• How do I maintain my pool after a storm?

“The recent hurricane knocked out my power and I can’t run my pool pump. What should I do to maintain my pool?”

After a hurricane, the first and most important thing is, don’t go swimming. Flooding can cause nightmare scenarios for septic tanks, making your pool the new home of harmful bacteria like giardia and cryptosporidium. Either of these two strains can make you sick comparable to food poisoning that lasts for weeks.

The next step to reclaiming your pool is to do a thorough clearing of pool debris. If you wait too long to clear the pool, debris will settle to the bottom eventually staining your pool finish. We suggest getting a leaf skimmer, to begin clearing the water surface. If you still have the ability to use a hose, you can use a leaf eater, and connect the garden hose and a pool pole. That way you can vacuum the pool bottom without using any power.

Now we can begin balancing our water chemistry. This starts with raising the chlorine level nice and high to kill any lingering bacteria. Start with pool shock; dilute the recommended dose in a bucket of water, pour the bucket as your walk around the pool to ensure even coverage. Or you just get some nice liquid chlorine just to keep any of those nasties from biting you.

You’ll probably want to shock your pool every 24 to 48 hours. If you have a floater, put some chlorine tablets in there. So the tablets can slowly dissolve and keep the chlorine level up.

If you have any questions, leave us a comment or visit us at INYOPools.com for all your swimming pool needs. We’ll see you next time.