Winterising a pool in Cyprus. Yes or No?

A question that we always get asked at this time every year is…… should we winterise our pool ?

When I teach an NSPF Certified Pool and spa Operators ( CPO ) training course one of the subjects that always causes a stir is winterising a swimming pool. In many countries across the world, winterising a pool is essential providing the process is completed correctly.

In Cyprus I advise never to winterise a pool due to 1 main factor. Temperature! Remember December is always in the early 20’s and we can have 25 degrees in February. With the high temperatures comes a breading ground for bugs and disease.

Now re-phrase the question (which is what everybody is really asking).

I only want my pool maintained once per week. Or even once per month in the winter, can you do this? This is the question that people are actually asking. Basically to save money. There is nothing wrong with this question providing the answer is correct. And, the reason we do not winterise a pool clearly stated.

Even though people seldom use their pool in winter it is still open to the elements, just different elements that we face in the summer. Rain, sand from the Coptic storms, debris from wind etc., all contribute to a different issue we face in the summer. The only real difference is less people actually swim in the colder water and for obvious reasons as a pool maintenance operator this should give us a little breathing space and time to resolve any issues we encountered in the summer.

This is the perfect time to reduce Cyanuric acid levels, reduce Calcium levels and TDS. Repair any issues with the pool such as heavy stains or essential repairs.

We use the winter period to reduce the above levels and prepare the water for the summer using our tried and tested winter programme (ask for details). This allows us basically to prepare for the summer season ahead. Remember we look after the water in the winter. And, the water looks after us in the summer.

You have to understand that between Late June and mid September we are basically performing damage limitation on the pools to keep them clean and clear , if you have not prepared the water correctly and are starting as an e.g. with Cyanuric acid levels in the high 90`s then you are going to have major issues with chemical use and water balance during the heavily used summer period.

So in short, the simple answer is NO.

We do not winterise pools in Cyprus . We look after them differently and prepare the water and the pool for the coming season …