Extend Your Outdoor Pool Season into Fall

Extend Your Outdoor Pool Season into Fall

Labor Day weekend usually ushers in the end of outdoor pool season. However, in many parts of the country, you can keep your outdoor pool open into the early weeks of autumn, which doesn’t officially start until September 23. Temperatures can remain warm through October, prompting many people to look for ways to beat the heat. By extending your pool season, you’ll set your outdoor pool apart from the others, keeping your existing members happy and maybe even attracting new ones.

How do you make an autumn pool season effective? These tips can help:

Modify your autumn pool hours
With kids back to school and most of your workforce back to class (whether high school or college), you’ll want to modify your post-Labor Day pool hours. Consider opening on weekends only (Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon). If staffing permits, you could also offer some limited afternoon hours during the week (say, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday).

Entice swimmers with weekend events
Once school and sports start in the fall, some people may be apt to forget about the pool. Don’t let them! Offer an array of weekend activities, and advertise these events widely, to make your pool the place to be in the autumn. Fall is a great time for crab feasts and bull roasts. Or consider bringing in a big screen TV so that football enthusiasts can watch the big game on Sunday afternoon while their kids enjoy the water.

Get those leaves off the water
Falling leaves are one of autumn’s iconic markers. Make sure your staffers are vigilant about removing leaves from the surface of the pool and vacuum frequently to remove those leaves and debris that sink to the bottom. Drains can be easily clogged up if not maintained, causing further headaches.

Consider lowering the water level
If the pool has tiles, consider having the water drained a bit so that it does not touch the tiles. This is an important precaution to take in case the weather takes a turn and you experience an unexpected freeze.

Take the time to beautify
Fall is the ideal time to plant trees and shrubs because it gives their root systems time to grow before summer’s heat returns. In addition, the cooler and wetter weather means you’ll need to do less watering. So use these weeks to make your pool grounds more attractive now, and you’ll reap the benefits next summer.

Be prepared
Weather is always unpredictable. Leaving an outdoor pool open in the fall as the air cools can be a gamble. Keep an eye on long-range weather reports, being especially vigilant for brewing tropical storms or hurricanes. Put a winterizing plan in place and make sure you have the necessary staffing available in case you need to execute it sooner than originally planned, due to a weather event.

If you decide to keep your outdoor pool open in early autumn, you may want to consult with a professional pool services company for advice on staffing and maintenance issues. At American Pool, we offer a full range of pool construction, maintenance, and staff services. Get in touch to find out more.