Fall Swimming Pool Maintenance

Summer is winding down, and school is back in session. Vacation is over. Depending on the region you live it, there may be some warm, swimming days left before the winter hits. Your family’s schedule is now chaotic and less and less time is spent enjoying your pool. The increasing infrequency of your pool use requires additional maintenance and attention. Depending on the weather, fall is an in-between time where you still occasionally swim on a sunny, warm day, but are also slowly wrapping things up in preparation for winter. Below are fall swimming pool maintenance steps you can take to make the oncoming winter preparation easier:

Early Fall

In the early part of fall, there are still good swimming days left. As you’re still using your pool during this time, you should continue with the same pool maintenance schedule you have been doing all summer.

The summertime tasks you need to continue to do on a regular, sometimes daily basis, include:

•  Run the pump every day


•  Daily clean out the skimmer and pump strainer basket


•  Regularly brush away algae and scrub the pool walls where algae tends to grow


•  Check water level


•  Test the levels of your pool chemicals such as chlorine and pH


•  Skim the surface for floating debris


•  Test the alkalinity level


•  Shock the pool


•  Regularly scrub the pool floor and walls


•  Backwash filter regularly


•  Use chemical filter cleaner

The biggest problem you, as a pool owner, will likely encounter in the fall are leaves. As the leaves begin to fall, it is important to skim them off the surface of your pool and check to see that no leaves get into the skimmers and pump baskets. Some leaves can stain the bottom of your pool, so you also need to regularly check for leaves that may have sunk to the bottom of the pool and promptly collect them. If you don’t clean up the leaves regularly, you can end up with a mess in your pool.

Late Fall

By late fall, the temperature drops and swimming may no longer be an option. Winter is just around the corner, so it is important to now prepare for winterizing your pool.

•  Continue to clean debris, especially leaves from the pool


•  Check your pool cover for any tears or damage


•  Slowly decrease the pool water level


•  Start thinking about gathering pumps, skimmers and pump baskets to store away during winter

Pool maintenance is a year-round task. Each season has its own tasks and challenges, but if done promptly, correctly and regularly, you’ll save yourself time and potentially costs for the next season. Just because the weather is cooling off and you’re using the pool less and less, doesn’t mean you can begin to slack off on pool upkeep. Proper pool maintenance can be hard and take time. If you need help or advice on pool upkeep or on pool maintenance products, don’t hesitate to call us at Sunplay Pools. We offer a variety of pool products to fit your specific needs.