Rain and More Rain! - Effects on Your Swimming Pool

 The number one call I get during heavy Rain is that the pool looks like it will overflow into the yard and house. In most cases, the worry is unfounded, as the drains around the pool should be able to handle the runoff. However, there are times when draining is needed, and it is a good idea to have it set up with the customer beforehand.

Teach the customer how to drain their pool to save a service trip. If there is a hose spigot on the equipment pad, usually above the pump, show them how to attach a garden hose to it and drain the pool. It is easy. Attach a garden hose, turn on the pool pump, and open the hose spigot. The pool will drain while the pump is running.

Plan B would be to have the customer purchase a small sump pump (submersible pump) and use that to drain the pool down when needed. They can place it on the first step in the pool, attach a garden hose to it, and plug it in. It is easy, and you do not need to go out and drain pools all day if you set things up beforehand with your customers.

Another common problem you will run into is mud getting into the pool. Making a pool a murky mess only takes a couple of pounds of dirt. In most cases, when a planter is right next to a pool and has a slope behind it, mud in the pool is unavoidable. It can take a few weeks to clear up a mud pool, so it is best to prevent it from happening in the 1st place. Have the customer get their landscaper to fix any planter or dirt areas. A good incentive is to remind your customers that dirt has a lot of iron and other metals in it, and this can lead to staining if a large amount of mud were to get into your pool. 

Another question I often get is when to go out in the Rain to service your pools. How much Rain is too much Rain? That is for you to decide, and a good rule is that if you can't even see the pool bottom, there is too much Rain, and it is useless even to go out. Typically, 1-2" of constant Rain is when I pull the plug. Rain of less than 1" is pretty easy to work in, so make the call based on common sense. 

If you expect Rain multiple times on your service day in two weeks, shuffle the service day to avoid a 3-week service gap. For example, if it is raining on a Thursday and you can't go out, but next week's heavy Rain is also predicted, skipping your Wednesday pools and moving the Thursday pools to Wednesday that week is lovely. And if it doesn't rain, you can always do your Wednesday pools that Thursday. 

Rain is a common issue, and there are ways to set up your pool route to deal with the effects of weeks and months of Rain.

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