How to Prepare Your Swimming Pool Before Going on Vacation
Going on vacation should not mean coming home to a green pool.
A little preparation before you leave can keep your water clear, prevent algae growth, and avoid expensive cleanup later.
In most cases, preparing your pool for a trip can take less than an hour. Here’s what to do before you head out:
Check the Water Levels
Before leaving, make sure your pool water is at its normal operating level.
Hot weather can lower water levels quickly through evaporation, especially during summer vacations. If the water drops too low, your skimmer may stop working properly and your pump could pull in air.
If heavy rain is expected while you’re away, avoid overfilling the pool. It’s usually safer to leave the water slightly low than too high.
Clean the Pool Thoroughly
Before leaving, remove as much dirt and debris as possible.
- Brush the walls and steps
- Vacuum the pool
- Empty skimmer and pump baskets
- Remove leaves and organic material
Depending on how long you are gone, now would be a good time to clean the pool filter. Give the grids a good cleaning, or backwash for a sand and DE filter.
If your pump is running on a timer or schedule, try and have the pump run for at least 8 to 12 hours a day.
Starting with a clean pool reduces the chances of algae growth and helps your filtration system work more efficiently while you’re away.
Balance Water Chemistry
A properly balanced pool is much less likely to develop algae or cloudy water while you’re away.
A day before your trip:
- Run a full set of tests and add the necessary chemicals
- Shock the pool if needed to make sure sanitizer levels are slightly on the high side of normal
For trips longer than a few days, chlorine tablets can help maintain sanitizer levels with less daily maintenance.
Large chlorine dispenser for 3-inch tablets to use in your swimming pool.
Consider Adding a (Non-Copper) Algaecide
Adding a non-copper algaecide can provide extra protection against algae growth.
Avoid copper-based products when possible. Over time, copper can stain pool surfaces and discolor hair or swimsuits.
A quality non-metallic algaecide works best as a preventative treatment — especially during hot weather or periods of low circulation.
Recruit A Neighbor, Friend, or Family Member
If you are only gone for a few days, loading up your floater full of trichlor tabs should be OK. However, trips that take a week or longer will require somebody to look after the pool.
Ideally, you can have someone come daily, if not every other day, just to make sure everything is operational.
Even better if they know how to use your testing kit! Just make sure there is beer in the fridge.
If you don’t know anyone around, schedule a service visit with a pool company and let them know what needs to be done.
Overall, the goal here is to just have someone make sure the pool is still running properly and there is chlorine in the pool.
Gone For Months or Longer? Consider Closing or Covering the Pool
If you are going to be gone for an extended period of time, then it doesn’t make sense to try and keep it operational.
By all means, if you have a neighbor who would enjoy the pool during that time and you are comfortable allowing them to use it, then you can keep it open.
One option is to cover the pool and continue to run it as-is. This will limit the UV rays and extend the chlorine used in the pool, though it will require having somebody continuously add chlorine on a weekly or biweekly basis to ensure there is always free chlorine (FC) available.
The last resort option is to just go ahead and close it. Depending on how hot it is, you will more likely than not encounter a green pool the next time it opens.
But at least you know how to clear the pool to make it crystal clear again!
Enjoy the Trip!
Once your pool is cleaned, balanced, and circulating properly, you can leave with confidence.
A little prep work now can prevent cloudy water, algae growth, and expensive cleanup later — so you can focus on enjoying your trip instead of worrying about your pool.