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Tropical Storms
Swimming Pool Tropical Storm Preparation and Recovery
To Our Valued Service Customers:
We at Pool Service America would like to suggest various precautions and procedures in the event of a tropical storm.
Before the Storm:
As a homeowner, you need to secure your property as best as you can. Normally it’s not necessary to lower your swimming pool water level. If you feel it necessary in your situation due to drainage or other issues, don't lower it more than one foot below normal. If there is not sufficient water in the pool, it can pop out of the ground. Also note that water should be above the skimmer any time the pump is running and the skimmer line is open.
You should super chlorinate the pool water prior the storm. This will help it in the recovery process. You can purchase a dry powder type chlorine shock treatment. We recommend one with an active ingredient of Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione Dilydrate, commonly referred to as "Dichlor", generally available at any pool supply store. Add about 1 pound per 7,500 gallons of water (a regular size pool has 13,000 to 15,000 gallons). You can purchase this ahead of time and store it at your home until a storm threatens. You may also want to purchase a couple of extra pounds per 7,500 gallons of water for post storm treatment (see "After The Storm" below).
Turn off all the circuit breakers supplying the pool equipment.
It is generally not a good idea to throw your patio furniture into the pool, as it can scrape up the finish.
After The Storm:
Unfortunately after a storm hits, we don't know the full extent of the damage or how long it will take for us, and various businesses, to get up and running. Interruptions in gasoline supplies, pool chemical deliveries, telephone service, and electricity are likely. Some of our employees may also be out for a number of days dealing with their personal situations. In the past we were without electricity and phones for a few weeks. Traveling conditions are very difficult and dangerous with stop lights out, street signs missing, electrical wires down, debris in the roads and flooding in some areas.
Please understand that we are going to do the best we can under the circumstances, but it may be a while before things get back to normal. We may not be able to get to your home for a number days or weeks depending on circumstances. Remember, this is just a swimming pool and not a living being that requires emergency treatment. Until we can get to you, adding dry powder type chlorine shock treatment every few days (we recommend one with an active ingredient of Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione Dilydrate commonly referred to as "Dichlor", which is generally available at any pool supply store), will go a long way toward keeping your water manageable, and may save you a good amount of money and frustration. Specifically, add about one pound per 7,500 gallons of water every 5 days or so, or any time you see a hint of green in the pool.
After the storm you should carefully inspect your pool equipment, swimming pool and deck area. Once you have power, if you think the motor is dry, and if everything looks safe and intact, you can turn the circuit breakers back on.
Experience has shown that a high number of pump motors get damaged by the water from the storm and the power surges afterwards. It may take a few weeks for any motor problems to become evident.
Hurricanes are bad news for everybody. Obviously, your normal monthly pool maintenance rate doesn't cover the additional cleaning and chemicals required after a hurricane. Hurricane clean up costs are an unfortunate part of owning a property. Conditions are going to vary from pool to pool. Our Service Technicians will visit your house as soon after the storm as possible to evaluate your situation. If it’s practical to clean up your pool without draining it, there are 4 options.
1. The pool condition is similar to a normal condition, in which case we will clean the pool as normal.
2. If the pool requires additional chemicals and/or time to clean it up, we'll leave you a written estimate. Please return the signed estimate to us manually or by fax (if possible) ASAP. We will schedule your clean up as quickly as we can, and try to get it completed on our next visit.
3. If the pool requires additional chemicals and/or cleaning, but you don't wish to pay us to do it, you can clean the pool and rebalance the water to normal conditions. Please try to have this done ASAP so there is no conflict with our normal maintenance.
4. If the pool requires additional chemicals and/or cleaning, but you don't wish to pay us to do it, we will come by each week as soon as we can and spend the normal amount of time that we would normally spend each week cleaning the pool (usually 20-30 minutes). Be advised the pool could take many weeks to get cleaned up, depending on its condition. If we have to add additional chemicals to shock or rebalance the pool, we will bill you for those chemicals.
Until we hear back from you, we will be doing a combination of #1 and #4 above. Credits will be issued for any completely missed services. Best efforts services, such as services provided as best as possible without fully functioning equipment, and normal time services as described in #4 above, will be due in full. Additional chemicals, if needed, will be billed. If you do not have electricity, we will do what we can on each service visit.
Whatever you can do as a homeowner to improve the condition of your pool will help lower the post storm clean up cost. If we need to drain the pool to clean it out and acid wash it, an estimate will be left with you. Please get it back to us ASAP.
If our phone service is interrupted, we will try to set up a voice message on our main 305-940-POOL phone number with basic information as soon as we can. The fax may not be working until we get phone service and electricity.
Good luck to everybody and stay safe.
The Pool Service America Team
"Making Pool Ownership Effortless"
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