Should I Run Pool Filter In Rain

If you have a pool, you probably wonder about the best practices for maintaining the correct chemic balance in the h2o, particularly when it rains. You might inquire yourself questions most what chemicals to add after the rain stops; when you should clean the puddle after pelting; and whether or non y'all should run the pool pump when it rains.

As a general rule, y'all should run your puddle pump when information technology rains. Rain can change the chemical makeup of the water, such as the pH and alkalinity, in addition to adding dirt and droppings. And then to proceed your pool in the best condition, yous can run the pump while it is raining. Nevertheless, unless information technology is specially heavy pelting, sticking to your normal pumping and filtering schedule will ordinarily have a minimal negative impact.

Whether you run your pool pump when it rains or not, you will demand to accept several steps to ensure the pool water is at the correct chemic and cleanliness level.

Go on reading to learn more well-nigh what happens when y'all run the pool pump during the rain and what you should practise after a storm.

Should I Run My Pool Pump When it Rains?

Running a pool pump when it rains

Running your pool pump while it is raining volition not damage any of the electrical components and is not bad for the pump or your pool. By running the pump during the pelting, y'all will be mixing the h2o in the puddle farther and cleaning the puddle past pushing the droppings through the skimming basket, trapping debris, and then the filter, trapping dust and smaller clay.

Past running the pump during rain, you may be able to get ahead on the post-rain cleanup, but you will still demand to exercise a thorough cleaning after the rain, if it was specially heavy.

Let's face up information technology, many times your house will be unoccupied when it rains, when you are at work or if you are out. So the puddle pump is likely to be running while information technology is raining anyway.

What happens if you don't run the pump in the rain?

Running the pool pump while it is raining is not completely necessary. While doing this does assistance to keep the pool clean during the pelting, y'all may withal need to take steps in one case the rain stops to clean further. You will need to take these steps whether you run the pump during the rain or not.

Since you lot volition need to run the pump either way later on the tempest ends, you might consider not running the pump during the pelting to save some energy.

Many people don't make any changes to their pool pump schedule since information technology unremarkably runs automatically. This will mean that the pump may or may non exist on during the pelting.

Subsequently all, if you are out at work when it starts to pelting, and the puddle pump is set to be off and then, will you exit work to go home and switch it on? I think not. Heed y'all, in these days of "smart" equipment peradventure you could switch the pump on and off using your cellphone.

What rain does to a puddle

You may be wondering why rain getting into your swimming pool is such a big deal. Later on all, it's just water existence added to more water, right? How could rainwater really be that different from the water that is already in the puddle?

Although this may audio unproblematic in theory, in reality, the water in a pond pool has gone through processes and maintenance to detect that fragile rest of chemicals and remove debris and contaminants, and so that your swimming pool can remain crystal articulate and make clean.

Rainwater is notorious for containing contaminants. Bacteria, dirt, acid, and other things tin exist hitching a ride into your pool each time it rains. They drip in with the innocent-seeming raindrops and begin to spread and contaminate the puddle water.

Rainwater can affect your pool'south:

Germ-free state/Chlorine balance
pH rest
Alkalinity
Calcium hardiness
H2o level
Cleanliness

These elements are all important to maintaining the correct country of your pool water for rubber and enjoyable swimming. They besides aid to better its appearance and the longevity of the pond pool's life.

What to practise later on it rains

Once the rain stops, it will be time for yous to clean the pool and practise maintenance on the water properly. Be certain to follow these steps afterward any major pelting event that either raises the water level in your pool significantly or causes a lot of clay and debris to fall into the puddle.

See the department below on how to determine if you need to follow these steps following a storm.

Lower the puddle level

The beginning step in post-rain pool maintenance is to get the pool dorsum to a normal water level. If the rain has dumped a lot of water in the pool, it will be important to bleed some of the water so that the level is correct again.

You might think that this step is unnecessary. After all, one time yous go a few sunny weeks with no pelting, you will need to put water back in, so why drain it at present? This draining stride is necessary to ensure that the filters, pumps, and other mechanisms in the puddle work properly. The jet pumps and skimmer will not be able to correctly mix and clean the water if there is too much of it in the pool.

Here y'all will notice my tips for how to bleed water from a pool.

Empty the skimmer basket

Once your puddle is dorsum to a normal level, you can work on cleaning information technology. First, exist sure to empty the skimmer basket of everything that was nerveless while it was raining so that yous can start with a clean basket.

