Hurricane Irma caused mass destruction to the state of Florida. People were left with flooded homes and cars, and personal belongings were lost. Preparing for the storm caused stress and anxiety. Homeowners stocked up on canned food, candles, flashlights, water, and gas. Pool owners were left having to prepare for Hurricane Irma’s rainfall and strong winds.
Here are some helpful tips to prepare your pool for a storm:
Drain your pool slightly
Don’t wait until the last minute before the storm approaches while you’re frantically trying to squeeze in last minute preparations. Don’t drain your pool completely because hydrostatic pressure can build up from the rain and this can cause your pool to pop or move in the foundation underground. If you’re evacuating your home and worried about elevated water levels rising into your home you can drain a couple of feet of water from your pool to be safe. If your pool isn’t extremely close to your home then a little bit of water overflowing into your plants shouldn’t cause problems.
Shut off the water
Shut off the pool pump and find out a way to secure it safely. Shut off the pool heater in the main valve. Once the power goes out you should refrain from adding any chlorine into your pool because the pool pump won’t be on to circulate the chemicals around. When the power goes out the chlorine will sink to the bottom of the pool. Monitor the pH levels in your pool water especially if you’re thinking about splashing around your pool after the storm has passed.
Patio furniture
Many hotels have been known to throw their patio furniture into the pool before a hurricane hits because they are worried about the tables and chairs getting blown around in the wind causing damage. The chemicals in pools can cause damage to your furniture. Instead, take your tables and chairs inside away from the wind. You can also secure items down outside if you don’t have room inside to store everything.
At Tripod Aluminum, we want to make sure your pool is properly prepared for a hurricane. Even with the best preparation, sometimes damage to your outdoor structures in Palm Bay or Melbourne, FL is inevitable. The strong winds knocked down many porches, pool enclosures, and ripped out screens, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance with these issues.
