Opening Your Swimming Pool For Spring

When the seasons go from cold to hot, it is time to give serious thought about all the preparation involved in opening your swimming pool for the spring.  Following a few simple instructions will allow you to get your swimming pool in peak condition in no time at all and allow you maximum enjoyment during the warmer weather.

The first thing you should do is remove your swimming pool cover.  If there are leftover leaves or other debris on the cover, you should use your swimming pool net to remove it.  Then you will need to pump off any remaining standing water out of the pool and if your pool cover had a hole in it, you will need to pump the water out of the pool as well.

After you take off the cover, clean it according to manufactures instructions, let it dry and roll it up to store for the season.  You can then begin to add water and bring the swimming pool up to its normal operating level.  Remove any freeze plugs and any other items you installed to protect your pool against freezing up.

You will need to make sure you thoroughly clean your filters and prime the pump, prior to starting the motor.  If you had not previously cleaned your filter from last season, now is the time to do it.  Start up your filter system and make sure to first prime your pump and surge all the air out of the plumbing and equipment.

Check  for any leaks and do a full assessment of your swimming pool.  If your water is not clear and blue, you will need to clean it up and skim and vacuum up any small debris that may be in your pool. Once you’re done cleaning the swimming pool, it’s time to check the water chemistry.

Do not toss a bunch of chlorine or other types of chemicals into the water, doing this can result in your swimming pool being stained and may even damage the surface.  Let the water circulate around for approximately 8-12 hours, so that the water you added has the time to mix with the water that was already in the swimming pool.

Once 8-12 hours has passed, you should then test it completely.  When you are done testing you can add the needed chemicals to properly balance the water in your swimming pool.  You may even want to take the initial water sample to a pool professional to have it tested for pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and other factors.  Be sure to follow the recommendations of the pool professional so that you may avoid damaging your pool surface.

After you get the water chemicals balanced out, you can install handrails, ladders and any other fixtures and be sure to check them for any wear or possible damage.  If you apply a coat of car wax to the stainless steel fixtures, it will help protect them from the damage of corrosion.  You should then inspect the diving board and make sure it’s free of damage or cracks.  If the surface of the diving board has become smooth, you will need to purchase a refinishing kit to fix it.

If you do not have any pool tile cleaner, you may use baking soda with a soft sponge to clean your tiles.  You should never use any household chemicals as these could be too abrasive and you do not want to be swimming with any of these chemicals either.

What could be better than jumping into a clear, clean, pristine swimming pool on a hot summer day?          With the right care and attention, you will be able to enjoy your swimming pool for many years to come.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 at 8:55 am and is filed under pool services, Swmiming Pools. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.