Canberra winters are hard on pools, but not in the way most owners think. The water itself is fine at 5°; it's the neglect that costs money. Nearly every green pool we recover in October traces back to a filter that was switched off in June.
Don't "close" it, wind it down
Unlike the northern hemisphere, Australian pools aren't drained or sealed for winter. The right approach in Canberra is a reduced but consistent routine:
- Keep the pump running, 3 to 4 hours a day is usually enough in winter (versus 8+ in summer). Moving water resists algae and won't freeze in the pipes during circulation.
- Keep chlorine in the water, algae grows slowly in cold water, but it grows. Winter sanitiser levels can be lower, but not zero.
- Balance monthly, pH drifts even in an unused pool, and unbalanced winter water quietly damages equipment and surfaces.
- Empty baskets after storms, winter leaf loads in Canberra's older suburbs are heavy, and rotting leaves feed spring algae.
Protect the equipment from frost
This is the genuinely Canberra-specific part. On sub-zero nights, water sitting still inside pumps, filters and heaters can freeze and crack housings, a $50 problem becomes a $1,500 one overnight.
- Run the pump in the coldest hours, set the timer to run early morning (4–8am) when frost risk peaks; moving water doesn't freeze
- Check equipment enclosures, good airflow but protection from frost settling directly on plumbing
- Heat pumps: modern units have freeze protection built in, but only if they have power. Don't switch them off at the board.
The maths: a winter service schedule costs a fraction of one green pool recovery plus a cracked pump housing. Prevention genuinely is cheaper here.
Winter is also renovation planning time
If your coping, tiles or interior need work, winter is when to plan and book it, spring slots go quickly, and work completed in spring cures properly before summer swimming. See renovations or get in touch to get on the spring schedule. Call 02 6294 0824.