Hurricane Season & Your Pool

June 1st formally begins the Hurricane season here in the Rio Grand Valley. There is a lot of public service information on how to prepare for a Hurricane in and around your home but it normally has little or no information on what to do with your swimming pool.

If you built a Hamlin Pool you may still have your “Customer Care Manual”. There is a section in it dedicated to Hurricanes and Storms which has helpful and important information on what you should or should not do regarding your pool. If your Hamlin manual is not available we offer free handouts here at the shop. You can also read our hurricane tips on our web site at  www.hamlinpools.com/.

I can not cover everything here but some of the top issues you may deal with are:

• NEVER totally drain your pool during or after the storm. Think of your empty pool as a “concrete boat”. Put enough hydro-static pressure under it from a high water table and you can literally “float your pool” out of the ground.
• Protect your pump motor from flooding or wind driven rain. Consider turning off the electric power to your equipment or even removing your motor if known flooding will occur. — FYI, the new VS series Whisper flow pumps with the magnetic motors are very, very resistant to water damage as compared to traditional pool pumps.
• After the storm, if your pool is still blue or green you can use “storm start up” procedures and see if your existing equipment will clean your pool up. If your pool is brown and full of dirt and debris it would be better to have your pool cleaned up before starting your pool filter. If its a job you do not want to tackle then call your pool professional.