, grills, large outdoor storage boxes, large and small plants, and other outdoor equipment kept near or around your pool my easily find themselves wanting to go for a swim. This would definitely put your liner and above ground pool structure at risk if anything were to fall into the pool.

Expert Tip: Be sure to tie down and/or relocate all loose items no matter how heavy they may be as high winds can even move large items.

Depending on the severity of the looming storm, it may be worthwhile to disconnect your filter from the pool. If there are warnings of flooding, it is especially important to relocate your motor/pump to a higher place where it is not at risk of being submerged. The corrosive effects of ocean water will certainly cease your motor if it has been submerged.

Relocate your filter pump so that it will not be submerged in floodwaters.

It would also be wise to shut off any gas lines running to your heater.

If strong winds are expected and you have trees around your pool, use the winter cover to stop any additional debris from getting into the pool during the storm. This would greatly reduce your clean up time after the storm passes.

After the storm has passed:

Remove any covers, reconnect filtration system, and check for any damages.

By doing a simple walk around the pool, you may be able to recognize any damages and repair them quickly so they do not turn into a larger problem. Also check for any debris in the water that may have caused damage to the liner.

Turn on your filtration system.

Double check all connections, empty out any strainer baskets and confirm that the pump and filter are operating as intended. Make sure there is good water pressure returning to the pool and that the sound of the pump while running is normal.

Vacuum your pool

If any debris did find its way into the pool, take the time to vacuum. It may also be a good time to vacuum to “waste” if you have a sand or D.E. filter. Vacuuming to waste is an excellent trick to quickly clean your pool if you have a lot of debris. This would also remove any additional water that may be present from heavy rain. If there is no need to vacuum, pump the additional water out with a cover pump or backwash your filter until the desired water level is reached.

Test the water

Finally, test the water to see how the chemical levels have been affected by the storm. Water gets diluted with rainwater and it is important to replenish your chemical levels (e.g. pH and Alkalinity).