All temporarily unused structures that need to be preserved during their period of inactivity are in need of conservation. One of these facilities is an outdoor pool, which is actively operated only in the summer. Before the onset of the first autumn frosts, the artificial pond should be mothballed. After all, the main danger to the construction lies in the movement of soil adjacent to the walls of the bowl of the outdoor pool. To cope with this problem allows water, which is prepared in a special way and left in the outdoor pool for the winter. Before filling the pond bowl with water, the equipment is dismantled and plugs are installed. A team of professionals is called upon to carry out the entire complex of work on conservation of the facility. If desired and the availability of time, the owner of the country house can carry out all necessary operations independently. Let us consider in more detail the order of work and the features of their implementation.
First of all, we suggest you watch a video clip with an example of conservation work:
Draining and cleaning the pool
Before you start draining from the pool of water used in the summer for swimming, it is necessary to remove chemicals from the autochlorator (tank of the dispenser of the disinfecting device). After that, the entire system is washed in the circulation mode for about 10-15 minutes. Then make the discharge of "summer" water from the bowl of the swimming reservoir.
The bottom and walls of the pool bowl are cleaned with a viscose sponge or plastic brush with a soft bristle from dirt and deposits, while detergents are actively used. When choosing cleaning products for washing the bottom and walls of the bowl are guided by the advice of the manufacturer of the facing material. Preference is usually given to chemicals manufactured by German companies. Although many Russian products have good detergents and cleaning qualities.
Cleaning the bottom of the bowl of the outdoor swimming pool from pollution, carried out using special equipment or improvised devices available
With extreme caution, it is necessary to clean the film coatings, which can be damaged as a result of severe exposure to chemicals of dubious quality.
Putting in order the bottom and walls of the swimming pool bowl, do not forget about cleansing metal parts that are in direct contact with water from settled deposits. Here we are talking about stairs, handrails, lamps, spotlights, and other auxiliary equipment used in the operation of the structure.
When working with any household chemicals, you should adhere to well-known safety rules. Work should be carried out in overalls (rubber boots, gloves, a water-repellent coat with a hood). It is advisable to protect the eyes and respiratory organs, using glasses and special masks for this. Disinfectants and cleaning solutions must not be allowed to leak into the environment.
Removal of removable equipment
It is recommended that all removable equipment for the period of "hibernation" of the pool be removed and stored in a warm, dry room. The main elements of the hydraulic system of the structure are to be dismantled: a filtering unit, a heating system, a counterflow device, etc. When starting to dismantle a filtering unit, the filter is de-energized. Then the water is drained through the tap, the lid is opened and the filtrate is transferred to another container. After that, the filter is washed thoroughly. Then the remaining liquid is drained by switching the valve to the emptying mode. Next, the filtration unit is placed in the selected storage location until the next summer season. Elements of the hydraulic system that cannot be dismantled must be exempted from water.
Before filling the pool with water, all the lighting fixtures built into the structure of the structure are removed. In this case, the protective glass is removed, the device is taken out of the niche, the wire, insulated, lead upstairs and attached to the pool side. Foam plugs cover the recesses in which the lighting devices, the skimmer were located. The same plugs are also placed in nozzles that are not covered by water in the pool for the winter. The special ends cover the free ends of the drains.
Filter system preservation
Having finished the work on cleaning the pool and dismantling the equipment, they begin to fill its bowl with water with preservative additives dissolved in it. As such an additive, they usually use a product called Puripul, which is produced by the German company BAYROL. This drug prevents the appearance and development of unfrozen water of algae, fungi, bacteria, sludge. To carry out the preservation of the filter system, the water level must be brought to its previous value. In accordance with the instructions attached to the filter by the manufacturer, the backwash mode is set on the equipment. Do not switch the filter valve while the pump is running, as this can cause a system malfunction.
After completing the backwash, the filter is switched to compaction mode for 10-15 s, and then to normal (normal) filtration mode. In this mode, preservation water is driven through the filter system for two to three hours. After this time, the water from the pool is partially drained. Drainage stops when the water level is 10 cm below the side nozzles.
Quaternary ammonium compounds appear in the composition of Puripula (less than 20%), therefore its addition to the pool water is strictly dosed. The magnitude of the dose depends on the level of water hardness, measured in degrees of hardness (° W) or in milligrams of equivalent per liter (mEq / L).
- If the hardness does not exceed 3.5 mEq / l, then for every 10 meters of cubic water, 0.4 l of Puripula is added.
- If the water hardness reaches 5.3 mEq / l, then the dose of the drug used to preserve water in the pool increases to 0.6 l.
Before adding Puripul, you must dilute it in water, with 5 parts of water for each part of the preparation. The resulting solution is evenly distributed over the water mirror of the pool and mixed with the bulk of the water. The effectiveness of the drug depends on the level of chlorine and algaecide in the water. The decrease in the effectiveness of Puripula occurs when the concentration of chlorine in water is at the level of 1 mg / l. Knowing this, you should not increase the dose of chlorine and algaecide in water during the re-conservation of the pool, which is carried out in the spring months. Indeed, “Puripul” greatly facilitates the cleaning of the pool after the end of the “winter hibernation”.
Compensators: what is it and why are they needed?
Compensators are used to reduce loads from ice (frozen water) on the walls of the pool bowl. Compensators are called objects that can change their volume with increasing external pressure. In other words, these are objects that can shrink when the water expands at the moment of freezing. Compensators include all empty plastic containers (cans, five-liter bottles for drinking water, etc.), as well as tires and pieces of foam.
The use of plastic bottles as compensators for the expansion of water during freezing during the preservation of the outdoor pool for the winter
Compensators are connected with a synthetic cord and placed along the center line of the swimming pool. At the same time, plastic containers must be deepened a little, using sandbags or other weighting agents for this. It is not recommended to use metal objects as anchors that can leave rust marks on the bottom of the pool bowl. In addition to the center of the reservoir, compensators are installed on the sides. It is better to use foam bars, which should be tied in a "garland" and placed around the perimeter of the pool, departing from the sides by 8-10 cm.
Choosing a coating to protect water mirrors
Protecting a water mirror with a special coating is considered the last step in the winter conservation of outdoor pools. This stage does not bring trouble to the owners of those structures that already use coatings to protect the pool water in the summer from pollution and cooling. However, for year-round use only those covering materials that can withstand temperature extremes, as well as the severity of the snow mass, are suitable.
Awning coverings are made of tarpaulin, PVC film and other materials that can protect the water column from atmospheric precipitation and other pollution
Bubble bedspreads are inexpensive types of insulating coatings that can accumulate solar energy. Covers are suitable for protection of a reservoir in winter
Automatic roller blinds for pools not only protect the water surface from pollution, but extend the swimming season, while maintaining the temperature of the pool water at a comfortable level
Plastic pavilions are classified as expensive types of year-round protection of outdoor pools. These structures are made of rounded aluminum profiles and polycarbonate sheets capable of retaining heat inside the structure
Operation of the outdoor (stationary) pool in winter is possible using modern systems of electric heating of water in an artificial reservoir
It is not recommended to cover outdoor pools with home-made wooden shields and metal structures based on the sides of the structure. There is a high probability of damage to the walls of the bowl and the body of the artificial reservoir.
When can you start re-preservation?
If you follow all the procedures for the conservation of the stationary pool correctly, then you can ensure a successful wintering for this structure. With the arrival of warm days, the ice in the pool is allowed to melt under natural conditions. It is strictly forbidden to crack ice, as this is likely to damage the bowl of the structure. After de-preservation of the pool and water purification, the reservoir begins to operate in accordance with its intended use.
