Spring is officially upon us and it’s (finally) feeling that way too! Warm weather is headed our way, so that means it’s time to open that pool! You don’t want to wait until it’s time to swim to open your pool. The earlier you do it, the easier—and cheaper—it is to maintain! We recommend opening around Easter, especially since it’s getting warmer. Open with these easy steps and start your season with ease!
1) Remove your winter cover. If you have a safety cover, you may need assistance removing it and safely storing it.
2) Make sure your water level is good. Your water level should be about mid-skimmer level. If it’s too low, use your garden hose to top off, and if it’s too high, you can backwash a bit.
3) Although it is recommended to run your pump all year long, many people do not. If this is your case, make sure to clean out your pump and skimmer basket and turn on your equipment. Check to make sure your pump is priming. If not, you may need a service call.
4) Make sure there is no obvious leaking from the pump, filter, or any other pool equipment. Again, you have any issues, you may need to call in a service request. This is also a good time to get familiar with your equipment. It’s important to know what equipment you have, how it works, and how to tell if something is wrong.
5) Clean your salt cell and cartridges! Disregard this if you don’t have these items. But if you do, know that your cartridges must be cleaned chemically at least 2-3 times each year and sprayed out every 6 weeks or so to ensure good circulation. Your salt cell must be cleaned at least twice yearly. You may not be able to see the build up on your cell, but it is there. It must be cleaned with a cell cleaning product, not simply rinsed with a hose. If you are unsure of how to do this, again, you can place a service call.
6) Even if your water seems a little cloudy, you should vacuum up any debris you see. I.E. leaves, acorns, etc. as needed. (Click here for more info on pool vacuuming).
7) After vacuuming, bring in a fresh water sample to get a water analysis. It’s recommended to bring in a water analysis at least once per month throughout the entire year, and maybe a little more often if we have extreme weather like temperatures over 100 degrees, severe rainstorms, or even a hurricane. A water sample that sits in a hot car, or that is more than 4 hours old will be inaccurate, so it’s important that the sample is as new as possible.
8) Once you get your water analyzed, add your chemicals as recommended and make sure you know exactly what you need to be doing weekly and monthly to ensure a healthy pool and a stress-free pool season. Everyone’s pool is different, so it is important to understand what you should be doing.
9) Enjoy the pool this summer!
We hope that these steps are easy to follow, and remember, if you have any questions, we are here to answer them!
