I am a good pool owner! My pool is open – I have gotten the winter cover off the pool and gotten the pump running. Now what do I do?
“Now what?” is the most common pool opening question in the universe? It is a great question! The starting of the mechanical system is the part of pool opening that we think of as the most important. Yes, you could not be ready for a season of family fun without that but cleaning and clearing the pool is what really makes a season start off on the right flipper.
Step 1: evaluate the pool opening condition
Every “off season” is different and every opening season will vary. The first thing to do is put your hands in your pockets evaluate where to begin by asking yourself a few questions: Is the pool clear? Is the pool blue but murky? Is the pool green or black or yes, even purple (don’t laugh – it can happen). A proper determination of where you are starting will get you to swim ready fast! If you are unsure of how your pool is actually looking, please take a peek at the best prescription finder on the web – it includes pictures and recommendations for step by step how to remedy chemical challenges.
https://aqua-tech.ca/prescription-finder/
Step 2: sanitize
If your pool is fresh water or salt water, the pool needs to be chlorinated to start the season. The advice is the same no matter what kind of sanitizer you have – add a pool opening kit from your pool professional and then maintain a chlorine residual of 1 to 3 ppm on your test kit. Your pool will not need a lot of sanitizer if the water is clean, clear and cold but the number one mistake pool owners make is to not sanitize the pool right away. It does not take long for an algae problem to creep up under your pool cover. Did you know that the typical cost of solving one algae problem is what most folks spend on almost a full season of weekly preventative care?
Step 3: clean up
Taking your time while doing any cleaning of the pool is really the big hint to getting things clean fast – counterintuitive, I know but so true. The faster you work the more fine debris that gets stirred up. Then you have to wait for things to settle back to the pool floor and tackle it again. If you can see to the bottom of the pool, scoop out any leaves or large debris with your leaf net. After most of the large piles of leaves are removed, start vacuuming. Tech tip – vacuuming on waste can bypass your filter and get rid of the really fine debris quickly without challenging your filter. DO NOT use an automatic pool cleaner for spring cleaning. All automated cleaners are design to keep a clean pool clean and not to deep cleanse the pool surfaces that are required in the spring.
Step 4: relax knowing that your season of leisure is almost here
Pool opening can seem like a fair amount of work. The work is not hard but it can take up valuable time that some of us seem to not be able to find. If that’s the case, talk to your pool professional. There are as many kinds of pool opening services as there are pools to open. Something as short as a mechanical start up all the way to a swim ready service – even a green to clean alterative are usually available.
