The majority of pool-related problems are mainly associated with its heater. Pool owners frequently encounter heater related problems. A very common issue among them is mice being stuck inside the heater. Beginning of the winter season, when the temperature starts getting dropped, the mice and rodents start looking for a higher temperature. What can be a warmer cozy place to rest themselves than your pool heater? But this won’t bring much solace to the owner, will it? If you’re an owner, there are some steps you need to take immediately to keep mice out of the heater. Here is a complete guide for you.
Damages by mice and rodents
While rats, mice, or rodents start living inside your pool heater, they also start to chew through all wires. Very quickly, they make a pile of junk inside the heater. You mightn’t even get any clue what’s happening there until you try to turn it on and fail. You need to check the inside of the heater regularly to keep the mice away. But in order to get rid of them once and for all, there are more steps to follow. So let’s chalk it out.
Protecting your pool heater from mice
Protecting your pool heater from mice isn’t a tough task to follow that might give you much trouble. All you need is a proper plan and adequate preparations. Give some of your time, and save your whole winter from the troublesome mice upbringing. You don’t want to swim in a cold pool, will you?
What you will need
At the very first, you need to arrange all the necessary times that you’ll need to expel mice from your pool heater. Here’s a rough list for you:
- Wood panel
- Chicken wire
- Rubber snake
- Mothballs
- Steel wool
Items could be more or less. All of these items are very easy to find. You can get them from any local hardware store. Moreover, they won’t cost you a fortune. Their buying cost is way less than the respiring cost of a pool heated. So why losing some bucks?
Tip 1- Attach wood paneling
It’s probably the easiest one to follow. Just cover the external sides of your pool heater with wood panels to make a barrier to keep away mouse or rat. Make the panel set at some sort of arrangement that the mice can’t beat.
Tip 2- Cover with hardware cloth
You can also use a quarter-inch hardware cloth to cover the heater as an additional barrier that the mice can’t just chew through. It also gives your heater a tidy and aesthetic look!
Tip 3- Seal up the open cracks
Rodents are capable of squeezing through the tiniest openings. So if there’s an open crack on the pool heater, you need to fill it up to prevent mice from getting a place inside. Use steel wool to stuff inside the holes. Mice aren’t capable of chewing through these materials. They cut their mouths and eventually can save pool heater from mice breeding.
Tip 4- Try to scare them off with rubber snakes
There’s no loss in trying to be a bit creative, right? Saving your pool heater deserves this effort. The rule of nature is the snakes are the predator of mice, rats, and rodents. These species always avoid the places where snakes exist. But for obvious reason, you can’t start petting snakes just to save your pool heater from rats! I ain’t even suggesting such an insane plan as well, but you can try with the rubber made ones, right? Mice might get scared and back off. Give it a try.
Tip 5- Adding a few moth balls
A very effective method to repel mice away from your pool heater is to place some mothballs in the control panel of this tool. Rodents hate that smell and more likely will avoid entering into the heater and wreaking any havoc.
Final tip
Don’t forget to remove all stuff that was put inside before turning your pool heater back on for use. Pull out the mothballs and steel wool. Otherwise, the pool will be filled with warm mothballs and unpleasant smell.
What if it’s already infested?
What to do if it’s too late and your pool heater has already got a mice infestation? Or, you may have the suspicion that any rodent has already nested inside the heater. What to do then? Don’t get over panicked. You can easily make it alright.
At first, turn off the heater power immediately to save yourself and all others from the shock. Next, call an exterminator. They are experts, and they will help you getting rid of the mice nest.
After it is cleared off, you need to check all the wires if they’re okay or being chewed through by those pesky critters. If you can find the faulty part, contact a repair person. You can also do it by yourself if you’re confident. It’s no big deal, actually.
Final thoughts
Mice are a nuisance. They are trouble not for your pool heater only, but also a major concern for you and your family members’ health issues. You need to get rid of any rodent and don’t allow them to infest your pool heater. Follow this guide, and enjoy your mice-free happy pool time!