The last question you may ever want to ask is, “What do I do to my swimming pool after a flood?”
You may not want to ask it, but you should. You may never have a flood at your home and certainly not one that would impact your swimming pool. On the other hand, there are no guarantees, so it is a good thing to “Be Prepared,” like a good Boy Scout.
Be aware
“The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for eastern Berks County. The forecast included possible localized flooding to areas including Reading, Wyomissing, Birdsboro, Kutztown, Fleetwood, Sinking Spring, Laureldale, Wernersville, Topton, Leesport, Bally, Bechtelsville, Lyons, Shillington, West Reading, Boyertown, Mount Penn, and Mohnton.”
Be realistic
Actually, it did happen. That is a forecast reported in The Reading Eagle on March 16, 2019.
This headline appeared in the same paper as recently as June 20: “Reading, West Reading, and Wyomissing pools closed due to flooding.”
If public pools are closed due to flooding, it is reasonable to assume that some private residential pools have been affected as well.
Be Prepared
You don’t know when disaster might strike. Know what to do before a flood, so you don’t have to figure out what to do to your swimming pool after a flood.
Be Productive
- Cry. There may be no crying in baseball, but there is almost always crying when a pool gets flooded.
- Turn the pump off. You might be shocked at what could happen if you don’t.
- Size up the situation. It’s not a disaster. It just looks like it. Is there any evidence of structural damage, or is it just what we call “water that’s not fit for mankind?”
- Cry again. It may look insurmountable, especially compared to what it looked like just a couple of days ago. Now, get over it. That’s enough crying for a grown adult.
- Call us. It’s your pool, but pools aren’t your business. Pools are our business. Your pool is our business. If your pool is flooded, your crisis is our concern. Let’s develop a plan together. Let’s determine what you can do and what we should do for you. Our service technicians will arrive on-site to assist as quickly as we can. Sometimes they might even bring a box of tissues in case you haven’t stopped crying.
- Depend on us for assistance and advice. There will be a distinct sequence of steps that will need to be taken. We will review those steps with you. As we tackle the more vital tasks, we will explain steps you can take that will aid us in reaching our goal of having your family back in the swim of things within days.
- Depending on the extent of floodwater contamination, we may need to drain and refill the pool. We have heavy-duty, portable pumps for occasions like these. There is no need to stress your equipment during the recovery process. Whether the pool needs to be emptied or not, we will need to get the water back in balance.
Be Helpful
If you clean up the deck and access areas to the pool, that will help us focus on getting the pool back in shape. While you’re at it, empty the skimmer basket. It’s probably loaded with small debris, leaves, frogs (dead or alive), and maybe even some spiders or snakes. We will gladly empty the basket if you like, but we don’t want to take all the fun out it for you.
Be Thankful
Worse things could happen. In a few days, you and your family will be luxuriating in a sparkling, clean pool. And you will be thinking, “Life doesn’t get much better than this.”
Frankly, we hope you never have to face a flooded pool. But, if you should, you know that calling the Fronheiser Pools’ professionals in Sinking Spring or Bally is what to do with your swimming pool after a flood. Keep our phone number handy. It’s the same for both locations. 610-845-2221.
