How to Prepare Your Pool for a Storm (and What to Do Once It Passes)

When a big storm shows up in the forecast, your pool probably isn’t the first thing on your mind. A few minutes of prep can save you from a much bigger cleanup, though, and it can protect the equipment that keeps your pool running. Here is the Aqua Doctor team’s checklist for heavy rain, strong winds and everything in between.

Before It Hits

Secure anything that could go flying. Chairs, cushions, umbrellas, pool toys, grills and potted plants can all become projectiles in high winds. Store them in a garage or shed so they don’t end up in the water or against your equipment, fence or house.

Find your pool equipment breaker. Take a minute now to locate it and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. If you need to cut power in a hurry, you won’t want to be searching for it.

Test and adjust your water. Storms dump rainwater, leaves and dirt into your pool, all of which use up sanitizer. Going into the storm with balanced water and a healthy sanitizer level makes the recovery much easier.

While It’s Overhead

Stay inside and leave the pool alone. It can be tempting to run out and grab a branch or check on the pump, but please wait. Lightning, wind and wet electrical equipment are a serious hazard, and anything in the pool can be dealt with once the storm has moved on.

Once It Clears

Start at the equipment pad. Before you turn anything on, look for standing water or flooding around your pump, filter and heater. If the pad is flooded, shut off power to the equipment and call us when it’s safe to do so. If the system is running and you hear something unusually loud or notice anything that seems off, turn it off and let one of our technicians take a look before it becomes a bigger repair.

Clear out the debris. Skim leaves and branches off the surface and empty the skimmer and pump baskets before you run the system. For large limbs or anything you aren’t sure how to remove, leave it to our team.

Get your water back in balance. Rain and runoff change your pH, alkalinity and sanitizer levels. Test the water yourself or bring us a sample, and plan on shocking the pool to bring it back.

Call us for a post-storm cleanup. If the job is more than you want to take on, we can handle debris removal, water balancing, filter cleaning and getting the pool back to normal once the weather clears.

Have an Automatic Cover? Read This First

Most people assume closing the cover is the best way to protect a pool in a storm. For automatic covers, we recommend the opposite: leave it open during major rain and wind whenever you can. Pooled rainwater, piled-up debris and fallen branches put a lot of strain on a closed cover, and repairing or replacing the fabric, tracks, ropes or pulleys costs far more than cleaning out the pool afterward.

Aqua Doctor Is Ready When You Are

Storm left your pool looking rough? Reach out to the Aqua Doctor team for cleanup, water balancing, an equipment check or anything else your pool needs. Stay safe, and we’ll see you after the storm!