Best Practices for Making Your Pool Swim-ready

You took all the necessary precautions to prepare your pool for the winter, and now it’s finally time to get your pool swim-ready for the warmer weather. If you haven’t attempted to prep your pool for opening season on your own before, these simple-to-follow steps will guide you through the process. And if you’ve tackled this task before, consider this a refresher.

 

Step 1: Gather your supplies

Before you begin, first gather up all the supplies and tools that you’ll need to open your pool. Having everything at the ready will make for a smoother and quicker process. This includes:

• ●Test kit
• ●Chlorine
• ●Chlorine stabilizer
• ●pH
• ●Alkalinity
• ●Pool brush & skimmer head
• ●Vacuum head & hose

 

Insider tip: Purchase Aqua Pools’ Spring Booster Kit to get the cleaning process started. This mix of chemicals is a pre-treatment that is applied to the pool’s water as soon as it thaws — long before the weather is warm enough for swimming. This will make your job that much easier when the time comes to tackle the full process. And if you missed the chance to add this mixture as soon as your water thawed, it can be applied once you pull that cover off and are ready to get started to give the cleaning process a boost.

 

Step 2: Remove pool cover

If you use a pool cover to protect the water during winter, it’s time to remove it. But first remove any dirt or leaves that have gathered on top. A blower is quick and easy, but you can also use a long-handled broom or the skimmer net. If there is any standing water on the cover, that will need to be removed as well. After the cover is free of any debris or water, unhook all of the straps and pull it away from the pool. Hose the cover off to clean any remaining dirt, then set it in the sun to dry while you continue to get your pool ready for swimming. After the cover has dried, you can fold it up and store it away. And if you have an automatic pool cover, simply flip the switch after cleaning it off.

 

Step 3: De-winterize your pool

If you winterize your pool for freezing temperatures, you’ll need to de-winterize it before continuing. Start by removing any winter pool plugs you installed and then flushing out the antifreeze in the water lines. Be sure to dispose of any antifreeze properly. Animals and children may be attracted to it because of its sweet smell, and it is poisonous if ingested. Finally, reconnect any equipment that was disconnected for the winter.

 

 

Step 4: Top off water

Some homeowners lower the water level of their pool for winter to help protect the equipment from frozen water. If this is something you do, or the water level has fallen below the middle of the skimmer opening, bring the pool’s water level back up. Doing so will allow the pump to function properly.

 

Step 5: Start and check filtration system

Next, restart the pool’s filtration system and check for any leaks and ensure that it is working properly. You may need to prime the pump first. To do this, simply turn off the system and then remove the lid and fill the pump basket with water. After the lid is securely reattached, turn the system back on. Once the water is circulating properly, it’s time to move on to step 6.

 

Step 6: Brush, skim and vacuum pool

Begin by brushing down the sides of the pool to remove any built-up algae and dirt, and then skim any leaves floating on the surface of the water. Once the water has settled and any debris has fallen to the pool’s floor, you can vacuum everything up. If you covered your pool for the winter, you likely won’t have much debris to contend with. Now you’re ready to get that water to a sparkling blue color again.

 

Step 7: Check and balance pool’s water chemistry

Use your test kit to test the water’s pH, alkalinity, hardness, chlorine and stabilizer, and then balance the water accordingly. A general range for each is as follows:

• ●pH: 7.2 to 7.8
• ●Alkalinity: 80 to 120
• ●Chlorine: 1.0 to 4.0
• ●Calcium hardness: 200 to 400
• ●Stabilizer (cyanuric acid): 30 to 80 

Better yet, take a sample of your pool’s water to your local pool supply store and have them test it for you. They can then tell you exactly what you need and how much to restore the pool’s balance.

 

Be sure to run your filtration system on a regular basis, and your pool will be ready for swimmers to dive in in no time.