Preparing Your Inground Pool for Summer Vacation

We all have pent-up summer vacation plans. After 2 years of limited summer travel due to the pandemic, everyone you know is going somewhere this summer. You probably are, too. But in addition to finding someone to watch your pets and keep an eye on your home while you’re gone, if you’re a pool owner, you need to prepare your inground pool for your vacation. This is especially true if you’ll be gone for several weeks.

No, your pool won’t miss you like your dog will. We mean preparing your pool so that it’s in good condition when you come home, and it’s not a safety hazard for curious neighborhood kids or animals. By following some simple steps, you can come home to a clean pool and avoid mishaps. 

Let’s get started.

1. Go Heavy on the Chlorine

You’ll want to double up on the chlorine. Put an extra tab in the skimmer or turn the automatic chlorinator up. Since you’ll be gone, the extra chlorine will help prevent bacteria growth during that time. If you’ll be gone more than a couple of weeks, you should hire someone to shock the pool for you once a week.

2. Use an Algaecide

This won’t hurt your pool, and it could help you return to a crystal clear pool instead of one with algae growth. If chlorine levels drop, algae can start to grow. An algae treatment will last several months, so you’re covered no matter how long your vacation is.

3. Check the Security of Your Pool Fence and Gate

Ensure there are no broken or loose pickets or panels in your pool fence that could make it easy for someone to get into your pool area. Ensure your pool gates are locked. In addition, if you have a security camera system, set up an alert for any movement in your pool area. 

RELATED READING: Maryland Pool Fence Laws

4. Use the Pool Cover

If you’re going to be gone for more than a week and don’t have someone house sitting, you should cover your pool. This will help prevent algae growth, and it will also prevent neighborhood teens from having an impromptu pool party courtesy of you, the absent homeowner.

It can also prevent a tragedy. The allure of an open pool on a hot summer day can be irresistible for a curious and determined child. By using your pool cover, you can prevent accidental drowning. If someone did come to harm in your pool while you were away and you hadn’t taken proper precautions to secure your pool, you could face a lawsuit under the Attractive Nuisance Doctrine.

5. Enjoy Your Vacation

Lastly, enjoy your vacation, secure in the knowledge that you’ve prepared your inground pool for your vacation. Now start packing!

Make It Exceptional. Make It Woodfield.

If 2022 is the year you get an inground pool, make it an exceptional experience by working with the expert design and installation team at Woodfield. For more than 25 years, we’ve been delivering custom landscaping, hardscaping, and pool installation to clients throughout the Baltimore area. Our process helps ensure you get the pool paradise you’ve been dreaming of.

We work with discerning homeowners throughout the Baltimore area, including Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Harford County, and Howard County