Keeping your backyard or commercial swimming pool clean and in good repair is essential to swimmer safety. Dirty pools or pools with broken or failing equipment can put people at risk of injury or sickness. It can also have a direct effect on your personal liability.

So the question a lot of pool owners have is whether or not they need to continue to care for their pool during the winter months. The answer depends on a very simple question: Will people be using your pool?

If so, you need to continue to clean, maintain, and service your pool. If not, you may not need a pool service. But it’s a good idea to drain your pool and cover it to protect it until you are ready to use it again.

Location, Location, Location

How long you can use your pool is directly related to where you are. If you live in a climate that has cold winters that feature ice and snow, obviously an outdoor pool needs to be shut down during the winter months. But if you live in South Florida, for example, where it rarely gets cold enough to suspend swimming, pools are often left operational all winter long.

A simple rule of thumb is if your pool is being used, it needs to be serviced. Many different factors can affect the quality of pool water, including the weather, temperature, how frequently it is used, and of course the balance of its chemical cleaners. Pool water that is being used by swimmers needs to be continually monitored and balanced to keep it safe and healthy.

A Word About Weather

In some instances, pool owners who live in warm weather climates may choose to close their pools for shorter periods of time — such as just a few weeks or even a few days — due to periodic cool temperatures.

In this instance, it’s a good idea to have your pool serviced before reopening it even if it’s only closed for a relatively short period of time. It doesn’t take long for the chemicals used to purify the water to break down. So it’s important to have your pool water checked out before allowing anybody to use your pool.