Take a look around most of the properties featured on this site and one thing is pretty consistent; they're all luxurious. Such luxury is usually accompanied by expensive fittings and therefore, swimming pools are more often than not included in either the indoor or outdoor capacity.
Now, the title of this post might sound a little bizarre considering the fact that winter hasn't really started yet (or it doesn't seem to have, here in the UK). However, in an effort to make your pool the pride of the neighbourhood, you need to start the legwork now. It might only be January, but when you see that crystal, Maldives-esque water in your back garden by the start of summer — all of this preparation will have been well worth it.
Therefore, if you are lucky enough to boast a pool like the ones featured on this site, read on to get the most out of it. Gone are the days when it's made up of that Thames-like water, now’s the time to convert to something more continental…
The obvious one — remove any debris from the cover
Autumn has come and gone and that means one thing, leaves and all other sorts of debris are starting to accumulate on your cover. Rather than leave them to eventually find their way to the bottom of the pool, simply fish them out before they get the chance.
A lot of people also don't realise the harm that sitting water can do. Water that's been allowed to sit on the cover, stagnant for weeks, being polluted by all sorts of outside nasty’s is a recipe for a contaminated pool. Get rid of it, via a pump or other means, to again prevent it seeping in.
Leave the cover looking spotless
On the subject of suring up the cover and removing anything that shouldn't be there, you may as well give it a thorough clean in the process. Even though there might not be any obvious debris left on it, a dirty cover certainly doesn't bode well for the pool underneath and is the sure-fast way to again get water looking like the Thames.
Keep the water level steady
Unless it's been for a drunken dare, nobody in their right mind will have ventured into your pool for the last few months. This leads a lot of people to automatically assume that the water will be at the exact level as when you last dipped a toe in.
This couldn't be further from the truth. The differing temperatures usually prompt some sort of water loss and you need to check your skimmer to see just what level your pool is at. If it's too low, the pump might struggle to work efficiently and this will immediately hinder the quality of your water.
Circulate the water for the rest of the day
Once you've completed the above tasks, you're (almost) there. However, before you pull back over the covers for good, you still need to check the pump. Just like any piece of major electrical equipment, this is something that can quite easily fail when it has not been run for a significant amount of time. Therefore, get it started for the next twelve hours or so. Make sure it's working correctly, alongside any of the filters and hoses.
Check everything is in good working order
After the twelve hour cycle is complete, you're almost there. This is the time where everything should be in pristine condition and to double-check this, you need to monitor the chemical levels. Check the pH level, alkalinity as well as any other factors that the manufacturer has specified. If anything is untoward, add your swimming pool chlorine and other chemicals to balance things up.
Hopefully — that's your lot. While we wouldn't advocate jumping in just yet, your pool is at least ready to use as soon as the warmer months arrive. As well as being merely ready, it should also look a hell of a lot cleaner and enticing than the water that would have greeted you if you’d just slammed the covers off at the start of May.