https://www.facebook.com/TikiNuiPoolCare/posts/122113933580401664
By now, everyone knows Milton is coming – or at least that’s what the models predict.
Here are the best tips to prepare your Swimming Pool and Backyard for the rain and wind coming our way:
1. Prepare the pool – clean out anything you can from the pool
2. Consider an extra dose of Chlorine and/or Algaecide…lots of “stuff” may likely end up in your pool, especially if it’s not screened in. This will help prevent algae/bacteria from taking hold before our next visit.
3. To Drain or Not to Drain: DO NOT FULLY DRAIN YOUR POOL! It’s not a bad idea to drain a FOOT OR TWO, so rain water can flow into the pool instead of your back door, but draining too much may cause a dangerous situation where the walls of the pool can be pushed in, or the entire Pool could “pop” out of the ground due to rising ground water.
4. Furniture: DO NOT Throw your Furniture into the pool! This can damage your pool in more ways than one… Wind can turn that furniture into a battering ram that permanently damages the walls of the pool, and any metal parts/fasterners will almost certainly leave rust stains in the pool that may be difficult and expensive to remove. Instead, MOVE ALL FURNITURE AND SMALL/LOOSE ITEMS INDOORS. Either a shed, storage room or garage is a better solution than tossing it all into the pool. If this is not an option, stacking all chairs, and tying all furniture together and weighting down with sand bags or heavy weights is an alternative to indoor storage.
5. Power: Inside the house, at the breaker panel, turn off the power to the pool pump and other pool equipment before the storm arrives.
6. Back Door: If you have a patio door that does not have much of a rise from the deck/ground just outside, you may want to consider building a dam with sand bags, to stop or slow the rising water from making it’s way into your home.
7. Sump Pump: It may not be a bad idea to have an auxiliary Pump available to quickly pump out any water that gets past your sandbags and/or into the house. Make sure you are familiar with how to use the pump before you actually need it! and have some garden hoses ready to go.
8. Indoors: Make sure you have a few days’ of food and water, candles, lighters, flashlights, a radio, your MEDS, and friend or family member that you will check in with regularly as the storm progresses and moves on.
Good luck and Godspeed to everyone!