Winter pool service in central Florida can be tricky. Here are a few things to be on the lookout for. Excessive leaf drops, water levels and cold weather on equipment.

Keep Skimmers Clean

In winter in Central Florida, we have very heavy leaf and acorn drop. Some pools do not have to worry about this issue due to screens or the lucky ones that have cut the trees back. For those who do have all the trees, you need to keep an eye on the skimmers especially. When the leaves, acorns, and fuzzies drop it can easily clog the skimmers. When this happens you can starve the pump of water or crack the basket leading to pump damage and clogged lines.

Maintain Water Levels

Water levels are very important to keep an eye on this time of year especially. Winter is our dry season and pools do have evaporation even in colder times. Now it is important to keep a close eye on the levels. Not doing so can cause a level that can overheat your pump and cause damage or failure to the equipment. When housing gets too hot due to low water levels they can start to leak at the fittings or worse the shaft seal. Shaft seal leaks will cause motor bearings to break down.

Mind Freezing Pipes

Cold weather in Central Florida does not happen for too long usually but when the temperatures get to freezing levels it can cause issues with equipment and piping. In the case of solar panels on the roof, you can see water freeze-up that has not drained out. When this happens if it does not thaw before the pump turns on it can pop the panel. When you have solar you should run the pool through the panels overnight if there is said to be a freeze.

But remember we do live in Central Florida so we may never really know what winter will bring us. Keep an eye and be prepared for what the weather may bring.

Photo by Federica Giusti on Unsplash