It’s mid-October here in Sarasota-Bradenton, and we’ve just about hit the point where the southwest Florida summer weather gives way to Florida fall. But what does the change in seasons mean for your pool? You may have gotten into a pool-maintenance habit for the last few months, but the shift in temperature, rain and humidity levels means your pool pattern will probably have to change a bit.
Level Up (or Down)…
In the summer, lots and lots of rain can wreck havoc on your pool chemistry. The fresh water that rain dumps into your chlorinated pool means you don’t have as much chlorine as you need, and that leaves the door open for algae and other things to grow. After every rainfall, you should be recalibrating your pool’s chemistry.
Here’s the thing about autumn in Florida, though: The dryer air feels great on your skin, but it also speeds up the rate at which your pool evaporates, causing the opposite problem: As fresh water leaves your pool in the form of water vapor, your chemicals go unbalanced in the other direction. So you have to be mindful about how much of each chemical you’re using, especially on the sunny, dry days we expect this time of year.
…Or Else
When your chemical levels start to get a little off, things can escalate quickly. The evaporating water leaves a higher concentration of everything in the water, including staining substances like metal and calcium.
Ironically, pool evaporation can strain your chlorine in the same way that a saturation of fresh water can. That’s because when the water evaporates, there’s also a higher concentration of nitrates, which are the things that put strain on your chlorine’s workload. When the chlorine goes after the nitrates, you’re left with chloramine. That’s the stuff that smells really strongly of chlorine, but doesn’t do the work of sanitizing your pool.
Fall Forward
So now’s the time to prepare for this shift in your pool’s chemical behavior. Pay attention to the weather; pay attention to your water levels; and pay attention to your pool’s chemicals.
Or better yet: Sign up for a weekly service, so we can do all of that for you.
