How to Prepare Your Pool for a Tornado
With warm weather approaching, it is important to keep your pool clean, fresh and welcoming for the summertime. It is also the prime time of year to keep an eye on the forecast and look out for tornado or storm warnings.
Intense storms and tornadoes can be a frequent occurrence, especially for those of us living in Texas and the Midwest. As well as protecting your house and family, it’s also important that you protect your pool and equipment – and understand exactly what steps to take to preserve your pool’s quality through the most powerful of storms.
Turn off the power
If you know there is a major storm on its way, it is incredibly important that you shut off the power to the pool, which will in turn protect electrical equipment, such as pool lights, heater, timer, pool pumps. You may also need to take steps to protect against flooding. If storm surges are a major concern for your pool, you may want to pull out the pump and store it indoors until the storm has passed. You could even shut down the pool’s pump power and wrap the motor very tightly with plastic and duct tape to keep the water out.
Do not drain your pool
During a storm or tornado, you should not drain your pool. The water can protect the pool finish, as the liquid can slow down flying debris. If your pool is built above the ground, keeping it full will protect the walls and prevent damage.
Protect your pool accessories
You need to make sure your pool accessories, such as skimmer lids, toys, ladders, cleaners, are all tightly secured in a safe and secure place such as a shed, garage or inside the house. Protecting these things will save you having to buy new ones and will prevent them from being lifted by the wind and causing damage.
Do not cover the pool
If a storm is slowly building up, it is better to leave the cover off. Storms begin with a heavy wind that is strong enough to take down things as firm as trees. If a branch or any other object lands on the cover, it will completely damage it and you will have to purchase a new one. If you have plenty of time before the storm hits, cut down some larger branches that may be strong enough to cause any damage. Make sure your pool is insured so any damage caused can be covered for a cheaper price.
Subscribe to weather updates
Stay in the loop and subscribe to weather updates – this way, you can prepare in plenty of time for approaching storms.
Protect yourself
It is important you save yourself from the storm before anything else. Make sure you are ready for it and have safe shelter. After all, you and your family are the number one priority.
If you’re searching for custom-built pools from award-winning pool builders, look no further than Master Pools of Austin. We use the latest technology and designs to create a pool you can be proud of – our talent has also been recognized by the elite Master Pools Guild. If you’re in the Texas area, simply contact our team today.