The arrival of autumn heralds a kind of hibernation process as you put your outdoor swimming pool to bed.

So the kids have had a great summer break thanks to your swimming pool. As Autumn nears, the family lose interest in the pool and you are given sole responsibility for winterising your pool. The joys of pool ownership!

We are all painfully aware of the fact that UK winters can be harsh. You need to winterise your pool for several reasons:

1) If you fail to winterise your pool, chances are that when you re-open your pool in spring, the water will resemble swamp water rather than pool water.

(2) You run the risk of damage to your pool structure and equipment. Sub zero temperatures will damage your pool if you have not winterised your pool correctly. Neglect to winterise at your peril. If you spend a little time winterising correctly, opening up your pool in spring will be a piece of cake.

As a general rule, the later you winterise the better. Just because the kids are back at school after their summer break, don’t be tempted to winterise your pool early; we are seeing more ‘Indian Summers’ than ever before. If you do winterise your pool early you run the risk of your pool water turning green before you reopen your pool in spring; winterising algaecides slowly lose their effectiveness after five months or so.

Don’t be tempted to empty your pool for the winter months; this will do more harm than good. Virtually all modern pools, are designed to hold water at all times; the water within the pool counters the external forces surrounding the pool.

Unfortunately there is not one single winterisation procedure that is suitable for all types of pools; different pools designs require slightly different winterisation procedures.

If in doubt, ask your pool supplier for his recommendations. In fact, the safest option and for total peace of mind, why not ask your local pool company to winterise your pool for you. Alternatively, if you opt to winterise yourself, click here to view our winterisation guide.