Pooling Resources: Keeping That Swimming Pool In Good Shape During A Drought
Times of drought make keeping a swimming pool filled seem wasteful and pointless. After all, that's precious drinking water you're filling with chlorine or salt. But swimming pools aren't as bad as you think in drought periods. While new pools might not be built, old pools are still useful. And in fact, many of them have to be kept filled at least partially.
Water Weight and Pressure
Lots of pools have vinyl liners that are not stiff and not weighted. The lack of water on top of the liners can make them float up. When water is added back in, the liners don't always settle down neatly. Another issue is groundwater and the water table. If you live in an area with a relatively high water table, such as a neighborhood near the coast, pressure from the water underground can cause the liner to ripple, affecting the structure of the pool. While that can happen even when a pool is filled, the lack of water weight above the liner doesn't help.
Pools Are Not as Bad as You Think
Surprisingly, swimming pools aren't the nasty villain of droughts that many people think they are. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune notes that "Water officials say pools can be managed to minimize evaporation and they're not as wasteful as lawns or leaky toilets." So having a filled pool during a drought isn't necessarily bad.
Things You Can Do
But you do need to minimize evaporation and minimize the need to refill the pool. Cover the pool with at least one type of pool cover. Manning Pool Service says you have your choice of physical, solid covers or liquid covers that send a chemical sheen across the top of the water. Use both if it makes you feel better.
Keep the pool water clean, too. Keep up with your cleaning schedule, and remove any leaves or debris that fall into the pool when the cover isn't on. Have your pumps and pipes inspected to ensure there are no leaks, and have cracks in the liner patched quickly. Pay special attention to water levels; in addition to covering the pool, Manning Pool Service also warns that if you see the water level drop below the returns or skimmers, you need to shut down the pool pumps to prevent overheating.
If you want more information on how to keep your pool looking great and keep it in one piece during dry times, contact a swimming pool maintenance company like KrisCo Aquatech Pools & Spas as soon as you can. It is much easier to maintain a pool than to repair one, so get some expert advice on what to do now.
