08/29/2019
Quick hurricane pool prep guide:
Due to the approaching hurricane, we would like to provide you with a few quick tips for getting your pool ready for the storm.
1. DO NOT PRE-DRAIN WATER! This is extremely important. Due to Florida being so close to sea level and our routine rain, our water table sits rather high. Your pool is essentially a concert boat that wants to float. Especially when the ground is heavily saturated. If you pre-drain your pool, you risk the pool pushing out of the ground. When this happens, a hollow void forms being the pool walls and floors. Our sandy foundation will quickly try to fill this void. This could cause your homes foundation to shift or crack. Causing more damage than any amount of rain water could ever cause to your floors. Instead, make sure your deck drains are working properly and are free of debris. If you are unsure, a quick trick is to take a pressure washer and insert the nozzle into the ends of the drain on either side of your pool deck. This will break up any mud in the channel and shoot it out the other side allowing water to flow freely.
2. If you have limited garage space and own plastic or aluminum patio furniture, you can toss these items and any other plastic or aluminum outdoor items into the pool to prevent them from becoming airborne and causing damage. Do not put iron or steel items into the pool. This will cause rust on the surface of the pool.
3. Turn off all pool equipment breakers prior to the storm. This will prevent your equipment from being damaged by lightning. This will also stop the pool from draining if a fallen branch or debris break a pipe. There is no need to remove any equipment.
4. Double check all hurricane straps on your screen enclosure. These are the metal cables that run diagonally from top to bottom. These prevent you enclosure from blowing away. While not all enclosures have them, we always suggest them. Most enclosures are secured by a few small rusty screws into the concrete pool deck.
5. Pool toys and floats should be stored inside the garage or shed. A pool float in 70+ MPH winds can shatter glass and cause damage.
6. If you have any chemicals stored at your home, please make sure that they are stored separately and safely. If chemicals are knocked over and mixed, many things could happen. Pool acid and chlorine when mixed creates a gas that will leave you with severe lung damage and or unconscious. Powder chlorine when mixed with other chemicals commonly found in the garage will result in fire or explosion. Anything calcium based produces heat when activated.
Stay safe!
From our family to yours!
NexGen Pools
