Flip to off season chemistry. Keep water perfect
Temps drop. Sun weakens. Leaves load the water. Shift your chemistry now and lock in clear, stable, low-cost maintenance through fall.
What changes in fall
Cooler water slows reactions. UV fades. Rain and leaf tannins push pH and chlorine off target. Adjust early and skip the roller coaster later.
Set the right targets
Aim tight. Hold them steady.
pH 7.4–7.6
Alkalinity 80–100 ppm
Calcium 250–350 ppm (check surface type)
CYA trimmed to an efficient range after summer tablets
Free chlorine matched to CYA every day
Tip: Lower CYA first. Efficient CYA = stronger sanitizer with less chlorine.
Make the switch cleanly
Stop guesswork. Follow a simple reset.
Test full panel. Record baseline.
Partially drain or dilute to bring CYA into range.
Balance pH and alkalinity before touching anything else.
Set calcium if needed.
Establish a daily chlorine plan that matches your CYA.
Tip: Tablets raised CYA all summer. For fall, move to liquid dosing or dial your SWG to hold a steady daily target.
Control organics and tannins
Starve algae and block stains.
Dose a phosphate remover to cut food at the source.
Add enzyme weekly during leaf weeks to digest oils and organics.
Seal stone and clean the waterline to resist tannin marks.
Dial a fall chlorination routine
Keep protection constant while running fewer pump hours.
Liquid chlorine: small, daily additions beat weekly spikes.
SWG: raise output as pump hours drop so daily chlorine stays level.
Verify flow so the SWG stays inside its safe operating range.
Tip: Log chlorine use each week. Rising demand = early problem. Fix before you see haze.
Rain and storm protocol
Recover in hours, not days.
Lower to mid-skimmer if overflowed.
Empty baskets and pump strainer.
Brush walls and tile line to break biofilm.
Test pH and chlorine immediately. Correct on the spot.
Run longer that day and use clarifier only if water looks dusty.
Cold night myths to ignore
Do not chase high shock weekly “just because it’s fall.” Hold a correct daily target. Stability saves time, money, and surfaces.
Quick weekly checklist
Test. Top off pH and chlorine. Empty baskets. Brush steps and behind ladders. Review your log. Adjust early. Stay ahead.
Enjoy your pool stress-free. >>>
Let our experts handle the rest.
Enjoy your pool stress-free. >>> Let our experts handle the rest.
Book an Off-Season Chemistry Reset
We trim CYA, balance pH and TA, tune chlorine delivery, add phosphate control, and leave a simple fall playbook.
