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Pool Owner’s Guide · The Seasons
After the Rain: Your Pool and the Storms of the Season
by Spectrum Pool Care
After a long, dry summer, the first real rain of the season is something to celebrate. It also brings a lot to a pool all at once. Here’s what a storm changes, and how the water finds its way back to clear.
Most of our rain falls between December and March, often in a handful of big storms rather than gentle, steady showers. The first storm after a dry summer is usually the busiest for a pool: it washes months of dust, pollen and leaves off roofs, decks and trees, and much of it ends up in the water.
Higher water
An inch of rain over a pool adds roughly 300 gallons to an average backyard pool, more if the deck and planters drain toward it.
Leaves and soil
Wind and runoff carry in leaves, dust and fine soil, which fill baskets and settle on the floor.
Softer, lower balance
Rain is naturally a little acidic and very soft, so pH and alkalinity usually drift lower after a storm.
Chlorine at work
Everything that washes in gives chlorine more to do, so levels can drop faster than usual.
Between Visits
A Few Ways You Can Help
Empty the skimmer baskets. After a storm, a quick look in the baskets keeps water flowing to the pump and filter.
Watch the water level. The skimmer works best with water about halfway up its opening. If the water rises well above the tile line, let us know.
Clear the deck. Sweeping leaves away from the pool’s edge keeps the next breeze from blowing them in.
Check that drains are clear. Deck drains and nearby planters that drain away from the pool help keep runoff out.
Trim back overhanging branches. Fewer leaves over the water means less to clear after every storm.
Back to Clear
How a Pool Catches Up
After a big storm, a pool may need a visit or two to fully catch up. The chemistry is rebalanced, the floor is cleaned, and the filter does the slow work of catching the fine particles that make water look hazy. Clear water usually returns within a few days, and often the pool looks brighter than before, with a season’s dust finally washed away.
For pools under heavy trees, we also offer twice-weekly service through the off season as an added option. Just ask when you call.
From our routes: the week after the first big storm is one of our busiest of the year. We rebalance the water and clean the pool on your regular visit, and if a pool needs a little extra time to catch up, we’ll let you know.
