Storage Tips for the Winter

The 2022 pool season has come and gone and we’re just as sad as you. Not only do you need to properly close your pool, but there are some different ways of storing and maintaining your pool’s equipment, toys/floats/games, chemicals, etc.

Pool House: If you have a pool house- use it! You can make it an all-encompassing area for soring equipment, furniture, games/toys/floats, chemicals and other various pool-related items. During the swim season, your pool house can remain a focal point of entertaining while in the winter a secure spot to store your pool’s accessories.

Shed: Often times, a shed is houses all kinds of outdoor items, from lawnmowers to snowblowers. You can carve out a section of your shed to house your pool’s accessories over the winter. It is important you keep your pool section neat and tidy and that chemicals are properly stored.

Storage Bench: For smaller items like handrails, ladders, floats, toys and games, a storage bench is a great vessel to store these items. As a bonus, you can find storage benches that double as seating! Clean up is quick and easy- just toss your items in and shut the lid!

Design Your Own: Get creative! If you are a DIYer take on a project to turn a space in your home or backyard into a conventional area for storing your pool related items! You can find plenty of ideas on sites like Pintrest or Houzz!

Fun Fall-Themed Backyard Party Ideas

Looking for a way to get every last use out of pool season? Just because fall is here, doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your backyard oasis by Colley’s. Here are some fun fall-themed backyard party ideas!

Halloween Backyard Party

One of the most exciting parts of fall is Halloween- throw a Halloween-themed backyard pool party! Make a splash by decorating your pool for Halloween! Think fog machines, floating pumpkins and skeletons in pool floats! You can also place lanterns around the exterior of your pool for a high-end haunted look.

Fall Festival Backyard Party

Celebrate the beauty of autumn by host a fall festival-style backyard party! Set your swimming pool lights to fall colors like red, gold or orange. Spread decorative plastic fall “leaves” across your pool and make sure to turn on any pool fire features like fire pits, strips or fireplaces.

Kid’s Camping Party

Break out the tents, sleeping bags and teepees and get ready for the best backyard camping party ever! Cover the floor of your pool in LED lit fiber optic star lights for a starry night look! Place lots of potted evergreens around the coping and hang summer camp-style flags above the pool. For an added touch of fun, put frogs, toadstool and other woodland creature figurines around the pool.

Pumpkin Decorating Party

Get into the autumn spirit by hosting a pumpkin decorating party! Did you know that pumpkins float? Turn your pool into a floating pumpkin patch with real or plastic pumpkins!

Tailgate Party

The Bills season is in full swing! For your backyard tailgate party, place football-shaped floats in the pool. You should also opt for some pool lighting, either by hanging it above the pool or inside the pool. Check out our retail store for a variety of games to play while in the pool! Go Bills!

Ways to Make your Pool More Energy Effecient

Energy efficiency has become a major factor when making decisions on how you’d like your pool to operate. Here are some ways you can make your pool more energy efficient and in turn, ways you may be able to save some money!

1. Pick the right finish. Darker colored pool finishes absorb the sun’s rays, and that energy helps heat your pool. While not everyone wants a dark finish, if you’re on the fence and want to keep heating costs down, it’s something to consider.

2. Create a natural windbreak. For many people, pool landscaping is often an afterthought. However, planting a hedge, building a berm, or creating some other form of windbreak can help lower heat loss, which in turn lowers energy costs. It also helps decrease the evaporation of water that you’ve already heated, here again providing savings.

3. Install a variable-speed pool pump. A variable speed pump can deliver significant savings compared to single-speed pumps, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Using a variable-speed pump also helps cut greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Use advanced heating technology. There are a number of new technologies available for heating pool water more energy efficiently. Consult your local Colley’s expert to see what may work for you.

5. Install an automatic pool cover. Not only does an automatic pool cover help to make your pool safe, it helps prevent heat loss and evaporation.

6. Use larger pool filters. Larger filters have a bigger surface area through which water can flow, which can mean your pump doesn’t have to work as hard to move the same volume of water. Not only does this lower the pump’s energy consumption, it can extend the life of the pump which can save you money!

7. Install LED lighting. LED lights can save 80% or more over incandescent lights, and last three times as long.

8. Automate your pool operations. There is now technology that can automatically run your pool systems when energy costs are lower to help you optimize your energy use.

How to Properly Maintain Your Loop Loc Cover

If you have a Loop Loc cover, you know it is the strongest pool cover on the market. While it is virtually maintenance free, there are steps you should take to promote the longevity of your Loop Loc cover.

1. Proper Storage: When storing your Loop Loc, fold it up and roll it into the provided storage bag. Hang the bag on a hook or nail (or any way to keep it off the floor). By keeping your Loop Loc off the floor, you are allowing the cover to drain through the bag as well as protect it from rodents. Rodents notoriously like to make a home out of pool covers; chewing holes and causing rips.

2. Handle with Care: Loop Loc covers can be bulky and heavy, but it is important to handle them with care. It is best to avoid dragging the over across the deck or placing it near any sharp edges which will damage the cover.

3. Snow Support: During Western New York’s inevitably cold and snowy winters, your water level should be 15”-18” below the top of the pool. The water (and eventually ice) will act as a support for your Loop Loc when the snow accumulates. This support will help relieve the stress the weight of the snow is placing on the cover.

4. Stay Off: While Loop Loc is touted to be able to hold an elephant, it is best to keep off of your cover to maintain its strength. Not only can being on the cover put stress on it, but pets and other animals can put rips in the cover with their paws/claws.

There are just a few helpful tips that will allow you to get the most out of your Loop Loc cover! Visit the Loop Loc page on our website for more information: www.colleys.com/loop-loc-covers