Let’s face it, having a pool is a big investment, and if you’re going to put that kind of money into your home, you want to enjoy it as long as possible, right? If this is a question you find asking yourself, you may have wondered if it is possible to enjoy your pool year-round by leaving it open during the winter months.

The answer is yes, you can leave your pool open during the winter, but of course, before making that decision, you may want to look at the pros and cons of doing so to figure out if it is the right plan for you and your family.

Pros of Keeping Your Pool Open During the Winter

Just like every decision we make in life, there are positives and negatives to leaving your pool open the whole year. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits first.

• You and your family can enjoy more time in and around the pool, whether it’s gatherings, cookouts, birthdays, or if you simply want to use your pool for exercise and relaxation.
• Enjoy the beautiful atmosphere longer. Nothing beats the sound of moving water, and this can be especially true when the ground is covered in snow, not to mention the beauty a pool provides in the evenings.
• Avoid cleaning up in the spring. Most pool owners know that after keeping the pool closed through the winter, come springtime, you will have to deal with the algae that settle in as well as sunken leaves and other debris. Staying open during the winter means hopping right into spring with a clean pool.

You’re probably thinking these all look like great reasons to have the open year-round, and they are, but you will also want to consider the drawbacks as well.

Cons of Keeping Your Pool Open During the Winter

• You will want to take into account the severity of the winter temperatures where you live. If you live in the south or out west, you can definitely extend your swim season since the winters aren’t as harsh or long. If you live in the north, you most likely will have more restrictions.
• Power outages. If you live where there are greater chances of heavy snowstorms, you run the risk of losing power during one of them. If this happens, the water in the plumbing or filter system is susceptible to freezing, damaging the equipment.
• Electricity cost. Keeping the pool open longer means running the pump longer to avoid freezing. Running the pump those additional months can cost a few hundred dollars more for the year.

If you decide to keep your pool open for the winter after weighing the pros and cons, you may be looking for some helpful tips on how to do so. You will want to keep your pump running between 12 and 24 hours a day. As the temperature approaches 32 degrees, you run a higher risk of the pump freezing, so keep it moving.

You can also install timers with freeze protection. This offers an automatic solution. The timer will turn your pump on and off either on a schedule that you set or when the temperature reaches the limit you decide on, eliminating the need for you to constantly monitor it those extra months, allowing you to truly enjoy your choice stay open for the winter.