Every year about this time, the offices at Eagle Pools are inundated with calls from pool owners asking when they should consider closing their pool for the season. The answer is that there is no firm date and the decision depends on a number of important factors.

The first to consider may seem obvious: Whether you have an indoor or outdoor pool. Obviously, an indoor pool can be used year-round. But indoor pools often require more annual maintenance than outdoor pools. So this time of year — when kids are going back to school and jobs tend to get more demanding — is often a great time to shut down an indoor pool and drain it so professional pool technicians can perform required annual cleaning and maintenance.

Weather Conditions

For outdoor pools, the weather has the biggest influence on when you should shut down your pool for the summer. In recent years, warmer temperatures have been going longer into the fall, allowing pool owners to get more from their pools later into the year.

Another factor is where you live. In South Florida, some pool owners can keep their pools open practically all year round. But the farther north you get in the state, the cooler the temperatures get in the late fall and winter, which makes keeping the pool open both impractical and unsafe.

Pool Equipment

If you have a heater for your pool, you can probably get a few more weeks of use from your pool. But keep in mind that it’s not just the water temperature that determines whether a pool is comfortable and safe to use. Air temperature is also an important factor. Getting out of a warm pool into cool air can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous.

Finally, how much you use your pool contributes to the decision. In the fall, people get busier. So if nobody is using your pool, there’s no reason to keep paying the cost of keeping it open.