Take Care of Your Pool and Solar Heater Before Winter Comes
Fall weather has finally arrived in the Sacramento and Northern California area! Despite the cooler morning and evening temperatures, you may be continuing to enjoy your pool weeks longer than your neighbors who have not wisely invested in a Heliocol solar pool heating system. However, before we know it, winter temperatures will be here, and you may choose to hibernate. What do you need to know about closing your swimming pool and winterizing your Heliocol system?
Time to Close the Pool
Ending your swimming season and closing the pool sounds simple. But just turning off the pump and walking away is not recommended. Here are a few additional steps you need to take.
- Skim, brush, and vacuum the pool to remove debris and dirt. This reduces the chance of algae growth and extra work when reopening the pool.
- Balance the water chemistry and add winterizing chemicals. This prevents corrosion, scale buildup, and staining of the pool by keeping the water clean.
- If you live in a location with freezing temperatures, you need to drain your pool equipment and blow out and plug plumbing lines to prevent water from entering and freezing inside them.
- Install a pool cover to keep debris out of your clean water.
Taking the extra time to complete these steps keeps your pool in good condition and makes it easier to reopen in the spring.
Preparing Your Heliocol System for Winter
Following the above steps for closing your pool is important, and winterizing your Heliocol system is just as important. Here are our recommendations:
- Shut off the solar pool heater so that water stops circulating through the solar panels.
- Drain the panels by disconnecting the system’s water supply and return lines and open all the plumbing valves. This step is important because leaving water inside the panels may cause them to crack if the water freezes.
- Cap off the open pipe ends to prevent debris or small animals from entering the system.
- Inspect the solar panels, pipes and valves for visible wear or damage and repair or replace any worn or broken components.
These steps protect your Heliocol solar pool system and ensures a smooth transition when warmer weather returns. In addition, proper winterization extends the life of your solar panels and avoids costly repairs from freezing damage.
Experts at Winterization
If you are not confident in your ability or do not have the time to follow these suggestions, you are not alone! Thankfully, Solaron offers a yearly start-up and winterizing program to simplify your pool maintenance duties. Give us a call or use our online form to schedule an appointment with us. We are happy to answer any questions you have about winterizing your Heliocol system or to make an appointment to take care of the job for you. Either way, you won’t regret protecting your solar pool system investment!