Why we Winterise

As mentioned above, we Winterise pools to save you money on the operational costs of running your pool. Generally during this time, there is a very low or no bather load on the pool

The first major saving comes from reducing the running time of the filtration equipment. This can save you a substantial amount on the electricity costs of your pool pump compared with the summer months. Reducing the hours of operation also increases the lifespan of your pump, filter, chlorinator and cleaner.

Another reason we Winterise is to reduce the amount of chemicals your pool requires and the amount of time you need to spend keeping your pool balanced. Adding the Winterising chemicals into the water prevents algae & bacteria growth without the need for higher levels of Chlorine and extended filtration.

When to Winterise your pool?

Generally, we start Winterising pools in late May or early June which should last until September. 

The reason we wait until this time is because the weather is generally cooler (daily temps around 20 degrees), people are no longer swimming, and the weather is quite mild and relatively stable. If you Winterise too early, your pool will not last until September, and you’ll also run the risk of allowing algae to build in the pool.

What we use

We use two chemicals that work together, the Winteriser Algaecide which was developed to specifically kill and control algal blooms during the winter months and lasts for up to 90 days. This enhances chlorine production and chlorine efficiency, as well as minimises maintenance during winter. The special non-staining formula outperforms all other winter algaecides and is guaranteed not to stain.

The second product is Aquaguard, also from LoChlor Chemicals. Aquagard is a Salt Cell Protector, Scale Inhibitor & Metal Remover. We use Aquaguard to prevent staining and scale forming on the surface of the pool. This also minimises and softens the existing calcium build-up on the salt cell or surface to further reduce the amount of work for you to maintain your pool while not in use.

As with any pool treatment, the first step is to ensure the water is chemically balanced. Bring in a water sample to any of our 3 locations or have one of our staff attend your pool to test and balance your water, giving you the perfect place to start (we can even do the full Winterise service for you). We also recommend cleaning the salt cell or replacing chlorine feed tubes, backwashing or cleaning your filter as well as cleaning both the skimmer and pump baskets of debris.

*For manually chlorinated pools once only the pool is balanced, and while the filtration system is running, super chlorinate the pool with 3 x the normal daily dose for an average size pool, this is usually 5lts of liquid chlorine or 500gms of powder chlorine.

After that, it’s time to Winterise! While the system is running, add the recommended dosage for your pool size of both Winterising chemicals and allow the system to run for at least 4 hrs to circulate through the pool.

From there, you can reduce your filtration run time to 1 hour/day for up to 30,000lts, 2 hours/day for up to 50,000 and 3 hrs/day for larger pools up to 90,000lts.

Test your water once a month to ensure the chlorine level is still above 3.0 ppm or 1.5 ppm for covered pools. Balance your pH monthly and you’re all set to kick back, relax and (almost) forget about your pool for another winter!

**For pools with a chlorinator - nothing changes except the running time. Your chlorine production level should stay at Summer production levels.
For pools without a chlorinator - Chlorine is dosed weekly instead of daily.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT PUMPS: Any pool with an energy-efficient pump should be set to run 1.5 times more, than that of pools with a single-speed pump. e.g. If a single-speed pump runs 4 hrs, a pool with a variable-speed pump should run for 6 hrs.

Additional ways to save money, protect your equipment or keep swimming throughout the cooler months are to…

1. Invest in a pool cover and roller to reduce evaporation, and debris in the pool and to keep it warmer for longer - find out more here

2. Heat your pool with Solar or a Heat Pump to continue swimming longer - look at our heat pump options here

3. Convert to a Mineral Swim or MagnaPool system to reduce chlorine levels and increase your equipment life - click to read more about Mineral Swim here