To winterise or background sanitise my pool?

What is winterising?

It’s the term for closing your pool during the coldest months of the year. Unless you live in a part of the world that enjoys year-round sunshine and balmy temperatures, you’ll eventually have to learn how to winterise your swimming pool.

There are primarily two types of winterising – Passive winterising and Active winterising. 

• Active winterising is best in climates where the outside temperature typically remains above 5°C throughout the winter (in other words, places where your pool is unlikely to freeze). If you choose active winterising, you’ll need to keep your pool filled and keep your filtration running at idle or low speeds along with your sanitisation systems every day, for a minimum of two hours. You should also closely monitor your pool any time temperatures are around 0.

• Passive winterising is a better choice if your swimming pool is likely to freeze during winter (if temperatures regularly drop below 5°C where you live, you should consider this option). If you choose passive winterising, you’ll be partially draining and covering your pool to prevent freeze-related damage and adding a winterising product following the manufacturer’s instructions. This product prevents the development of algae, fungi, limescale build-up and mineral deposits. This ensures an easy start-up of your pool in Springtime.

When should I begin the winterising process?

When your pool water eventually drops to a temperature of around 12°C you should winterise. This is the ideal temperature for your treatment to be efficient and long-duration, to ensure algae and bacteria development is limited to a minimum.

By properly winterising your swimming pool, you can help protect the pool from temperature and weather-related damage while it’s not in use. Winterising can also help keep your pool free of contaminants, dirt, and debris – which means you’ll be one step ahead when it comes time to open it up again for the spring and summer.