Tips for Opening Your Swimming Pool for the Season

Well, spring has finally sprung in many parts of the country, which means as a pool owner you are probably getting anxious for the swimming season to officially get underway! We have some helpful tips for you to use when opening your pool to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

 

Make a Shopping List

If you assess your inventory situation all at once for chemicals, accessories, and any replacement parts you may need, it can save you money, especially if you are ordering online this will save you money on shipping. If you are visiting your local pool store, getting everything you need at once will save you from making multiple trips to the store for more items.

Make sure all your chemicals have been properly stored throughout the winter and have not been exposed to any moisture, if they do have an expiration date make sure it is not past. Put any chemicals that you are out of or running low on, on your list.

For your swimming pool accessories, check them and make sure that they are not broken or in need of updating as it will be much easier to replace them now than once your pool is up and running.

Check over all your parts for your equipment such as your pool filter, pump, heater, and vacuum; make sure that everything is in working order. If not, now is the best time to get any replacement parts you may need and take care of the issue prior to opening your pool.

 

Clean the Cover

If you cover your pool for the winter, prior to opening your cover you want to make sure it is free of standing water and debris. The easiest way to clear standing water is with a Swimming Pool Cover Pump, these small pumps sit right on top of the cover and will pump any standing water from the cover. This will make it much easier to remove and help you avoid any damage to your cover from the added weight during removal. Removing any debris such as dirt and leaves will help keep your pool clean so that the debris is not transferred into your swimming pool during cover removal.

Once you have removed you should spray it off with your hose and use a cover cleaner solvent, then let it dry fully before storing it.

 

Check Your Parts

Many times when closing your swimming pool for the season small plugs for your pool pump, filter, and possibly other equipment will have been removed. Ensure that all these parts are back in place prior to starting up your equipment again. You may want to do this prior to making your shopping list, just in case you are missing anything.

If your ladders, safety rails, diving board, or slide were removed for winter you will also want to reinstall that equipment and make sure everything is in proper working order.

 

Fill It, Clean It, Balance It

When starting your pool up your water level should be ½ to ¾ of the way up the pool skimmer opening, use your hose to bring the water to this level. Once your water level is correct, skim any debris from the swimming pool and run your pool vacuum to ensure you are starting the season with clean, debris-free water.

Depending on your pool some people will let the water circulate for 24 hours prior to balancing the chemicals in the water. In order to balance your water you will first test it with your swimming pool water test kit, or take a sample to your local pool store for testing. Once you have tested the water you want to first balance the pH level, followed by chlorine, then calcium and total hardness. After the water is balanced, you will also want to complete the initial shock treatment recommended for your sanitizer system, and your regular algaecide treatment.

If you run on a salt chlorine generator system and your water temperature is not staying constantly above 55 degrees Fahrenheit your salt system may not output correctly and you may need to add chlorine to keep proper levels until the temperature is constantly maintained allowing the salt system to output correctly.

This is not a complete guide to opening your pool for the swimming season, but an overview of the basics. Should you have further questions we recommend contacting your local pool professional, and please visit us online at www.Sunplay.com for all your parts and supply needs.