Hurricanes And Your Pool
If you live in an area where hurricanes are a way of life, then you are going to want to make sure your home and all of your property is as prepared as possible before a hurricane passes through. If you have a swimming pool, then this is one more thing you are going to want to be sure you prepare before the hurricane comes, so you can prevent as much damage as possible. Here are some tips to swimming pool preparations prior to a hurricane's arrival.
Leave the water in your pool
While it may seem like you should be draining your pool before a hurricane comes, this would actually be the wrong thing for you to do. Instead, you are going to want to be sure you leave the water in your pool. The water that's in your pool is going to protect it by adding much needed weight to it. If you were to empty your inground pool before a hurricane came through then it could cause the pool to pop out of the ground, virtually destroying it. A swimming pool that has been built correctly will have overflows designed in them that will prevent the pool from flooding over to the point of causing even more damage to your property. If you aren't sure if your swimming pool has such overflows, then you can lower the water level a bit, but don't remove too much of the water from the pool. Keep in mind that the water you are leaving in the pool will also help to protect it from damages caused from the wind and flying debris.
Don't put the cover on your pool
You may feel putting the cover over your pool before a hurricane will protect it. However, it will be easier and more cost effective for you to clean the debris out of the pool once the hurricane has past than it will be for you to have to replace a damaged pool cover. Know that the pool cover will be damaged in a hurricane. The only cover you should consider using during a hurricane is a specialty one that will bolt down into place securely and that will have a good chance of withstanding the wind and doing well against flying debris.
Protect your pool's equipment
Before the hurricane reaches land, you are going to want to make sure the system has been turned off, to prevent a power spike from damaging the electrical equipment. You also want to take steps to protect the equipment from flying debris, such as large branches and other items that may be tossed around in the air during the hurricane. You can have a cage built around the equipment if it is outdoors.
Contact a service, like Pacific AquaScapes, for more help.