Swimming Pool Opening – The Key To a Healthy Pool

December 10, 2008 by admin 

Jumping right in the water the day after your pool cover comes off isn’t a good idea. But, then, you knew that. The question is what should you do to properly open your pool and to make it ready for use?

Taking the cover off is the first step, of course. But if it’s a solar blanket and you’ve winterized your pool well when you closed it, it might be a good idea to wait a few extra days. Let the sun do its job of heating to save your electric bill.

Before you start up the filter, heat pump, or any other electric device, make sure things are in working order. Ensure that filters are cleaned, that all the hoses are clear, and that your sand or diatomaceous earth is well stocked. Lubricate any parts that need it. Fall and Winter dry out oils and make rubber parts stiff.

If the water level is low, now is a good time to fill it up until about 3/4th of the skimmer is covered. Then give it a good brush and vacuuming, either manually or using your automatic pool cleaner.

If your pool was closed properly, algae should be a minor problem at worst. But if some has developed anyway, now is a good time to use those pool algaecides. A brush will remove some, and the filter will eliminate a portion. But polyquats or other algaecide compounds will get rid of any remaining stains and quats can help prevent it to return.

Make sure the water is prepared properly. Winterizing helps. But to get the healthiest environment for swimming, make sure all the right elements are present in the proper amounts. Measure the pH to ensure it’s between 7.2-7.6. Measure the chlorine level and add pool shock if necessary. If you use bromine instead, perform the same procedure.

Add sanitizer to ensure that bacteria are kept under the safety threshold. There is always some present, but it can be harmless if the pool is maintained well. Balance your pool water.

Once that’s done, stabilizer can help keep your chlorine or bromine levels at the right number, between 2-4 ppm Cl or Br. Tablets, sticks, or granules are available.

A clarifier can be a great aid. It’s difficult to get those other chemicals’ levels exactly right and any excess can cause clouding of the water.

Complete pool opening kits make it easy to take any guesswork out of preparing your pool for use. Whether pre-measured or in bulk, you can’t go wrong if you follow the directions.

It will take an extra day, or even a few, to get your pool ready for use. But the effort will be well worth it. The results are a healthy pool with well-functioning filters and pumps that require little ongoing maintenance.

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