Steps for Opening a Pool for the Season

With the weather starting to warm up once again, many people are thinking about getting their pools up and running again. Of course, the pool also needs to be safe for use. In order to make sure this happens, there are a few steps that everyone must follow.

1. Remove the Gunk from the Pool Cover

The first step doesn't even involve the pool itself; however, the pool cover is going to be dirty. Take a soft broom to the pool cover and pump and use these tools to clean the cover. Get rid of the dead leaves and remove the standing water. This needs to be removed to prevent it from leaking into the pool when the cover is removed.

2. Skim the Pool

The next step is to take a skimmer and use it to remove anything that might have fallen from the cover during the removal process. This debris might end up clogging the filtration system when it is booted up. Therefore, remove the big stuff to make the cleaning process easier down the road.

3. Remove the Ice Compensator and the Plugs From the Pool

When the pool is winterized, plugs are often added to the pipes to prevent water from getting into them and freezing (which can cause serious damage). Remove these plugs first. If an ice compensator was used, be sure to remove this as well. If these items weren't used, this was a big risk! Use them next winter!

4. Chutes and Ladders Swimming Pool Version

Similar to the popular game, it is time to reinstall the chutes and ladders. This includes the pool ladder, railings, diving board, slide, and other accessories. Drag these out of storage and put them back in the pool. Be sure to lubricate the bolts of all of these materials to prevent them from breaking. This can increase their longevity.

5. Add the Water to the Swimming Pool

During the winter, the water level of the pool probably dropped by a few inches. Sure, the pool cover does prevent evaporation to some extent, but it isn't perfect. Bring the water level back up to normal now. It is easier to do this before chemicals are added because adding additional water will throw off the concentrations of the chemicals that are used to sanitize the pool.

6. Run the Pool Filter and Pump

Now is the time to get the filter and pump back up and running. Be sure to use plenty of lubrication on the pump housing o-ring. If there is any air being sucked into the pump, be sure to check the o-ring for cracks. Open the return side valves to ensure the water has someplace to go once it is filtered. Then, turn on the circuit breaker and watch the pump go to work.

7. Make Sure the Swimming Pool Water is Safe

The next step is to make sure the chemicals in the water are at the right level. Sure, test strips are a good place to start; however, there are a few other tools that are needed. Get the chemistry kit and adjust alkalinity, then pH, and then the water hardness. Checking the chemicals in this order will minimize the amount of work required.

8. Vacuum the Pool

Sure, the big stuff was removed, but there is still lots of little stuff present. The filter is going to do a lot of the work but plenty of other stuff is probably sitting at the bottom. Get the pool vacuum and get that stuff out of there!

9. Shock the Pool

Finally, kill everything in the pool that shouldn't be there. In order to shock the pool, you'll need to calculate the break-point chlorination of the pool. This is done using the free chlorine level from the water test. Be sure to wear gloves as well as safety goggles during this process!

Once Your Pool is Ready, Add Accessories For Fun!

It can be a lot of work to get a pool ready for use once the weather warms up. Once your pool is ready to go,check out all of our pool accessories to finish it off. At Dunn Rite Pool Products, we have some of the most advanced pool products on the market. Take a look at our selection of fun  pool basketball and pool volleyball units today. 

Dunn-Rite Pool Products & Pool Accessories

3rd Generation Family Owned Company with a long history of developing innovative products of the highest quality.

Pool Fountains - Combo Units - Pool Volleyball - Pool Basketball