Should you be concerned about rainwater in your pool?

Your swimming pool is a perfect balance of chemical composition and optimal pH levels – and it’s this balance that guarantees you a safe and pleasant swim every time. 

So, should you be concerned about rainwater in your pool? Can it alter the composition, or even the cleanliness, of the water? And what can you do to resolve any issues caused by rainwater? 

In this article, we’ll explore these questions to help you maintain the quality of your pool, whatever the weather. 

Is rainwater bad for a pool?

Heavy amounts of rainwater can be bad for a pool. As rain has a slight acidic pH, lots of rainwater can negatively affect the water chemistry of the pool. Heavy rainwater can also wash other contaminants into the pool and raise the pool above its optimum water level.

However, it’s important to highlight that occasional light rain won’t have as big an impact on your pool chemistry and quality, though you’ll still want to regularly check it’s balanced and clean.

What does rain water do to a pool? 

Too much rainwater can negatively impact a pool by causing issues with the pH in the water, it can wash dirt and contaminants into the pool, and lead to rising water levels.

It can change the pH

Our air quality is affected by pollutants and so the rain that falls across the US has a slightly acidic pH. When this enters your pool, it can affect the overall pH level, which should normally be fixed at a neutral pH for safe swimming. If your pH dips too low into acidity, then this can result in damage and corrosion of pool equipment or skin irritation for pool users. 

It can lead to dirt and contamination

Rainwater can also wash dirt, debris, and contaminants into your pool, which means a less sanitary swimming environment. This can make the chlorine work harder to mitigate the introduced contaminants, leading to a depletion of the chemical, which could then encourage algae growth. 

It can raise the pool’s water levels

Rainwater can also disrupt the optimal water levels in a pool. The pool level should ideally be roughly in the middle of your skimmer, and any additional rainwater can cause this level to rise too much. This can potentially lead to overflowing, flooding, and even improper sanitization and filtration. 

Luckily, it’s simple to restore your pool back to full working order after rainfall. 

How to restore your pool after a storm

Follow these simple steps to discover how to recalibrate your pool’s chemistry, pH, and cleanliness after a storm or similar event:

• Adjust water levels: First, check the water levels to see if they are rising above the middle of the skimmer. If so, you will need to drain some water by using an outlet valve or a pool pump set to ‘backwash’. 
• Turn on equipment: If you turned off equipment before a storm, you’ll need to turn it back on again so it can start the circulation process. Make sure to clean out your skimmer basket first! 
• Shock the pool: Do this to kill off a significant proportion of the contaminants brought in by the rainfall. 
• Cleaning: Next, give the pool a good clean. Skim the surface to get rid of any large bits of debris that may have accumulated. You will also want to clean up the inside of your pool using specialist equipment, like brushes and vacuums for the pool floor – a specialist pool cleaning company will be able to provide and operate this equipment for you. 
• Testing and re-balancing: You’ll also want to test the pool to check pH, chlorine, and water hardness. This will tell you if any chemicals need to be replenished. It will also tell you whether your water is too acidic – if so, add in an alkalizing agent to restore the pH back to neutral levels.

Keep your pool in peak condition with help from Backyard Paradise Luxury Pools. We provide an in-house weekly maintenance service to ensure your swimming pool is kept healthy, clean, and safe all year round, whatever the weather.

As a leading pool builder and pool maintenance company for Montgomery, The Woodlands, Spring, and across Greater Houston, you can trust in our knowledge and problem-solving approach to every pool. 

Don’t delay – get in touch with us today to book our services.