Once the clean skimmer basket is replaced, yous can turn on the pump to start moving the water around. This will not only start sending some of the dirt and droppings to the skimmer basket, but it will besides mix the rainwater thoroughly with the other pool h2o.

This step is crucial to then know how to adjust the chemical makeup of the water to maximize cleanliness.

Furnish chlorine past "shocking" the pool

It is never a bad idea to shock your pool afterward it rains heavily (it isn't usually necessary after light rain).

Shocking involves adding chlorine to the puddle to impale any leaner. This stride is needed afterwards it rains since the chlorine volition probably take been diluted by the rainwater. Shock your pool as yous usually practice during regular maintenance.

Retrieve that you lot shouldn't swim in a puddle later it has been shocked perhaps for almost 24 hours due to the high concentration of chlorine and other chemicals. Since the pool pump is on from the previous step, the pool water should exist fully mixed, and the chlorine has washed its job to clean the pool in about a solar day.

Clean clay and debris

While the chlorine is doing its job to clean the puddle, yous can offset to clean out the excess dirt and debris. You tin use a transmission skimmer to collect large leaves or annihilation else floating in the pool. This will help prevent the skimmer basket from getting full apace and assistance speed up the cleaning process.

Next, you can utilise your manual or automatic vacuum if yous have one to clean the lesser and sides of the pool. Once you are done, you will have a dirt and droppings-free pool with 1 final step needed earlier yous can use information technology.

Examination h2o and adjust chemicals

Once the pool is cleaned, you are near set up to swim in it once again. To brand sure the h2o is safe, exam it to determine which chemicals need adjusting.

You tin take some sample h2o to your local pool shop or test it at home. From there, you lot will know which chemicals to add to brand sure the water is clean and safe for swimming.

Pelting can be slightly acidic and so the pH levels volition probably need to exist adjusted.

How much pelting is plenty to need the above?

In general, yous won't demand to worry most whatsoever of this if the rain is light and not heavy. At that place are a few ways to determine whether or non yous will need to get through this process post-obit a rain event:

if in that location is a lot of visible dirt and debris in your pool
if the water level has risen significantly

One of the easiest ways to tell if yous need to go through this cleaning procedure is to see if there are many leaves and other debris floating in the pool. This indicates that it rained hard plenty to bring in these leaves and such from nearby trees. The presence of this will permit yous know that yous will at least demand to skim the pool and empty the skimming handbasket.

Another style to tell if you need to perform this process is if the pool's water level has risen significantly. Raised h2o levels, even if there is no debris in the pool, signal that information technology rained a lot and normally means that the levels of chlorine and other chemicals in the water are imbalanced.

Puddle Maintenance Course

When I starting time bought my house with a swimming pool I knew zero nearly how to clean and maintain it. I was recommended Swim Academy's Pool Care Handbook and video form then I bought information technology and accept never regretted it.

It was probably the best money I spent that year every bit I take saved thousands by doing it myself.

Wrapping things upwards

At the end of the twenty-four hour period, it doesn't make a huge deviation if y'all run your puddle pump during the rain or not. You will not damage the pool or equipment by running the pump during the rain and also, not running the pump won't practice whatever harm either.

However, your pump and filtering system will perhaps not be able to keep up with the dirt and debris that falls in the puddle during heavy pelting. Because of this, you will need to properly clean your puddle post-obit any major rain event to make sure the pool is clean and condom to swim in.

Read my article to find out how long you should run your pool pump for each day.

Likewise y'all may wonder whether the pool pump should be running when you lot swim so this article will answer that – Practice you run the pool pump while swimming?

FAQs

Should I shock my pool earlier or after it rains?

The best fourth dimension to shock your puddle is after pelting rather than earlier. This allows yous to test the pool h2o and make any adjustments necessary to the alkalinity etc earlier shocking.

Is rainwater bad for a pool?

Rainwater is more often than not acidic so information technology can lower the pH in the pool, meaning you volition have to adjust information technology afterward. If your pool is only receiving additional water directly from the pelting it isn't such an issue but if your garden gets flooded and rainwater enters the puddle from there information technology may cause more major issues.

Why does the pool turn green afterwards it rains?

This does not always happen of course but information technology tin happen. The reason is that the rainwater can alter the chemistry in the pool to such a degree that it promotes algae growth, particularly when the sun comes out after the rain stops.

Tin a pool pump go wet?

Pool pumps are made to be outside and then that they nonetheless function when they become wet, peculiarly when it rains. If the area the pump sits on gets flooded it may affect the pump. Your pool equipment will last longer if under cover though.