Cleaning Your Pool After a Wind Storm
In this article I take you through the steps in cleaning up a pool after a major wind storm. Probably the worst thing that can happen is having your pool hit by a wind storm. The mess a wind storm leaves behind is discouraging and painful.
Just about every year we get hit by several major wind events called the Santa Ana Winds. Wind gust can vary from a mild 50 mph to near 80 mph. On Nov 30th 2011 we had a wind event where the Santa Ana winds collided with an Offshore Flow resulting in sustained wind gusts of over 100 mph. To say the pools on my pool route were thrashed was an understatement. The photos in the opening are from the pools on my route the week after that storm. So I have a lot of practical experience when it comes to cleaning a pool up after the winds.
Preparing for the Storm:
If you are expecting sustained wind gusts of 50 mph or higher it may be a good idea to turn your pool completely off for that to prevent your system from clogging. With wind that strong your pool system can't do much anyway. If the winds are in the 25 to 35 mph range - usually your pool will be fine.
Removing anything around the pool is a good idea to prevent it from being blown in. Getting stuff off of the pool bottom can be challenging so it is best if nothing goes in there in the first place. So lower down the umbrella and move all patio furniture from around the pool.
Step One:
The first priority is the pool surface. You want to skim the top off so that you can get the system up and running as soon as possible. This includes emptying the skimmer and pump baskets also. On my pool route I will get all the pools clean on top the first week after a storm and worry about the bottom the following week. So as a homeowner if you have time only to clean the top at the moment that is perfectly fine. The stuff on the bottom can wait - it isn't going anywhere and will not hurt the pool.
Step two:
Having a high chlorine level is essential when your pool is full of leaves.The organic debris can use up quite a bit of chlorine and the leaves may temporarily stain the pool bottom if the chlorine level is too low. Sometimes after a windstorm in my area it will rain during that same week so having a solid chlorine level is a must.
Step Three:
Cleaning the bottom can be a real chore especially if your pool gets wasted. I use the Power Vac PV-2100 on my pool route to handle the pool bottom. It is about $1,000 so it is an investment. But a sound one that will save you loads of time and energy. If you are a homeowner whose pool is constantly ruined by debris from the winds in your area, it would not be a bad long term investment to pick up a Power Vac.
If you live in an area like the high Desert or Arizona and your pool mainly gets dirt from the winds, then a portable pool pump might be the answer for a quicker and more effective clean-up. Especially if you have a DE or Cartridge filter and can't vacuum in "Waste Mode." It is easy to build and affordable.
The Leaf Bagger is a handy tool for pool bottom clean-ups. It attaches to a garden hose and uses water to push leaves and debris up into the bag. The only drawback is you are adding water to your pool and the hose is a pain to drag around.
Water Tech makes a good battery powered Leaf Vac that is effective and can be used in place of a Leaf Bagger.
And last, you can just use a large professional quality leaf rake to skim everything off the bottom. This is time consuming and takes some practice but not a bad method.
Related Videos:
Just about every year we get hit by several major wind events called the Santa Ana Winds. Wind gust can vary from a mild 50 mph to near 80 mph. On Nov 30th 2011 we had a wind event where the Santa Ana winds collided with an Offshore Flow resulting in sustained wind gusts of over 100 mph. To say the pools on my pool route were thrashed was an understatement. The photos in the opening are from the pools on my route the week after that storm. So I have a lot of practical experience when it comes to cleaning a pool up after the winds.
Preparing for the Storm:
If you are expecting sustained wind gusts of 50 mph or higher it may be a good idea to turn your pool completely off for that to prevent your system from clogging. With wind that strong your pool system can't do much anyway. If the winds are in the 25 to 35 mph range - usually your pool will be fine.
Removing anything around the pool is a good idea to prevent it from being blown in. Getting stuff off of the pool bottom can be challenging so it is best if nothing goes in there in the first place. So lower down the umbrella and move all patio furniture from around the pool.
Step One:
The first priority is the pool surface. You want to skim the top off so that you can get the system up and running as soon as possible. This includes emptying the skimmer and pump baskets also. On my pool route I will get all the pools clean on top the first week after a storm and worry about the bottom the following week. So as a homeowner if you have time only to clean the top at the moment that is perfectly fine. The stuff on the bottom can wait - it isn't going anywhere and will not hurt the pool.
Step two:
Having a high chlorine level is essential when your pool is full of leaves.The organic debris can use up quite a bit of chlorine and the leaves may temporarily stain the pool bottom if the chlorine level is too low. Sometimes after a windstorm in my area it will rain during that same week so having a solid chlorine level is a must.
Step Three:
Cleaning the bottom can be a real chore especially if your pool gets wasted. I use the Power Vac PV-2100 on my pool route to handle the pool bottom. It is about $1,000 so it is an investment. But a sound one that will save you loads of time and energy. If you are a homeowner whose pool is constantly ruined by debris from the winds in your area, it would not be a bad long term investment to pick up a Power Vac.
If you live in an area like the high Desert or Arizona and your pool mainly gets dirt from the winds, then a portable pool pump might be the answer for a quicker and more effective clean-up. Especially if you have a DE or Cartridge filter and can't vacuum in "Waste Mode." It is easy to build and affordable.
The Leaf Bagger is a handy tool for pool bottom clean-ups. It attaches to a garden hose and uses water to push leaves and debris up into the bag. The only drawback is you are adding water to your pool and the hose is a pain to drag around.Water Tech makes a good battery powered Leaf Vac that is effective and can be used in place of a Leaf Bagger.
And last, you can just use a large professional quality leaf rake to skim everything off the bottom. This is time consuming and takes some practice but not a bad method.
Related Videos:
Portable Clean-Up Pump to Vacuum out a Pool:
https://youtu.be/bU8No8Jfjrw
Prime A Portable Clean-Up Pump: Installing a
Check Valve: https://youtu.be/raZH8QmJses
Power Vac PV2100 Set Up and
Walk–Through: https://youtu.be/rkCSfX8dwK8
Power Vac PV2100 Portable Professional
Swimming Pool Vacuum Cleaner: https://youtu.be/xGY7tFUDFGM
Power Vac Large Service Cart for
PV2100, PV220 & PV2500 Vacuum: https://youtu.be/y9ORwr_DQtI
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