How to Clean Your Pool After a Hurricane

When wild winds whip and water and debris leave your home and yard looking less than desirable after a hurricane, you may feel disheartened. But don’t fear! Your team at Backyard Oasis is here to help. With expert advice, you’ll have your pool back to its beautiful self soon. Here’s how to clean your pool after a hurricane.

Power Down

First thing’s first – let’s get the power to your pool equipment turned off. With heavy rain and standing water, any clean-up at your pool needs to be done with the electricity off. If your pool is already off but shouldn’t be, check your breaker to see if it was tripped during the storm. If it does not reset, please call a professional. It may just need a few days to dry out, but more serious repairs will need specialized help.

Dig Out Debris

We hope that your home, yard, and pool did not sustain significant damage. If you find that the clean-up job is something you can do on your own, dig out the large debris first while wearing water-proof protective gloves. Tree limbs, patio furniture, and other items can get blown into the pool. Make sure your pool is clear of anything that would damage your pool’s surface, stairs, jets, skimmer, filters, or cover. Once the big items are cleared, skim the surface of the water for leaves, grass, and smaller debris. Also, scoop out anything from off the bottom of the pool.

Reduce Water

Heavy rain can lead to a pool that’s too full. Siphon extra water or reduce the water level with a sump pump. Measure against your skimmer water line for the correct amount. This will ensure that you’ll get the best results when you turn your pool equipment back on.

Freshen the Filter

It’s likely that large amounts of fine particles, like dust, dirt, small leaf debris, and pollen, have entered your pool water with the rain. You’ll need a filter that is up for the job. This is a great time to clean and backwash your filter. Cartridge filters can be removed and cleaned with a filter cleaner. D.E. filters may need new powder to get the job done right. If you have a sand filter, get ready to turn your pump power back on. Switch your filter handle to “Backwash”, and run the pump for a thorough cleaning until the water in the sight glass is clear of dirt and silt. Then, switch the handle over to “Rinse” to help expel the waste and settle anything that’s left in the filter. Run this for about a minute, or until the sight glass is clear. Then, set your cycle back to its normal filter settings and double-check to make sure the PSI is in the normal range.

Valiantly Vacuum

At this point, your pool should be looking a LOT better. The circulation of water through your freshly cleaned filters is going to help your water clear over the next few days. But you’ll also want to brush down your walls and vacuum. If you vacuum manually, taking time to do a diligent job will pay off. If your pool vacuum is automatic, ensure that all large or clogging debris is off the bottom of the pool before you begin.

Bring Balance

Any rain can throw off your water balance. But hurricane rain – that’s a whole other story. You’ll need just the right solutions to get your water back in shape, and we would love to help. Grab a clean container and take a water sample from elbow deep. Then bring us your sample for FREE water testing and expert advice. Our computerized analysis takes all the guesswork out of returning your water to the perfect balance.

Repair Damage

Did your pool sustain hurricane damage to the liner, cover, surface, or other areas? Repair or replace the damaged parts or call a certified technician to help. In no time, your pool will be safe, secure, and back to being your favorite paradise.

As always, the staff at Backyard Oasis are your trusted allies and advisors for making sure your pool is safe and operational after the hurricane. If you need assistance during this time, please call us at 936-327-2531 or stop in at our store at 2200 US-190 in Livingston.