Along with the season of hot summer days, baseball, fireworks, and refreshing dips in your pool; come hurricanes and tropical storms. According to the National Hurricane Center, the season for hurricanes in the northeast is June 1 to November 30 - right in the middle of pool season! But don't worry - preparing your Namco above-ground pool for a storm is as easy as 1-2-3. Just follow the simple steps below to protect your pool against possible damage caused by high winds and heavy rainfall.

1. Don’t Drain the Pool Water

One of the biggest myths about preparing your above-ground pool for a storm is that you should drain your pool water. Oftentimes, pool owners are afraid that the high amounts of rain will cause their pool to overflow with water, flood their property, and damage equipment. Against what may seem like a logical step - do not drain your pool! The weight of the pool water will help to hold the pool in place and eliminate the possibility of your pool detaching from the ground or loose debris scratching the floor or liner of your pool. Most often, pool water overflowing will not cause any harm to surrounding vegetation. It’s better to ensure your pool will remain in place than the possibility of water overflowing. If you still are afraid of flooding, you can safely reduce the pool water by 2-3 inches as an added precaution. 

2. Turn Off Power and Tie Down or Remove Equipment

The first step is to turn off the circuit breaker connected to all your pool equipment. If high rainfall is expected, and you fear that your equipment may be affected by large amounts of water, you can move your pool components indoors to a dry location. This is much easier to do with an above-ground pool versus an in-ground pool. If you can’t bring the components indoors, you can still protect your pump, motor, and other electronics by covering them with a waterproof cover or plastic and tying the cover down tightly with ropes or tape.

3. Remove Pool Cover and Balance Your Chemicals

High winds can cause a range of potential issues for your pool. Your first instinct may be to cover your pool to keep leaves, dirt, and other debris out. This is not advised since your pool cover can be easily blown off in high winds, and then ripped by a tree branch or damaged from objects falling on top of the cover. Since your pool cover will be off, you most likely will have organic material flying into your pool which will need to be dealt with. This organic matter contains contaminants from the atmosphere and provides food for bacteria to thrive off of. Still, it’s far less expensive to balance your chemicals than to replace a damaged pool cover. Before a storm, you can counteract the effects that rainwater will have on the chemistry of your pool and help with post-storm cleanup by shocking your pool water. We recommend a chlorine-free shock treatment like our Biosafe Systems Green CleanMax. This organic, environmentally friendly algae control system is toxic-free and will soften water, add oxygen and bring debris to the surface.

Have a storm coming your way? Keep these 3 simple steps in mind to eliminate possible damage and to get your pool back up and running quickly.
Have additional questions on maintaining your pool? Call Namco at 860-590-9547 or ask your question on Twitter or on Facebook.