It’s hard to believe, but trust us: Winter is Coming! Your iPhone Weather App currently shows Texas heat in the high 90’s with the heat index in the 100s. The air is humid, wind is little to none and we’re officially halfway through Summer. However, school is about to start which means a few more months of heat but that will soon give way to chilly weather, cloudy skies and changing seasons.

At Matt’s Water Pool Services, we believe it’s imperative that our clients understand the impact of Fall and Winter on their swimming pools. We often see a dichotomy of pool owners investing in our cleaning services during the Summer and then shutting down their service because of changing seasons.

In our eyes, this is a mistake (not just for business) but also for the health of their swimming pools. With each changing season, there are major differences to be aware of when maintaining your swimming pool. Neglecting a season or two for the sake of “saving money” is only going to lead to a higher cost of pool maintenance come Spring & Summer. Here’s why…

By using Matt’s Water Services all year round, your swimming pool can stay looking crystal clear all year round! Here you can see Matt performing a weekly brushing and cleaning of this Above Ground Swimming Pool. Looking good Matt!

Differences in Water Behavior from Summer to Fall

Right now we’re all playing the same game: keep chlorine in the pool, backwash the filter, treat the pool with algaecides and enjoy your backyard while the heat is still here! It’s the good old days of Summer and everyone is outdoors and enjoying cookouts on weekends or sitting pool side for a Saturday morning breakfast. Let’s be honest – most people enjoy their pool the most during the Summer season and treating the water chemistry is pretty straight forward.

Fast forward a few months to Fall and what are the key differences that we see? Well, for starters, the onset of Fall means just that – falling leaves. Did you know that there are over 250+ species of trees that are native to Texas? Every backyard that we care for is sewn and laced with a variety of tree species – all of which behave differently.

Each type of tree drops a difference size of leave: some of which are easy to remove while others get into drains and filters. Other trees drop acorns, nuts, pine cones or other types of seeds. Left alone, seeds become debris with Organic minerals that can decompose inside of your swimming pool and stain your pool plaster.

Neglecting your swimming pool during Fall can lead to a whole host of issues, including but not limited to:

  • Filtration problems due to drain & skimmer blockages
  • Burned out motors & pump breakages – due to debris entering pumps
  • Stinky & malfunctioning heaters due to dust accumulation & nesting critters
  • Stains on pool plaster from presence of leaves and nuts
  • Corroded heat exchanges (in heater) & plaster etching due to cooler water temps and lack of Calcium in water (see LSI Index below)

Long story short, maintaining your swimming pool primarily means removing debris and balancing pool chemistry. It’s not always easy and yes, it’s a pain. Leaves do NOT fall all at once and often you’ll need to be in your backyard every weekend removing leaves from the pool, skimmer baskets, pump baskets and filter. It’s time consuming and if you have other things you’d like to be doing – that’s what we’re here for!

Removing leaves is a full time job come Fall. Leaves will continuously drop for anywhere between 4-8 weeks (depending on the severity of the weather). In all cases, it’s crucial to regularly empty your skimmer & pump basket. This will save your circulation system and prevent issues related to clogged filtration lines. Save yourself the headache and let us handle this headache for you!

Understanding the LSI Index is Critical to Pool Health

Secondly, changing temperatures can lead to more aggressive water. Water requires a state of balance between the water and the pool surface (pool plaster or liner). If one of these two entities becomes unbalanced, both entities will transfer minerals on a molecular scale. Left alone long enough, you’ll start to notice some serious side effects including: Etching or Calcium Scale. The two problems are polar opposites of each other and both are based on the same principle – based on the LSI Index.

Water chemistry is easier to maintain during warmer months and that’s because the warm water temperatures can be a substitute for poor water chemistry. When water cools down, the cushion of warmer temps goes away and you begin to see what is truly wrong with your water chemistry.

In many cases, pool owners do not have enough Calcium (a mineral) in their pool water and left unchecked this can lead to heat exchanger corrosion and plaster etching. Ultimately, lacking in Calcium leads to water pulling minerals away from the pool plaster or heater at a molecular level to satisfy its craving for minerals – this becomes more exaggerated when water cools down.

There is a true science to understanding water at this level and there are actual measurements that we can perform to measure your pool chemistry. In all cases, we recommend that you consult with us or allow us to check your water chemistry before adding additional calcium to your pool. It’s always recommended to allow us to dosage the water for you to avoid overdosing your water with calcium.

Not keeping your water properly balanced during cold weather can lead to corrosive water conditions due to chilly water and its lack for minerals.

What’s The Cost of Pool Service versus No Service

Long story short, it’s always nice to go from the hot days of Summer to the chilly months of Fall. It’s an enjoyable time frame that many of us Texans relish, but don’t get too comfy and neglect your swimming pool. This sounds a bit cliche but remember one important thing: next to your home, your swimming pool is the second most expensive asset that your own!

Owning a swimming pool is something that many people dream of and oftentimes once they have one, they don’t want to maintain it. Unfortunately, a pool is a lot like a kid. If you don’t give it the proper amount of TLC, it can become unbalanced and unhealthy – costing you additional money down the road. We are advocates of year round service and have plenty of options to help you maintain your pools while easing the strain on your pocket book.

We provide both weekly and bi-weekly cleaning services. Depending on the types of trees, number of trees, amount of rainfall, water drainage and many other factors – we can recommend the best service to keep your pool healthy all Fall and Winter long!

Neglecting your swimming pool can cause severe stains to your plaster. Here you can see Matt acid washing this swimming pool before a round of rigorous brushing. Expensive services like these are the result of a swimming pool gone wrong during the winter off-season. Avoid costly repairs such as this by allowing us to keep your water happy and healthy all winter long!

How to Have a Faster Spring Startup and Longer Swim Season

Lastly, by allowing Matt’s Water Services treat and maintain your swimming pool all Fall and Winter long – you’ll be able to swim earlier and with less headache come Spring. Many home owners wait until mid-Spring to ask us to begin cleaning out their swimming pool, but fail to realize that the entire town around them is making the same request.

That being said, if we maintain your pool all Fall and Winter (either weekly or bi-weekly) we can keep your pool in swimmable condition – allowing you to enjoy your backyard with no waiting period! Choosing this option will ultimately save you the most money by avoiding costly repairs or chemical treatments. You’ll also have a beautiful backyard to enjoy all winter long. Having a stunning backyard and one that you can enjoy all year round is important to you, isn’t it?