Time to shut French home’s pool down for winter

The clocks went back at the end of October, which means there are no more excuses: if you have not done so already, it is time to shut down your pool for winter.

It is good practice to shut down outdoor pools when they are not in use to protect the walls, liner, pumps and skimmers from damage and maintain water quality.

It also saves time and money, and means you do not have to clean a dark green pool when it is time to start enjoying it again next spring.

The best time to shut down a pool is before the first frosts, and once the temperature of the water is steadily between 12C and 15C.

It may be advisable to drain the pool a little – but do not drain it completely, otherwise the pool could deform without the force of the water over the winter months. Many 10-year pool warranties are voided if it is drained over winter.

Cleaning the bottom, walls, water line, skimmer baskets, pump pre-filter and filter will save a big job next spring. It is worth taking the time to do.

Readily-available pool wintering products prevent algae and bacteria developing in your pool during the winter.

They also prevent limescale deposits on the walls.

If you expect it to freeze where you live, protect your pool by installing anti-freeze accessories such as floats, wintering plugs and an anti-freeze box.

Finally, put your winter debris cover on to keep out fallen leaves and other debris – and make sure it is taut enough not to dip in the water.

You should take advantage of the time to clean your summer cover, then fold it up and pack it away if possible.

Then it’s just a case of waiting until it is time to open up your pool again...

See also: I rented my pool out for €150 a month