You look out your window, you feel a chill run through your body and can just know its cold outside.
Its winter in Ontario and by now, your pool should be winterized and closed.

Typically there isn’t really much that must be done until spring but there are a few things you could do to make your opening quicker and easier.

1. Using a skimmer or leaf net to remove debris that falls onto your pool cover.
2. Using a small cover pump and hose you can pump some of the water off the top of the cover if it gets to high.
3. If covered with tarp and water-bag system, ensure bags are properly filled,  haven’t leaked out, and are still in proper position; end to end with no gaps so nothing can get under your cover.
4. If covered with a fitted/snap in cover, ensure bead is secured in the coping around the entire perimeter of the pool.
5. If covers are being weighed down and pulled into the pool, running a hose under the cover to bring up the pools water level can help release some of the tension.

**Tip – If your fitted cover has tightened and won’t go back in the coping, boil some water and pour it over the cover to help soften it and put it back in place.

Periodically checking on your pool will help protect your investment and speed up your opening.

Spring is here and it’s time to start thinking about removing the winter cover and getting our green pools cleaned up for some summer fun.  When pumping off spring snowmelt water in Hamilton and Halton region(Burlington, Milton and Oakville), there are a few things we can do to ensure we are disposing of the water in an environmentally responsible way.  The Hamilton Conservation authority recommends slowly dispersing water over your lawn or garden when possible.  For some home owners this may or may not be a possibility due to landscaping or small lawns as the volume of water being removed is often too much for the lawn to handle.  An alternative is to discharge over lawns before it makes its way to the storm sewers so as to reduce sediments and chemicals from making their way into local streams and water courses.

Other great resources for water use and your pool in Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville can be found at:

“Water restrictions in Halton”

“Environmental Concerns for Pool Season”

“Pool Drainage”

“Outdoor water conservation tips”

The City of Toronto has been leading the way in the province with pool waste water discharge with regards to best environmental practices.  For more information check back soon for updated post or contact the service team at www.poolboy.ca

You closed your pool for the winter. You or your pool service company did all the necessary work to protect it, but we all know that by opening time when all the snow has melted it never looks the same as it did when we closed it. Often the pool more closely resembles a swamp than the pristine oasis you’re used to looking at.
Keeping your winter cover free from debris and snow melt will simplify and significantly reduce the amount of time required to open your pool in the spring.
Here’s a few simple steps to follow:

1. If your cover is a traditional tarp and water bag system, make sure everything is still in place and has not fallen into the pool. Re-align the water bags and secure the cover to ensure the elements don’t make their way under the cover.
2. With the cover secure in place, pump down the surface water with a submersible pump to your closest storm sewer or slowly across your lawn.
3. Debris on the cover can be collected with your telescopic pole and a sturdy leaf net. If you have a composter this stuff is a great addition to your mulch.
4. Once the debris is removed you can get out your garden hose and start rinsing down the cover as you continue to pump it off.

Following these simple steps on that warm sunny spring weekend will help you complete your swimming pool opening when its time faster than ever before.  Enjoy your day in the sun, and if you have any questions, concerns or would prefer to have someone else do it while you tend to your garden contact PoolBoy for some quick assistance.