As summer is coming to an end and back to school time is right around the corner, many homeowners are wondering when they should pull the plug on their backyard swimming pool. The answer depends on a number of factors.

If you live in a cold-weather climate, the traditional swim season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That’s when kids are out of school and more likely to use the pool. Yet if you live in an area that is warm all year round — or at least most of the year — you may never want to take your pool out of service.

‘When Should I Shut Down My Pool?’ Pool Timing

The two elements that go into the decision on when to shut down your pool are temperature and usage.

Quite simply, if it’s too cold to use your pool then you probably want to save the time and money that goes into keeping it open. Generally, swimmers are comfortable using an unheated pool as long as the outside air temperature is at or above about 72 degrees F.

If you have a heated pool, you can probably use it in cooler temperatures. But be aware that sooner or later people need to come out of the pool. And if the outside air is cool and/or windy, it’s not going to be a comfortable experience for them.

Pool Service Boca Raton — Frequency of Use

The other big consideration is how frequently your pool is used. When kids go back to school, the usage of the backyard swimming pool in a family home usually drops — even in warm weather areas.

While the pool may still be used on the weekends, or even after school on some days, generally people become too busy to use the pool during the academic year. So paying to keep it serviced and for utilities isn’t always a smart investment.