The high winds, dust storms, and thunderstorms of Arizona’s monsoon season can wreak havoc on your pool. Our pool experts at Blue Square can help you keep your pool at its best during the monsoon season.
Arizona’s monsoon season officially runs from June 15th through September 30th
Arizona’s monsoon activity can include high winds, dust storms, and thunderstorms. High winds can bring leaves and tree limbs, dust, and debris into a pool, where they can clog filters and stress the pool’s pump and filtration system. Winds can move unsecured items, such as furniture, into a pool. Localized downbursts can even tear off and damage other structural home elements, which can damage pool equipment.
Thunderstorms are also common during Arizona’s monsoon season. These storms can fill your pool with substantial amounts of rainwater, which can change the chemical characteristics of your pool water. Excess water can even damage your pool’s filtration system.
Maintaining your pool during the monsoon season can help protect your pool’s equipment and keep the water pleasant to swim in.
Monsoon Maintenance for Pools
Pools require maintenance all year long, of course, but they need extra attention during the monsoon season. Plan to give your filtration system more attention and maintenance during this time of year. You may need to backwash your filters more often, for example, or take apart the filter assembly to remove debris.
In Arizona, monsoon thunderstorms usually happen in the late afternoon or early evening. To help reduce the buildup of dirt and sand in your pool water, have your filtration system run during these peak activity times. Clean out lingering dirt and debris in your pool by running your filter after the monsoon activity stops.
Dust can linger in the air for hours or even days after haboob (dust storm) activity during a large storm. Continue operating your filtration system until the air clears to keep your pool clean today and minimize issues later.
Algae Problems in Arizona Pools
Algae can be a pool problem at any time of year in Arizona, but the monsoon season can make it so much worse. Dust storms can introduce algae spores and the nutrients to support them into a pool. These algae spores can spring to life in your pool during the next warm, sunny spell.
To help reduce algae growth, use a preventative algaecide before the dust storm introduces spores.
Keep an Eye on Your Pool Water’s Chemistry
Algae need phosphates to grow. High winds can carry leaves and other debris into your pool, and as these organic materials break down, they release phosphates. Dust storms can carry phosphates in from farmers’ fields and other sources. An increase in phosphates can create a buffet for the algae spores to grow and flourish in your pool. Use a phosphate test regularly to maintain a healthy chemical balance in your pool.
Monsoon activity, such as dust storms and thunderstorms, can affect the pH and alkalinity of your pool. Dust storms can carry fine particulate matter that is often alkaline, which means it has a high pH. These particles can increase alkalinity in your pool to cause cloudy water, mineral buildup (scaling) on surfaces, and an environment in which bacteria thrive.
Rainwater is naturally acidic, so it can lower the pH of your pool water. Swimming water with a low pH can irritate eyes and skin, reduce the effectiveness of chlorine, and corrode pool surfaces and equipment.
How to Prepare Your Pool for an Arizona Monsoon
- Prepare your filtration system: Make sure your filters and the rest of the filtration system are clean and working well.
- Do not drain your pool: Normal water levels help to optimize the flow of water through the filtration system.
- Covering your pool is not mandatory: While a cover can prevent debris from falling into your pool, it doesn’t help much in high winds and may even make cleanup harder.
- Protect your pool equipment: Turn off breakers to protect equipment from electrical surges. Cover equipment.
How to Clean a Pool after a Monsoon
Even with the best preparations, thunderstorms and dust storms from monsoons can make a pool dirty. Our pool experts would like you to know how to clean a pool after storms.
Inspect your pool as soon as possible after every surge of monsoon activity
For safety, turn off the power to pool equipment at the main circuit breaker. Check for water in the pump motor, inspect for flooding, look for water damage or physical damage, and cover receptacles.
Start monsoon clean-up immediately
To protect your pool’s filtration system from damage, remove debris as soon as possible. While large tree branches and other foreign objects are too big to fit through your filter, they do begin to break down into smaller pieces that can clog your filters or even damage your pump.
Skim the leaves from the water’s surface
Skimmer baskets and pump leaf baskets can all fill up faster during the monsoon season. When leaves and debris overfill baskets, water will stop flowing through the pump. Skimming the leaves from the water’s surface can prevent debris from getting into the baskets in the first place.
Check and remove debris from the skimmer and skimmer basket, filters, and pump basket
Clogged baskets can prevent water from flowing through and cooling the pump, which can then burn out and stop working. If this happens, you’ll need to replace the pump. Inspect and empty these baskets regularly to reduce excess pressure on the pool’s pump and filter.
Return water levels to normal
Keep your water at normal levels, which is near the center of the skimmer opening. After removing debris, drain excess water from your pool.
Test the water’s pH level and treat accordingly
The ideal pH range for swimming water is the ideal range of 7.2-7.8.
Add pool shock to the water as needed to control algae
Adding shock can reduce algae growth after the dust storm has passed. If you use chlorine or an ozone system to keep your pool clean, hyper-chlorinate your pool water. Use an in-floor pool cleaner from Blue Square to ensure that chemicals are evenly dispersed throughout your pool. Our V360 Advanced Circulation and Cleaning System is perfect for maintaining your fiberglass or vinyl pool during the monsoon season.
For more information about monsoon maintenance equipment for pools in Arizona, connect with Blue Square.
