July in Adelaide is officially almost coming to an end, bringing chilly temperatures, gusty winds, and heavy winter downpours. While you might be rugged up indoors enjoying a warm fire, the relentless rain is quietly working away in your backyard.
After a string of typical South Australian winter storms, many pool owners look out their kitchen window to find an overflowing pool filled with floating leaves, organic debris, and murky water. It’s easy to assume you can just leave it until spring, but letting stormwater sit unchecked can lead to expensive chemical imbalances, damaged equipment, and a massive cleanup bill come October.
Here is your straightforward guide to hitting the “reset button” on your pool after heavy July rain.
1. Address the Water Level (Don’t Let It Overflow)
When your pool fills above its normal line, typically halfway up the skimmer box opening—it loses its ability to skim.
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The Problem: If the water line reaches the very top of the skimmer box, there is no air pocket for floating leaves and bugs to be sucked into. Debris simply floats on the surface, eventually gets waterlogged, and sinks to the bottom to form stubborn organic stains.
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The Fix: Set your multiport valve on your sand/media filter to WASTE (or use your pump’s drain bypass) to lower the water level back down to the middle of the skimmer mouth. Tip: Never drain a pool completely without professional advice, as groundwater pressure can damage the structure.
2. Clear out the Skimmer and Pump Baskets
Winter storms do a fantastic job of stripping leaves off surrounding trees and dumping them straight into your water.
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The Problem: A clogged skimmer basket starves your pool pump of water, causing it to run dry, overheat, and potentially burn out its motor.
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The Fix: Braving the cold for two minutes to empty your skimmer and pump baskets prevents major mechanical failures and keeps water circulating smoothly.
3. Rebalance Diluted Water Chemistry
Rainwater isn’t pure H2O—it is slightly acidic and carries atmospheric dust, environmental pollutants, and airborne phosphates. Worse still, adding hundreds of liters of fresh rainwater to your pool dilutes your existing pool chemicals.
After a major rain event, three key levels almost always drop:
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Salt/Mineral Levels: If you have a salt or mineral chlorinator, lower salinity means your cell can’t produce enough chlorine to keep the pool sanitized, triggering warning lights on your control board.
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pH and Total Alkalinity: Acidic rainwater drives your pH down, which can corrode metal pool fixtures, etch surfaces, and make the water uncomfortable to touch.
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Cyanuric Acid (Stabiliser): Rain dilutes your stabilizer, leaving whatever chlorine you do produce vulnerable to breaking down when sunny winter days pop up.
4. Watch Out for Hidden Phosphates
Storm run-off from nearby garden beds, lawns, and roofs brings a heavy dose of phosphates into your pool. Phosphates act like high-grade fertilizer for algae. Even in winter, high phosphate levels lay the groundwork for a massive, sudden green algae bloom the moment the weather warms up in early spring.
Adding a dedicated phosphate remover after heavy winter storms locks down those nutrients before algae can feed on them.
Bring Your Water Sample to Century Pool & Spa
Guessing your chemical levels after a storm usually leads to wasted money on the wrong products. The easiest and safest way to recover your pool after a wet July week is with a precise, professional test.
Collect a 500ml water sample from elbow-depth (away from the return jets) and bring it into our store. We’ll tell you exactly what your water needs—and just as importantly, what it doesn’t need—so you can fix rain dilution quickly and cost-effectively.
Want to make pool ownership truly easy? Contact the team at Century Pool & Spa Services today to chat about booking a service. We’ll keep your pool healthy, your equipment protected, and your weekends entirely yours.
Century Pool and Spa is here to help.
📞 (08) 7225 0887
✉️ shop@centurypoolservices.com.au
🌐 www.centurypoolservices.au