The warmer months are coming up, and you’ll want to take advantage of your above ground pool for as long as possible. You’ll also want your pool opening to be stress-free - and so do we! To avoid too much extra work, it’s important to open your pool properly the first time.
Read on for an in-depth guide on opening your above ground pool after the winter!
It’s always best practice to collect everything you need to open your pool before you get started. Having all your supplies ready makes the process quicker and easier so you don’t need to make more orders than you need, or run in and out of your garage.
Start-up Chemicals
OR
A Pool Opening Kit (we recommend Rx Clear)
Leaf Blower, Leaf Net, or Soft Broom
Garden Hose with Filter
Safety Goggles (while using chemicals)
Chemical Resistant Gloves
Whether you have a pool safety cover or a winter cover, it has probably been filled with water, leaves, and debris over the winter months.
A Pool Cover Pump makes quick work of any excess water - get it as close as you can to the center of the pool and it will lower the cover so water will flow to the center to be pumped out.
The next step is to (gently!) remove leaves and any other debris with a soft broom or leaf skimmer. You want to ensure you don’t do anything that can cause damage to your winter cover. The more debris you can remove at this time - the better! Any debris left on the cover risks falling into the pool and becoming a problem later.
Carefully remove your pool cover from the pool - this is where having a friend can be useful! You want to make sure not to drag it across the ground (which can cause damage) and be careful to not let any debris left on the cover fall into the pool.
If you installed a pool air pillow be sure to remove it along with the cover. You can deflate it and prepare it for storage as you do your cover.
Find a large, flat area free of sharp objects or other potentially damaging items and lay your cover flat.
Wash your cover with water and a cover cleaner, before letting it dry completely to avoid damage from moisture and mold. This is also a great time to check your cover for any damage and patch it, or if it’s not salvageable, order another for next winter (we recommend Buffalo Blizzard®).
Check around your pool to remove the plugs you fitted in the winter. Remember to check all openings, including the return jet or skimmer bucket. If you use an ice compensator in your skimmer bucket, it’s time to remove that too.
Reinstall all your skimmer baskets and return jets. If you used a skimmer plate (or a skimmer cover) over the winter, make sure that you remove it. This means that the water can once again flow easily when you reactivate your pool’s filter system.
Depending on how you closed your pool last winter, you may need to add water to your pool; you likely lost some water to evaporation over the winter. When you add water, make sure that you use a hose filter to screen out any impurities. Make sure your pool is filled to the halfway mark of your skimmer’s opening before moving on to the next step.
Reinstall your deck gear, including ladders, and steps. Double-check each component for rust or other damage; if anything seems like it’s not up to scratch then now is the time to replace it.
The next step is to get your pool equipment up and running. First, put all the plugs in the drains back, and the pressure gauges to your pool filter system, pump, and other equipment. Make sure that the ground wires are connected to the pump! After that, attach your system’s hoses to your equipment and double-check your connections.
If you have a multiport valve, the first step is to ensure it’s turned to the filter position. And make sure that any valves, including the return valves, are open so water can flow through the plumbing. When you turn on the system, confirm that it starts correctly and watch for any leaks or drips.
Please note that if your pressure gauge shows a sudden spike, you should shut your pump off immediately. Check to make sure that nothing is impeding water flow through your system.
Now it’s time to use some elbow grease and clean your pool. Brush your pool, including the walls and any hard-to-reach places to remove algae spores and contaminants that can cling to the surface. Then, use a skimmer to skim the surface of the water, collecting any leaves, bugs, or other debris that may have accumulated on the top of your pool after taking off the cover. If you have a lot of sediment on the bottom of your pool, you may need to vacuum it as well.
Now is the time to use your test strips or testing kit to check if your pool is properly balanced. Once you’ve tested your water, it’s time to start fixing any issues you may have found. Adjust alkalinity first, then pH, and finally calcium hardness. Don’t worry about shocking your water just yet, that will come in the next step.
As soon as your water is completely balanced, it’s time to shock your pool. You’ll want to do a double shock - using 2 lbs. of shock for every 10,000 gallons of pool water. For a full tutorial on how to shock your pool, check out our blog The Beginner’s Guide to Shocking Your Swimming Pool. Remember to shock your pool at night to prevent the chlorine from burning off too quickly.
Now it’s time to take a rest! Once the pool has been shocked, you should let your pool pump run for at least 24 hours. Then retest your water to make sure that it’s still balanced. It’s important to note that your water may be cloudy at this point, which is a sign that dead algae is in the water. Your filter will work through this after a while, however, if you wanted to speed it up you could use a flocculant or a clarifier.
Now there’s an additional step for those people with salt pools. After all the other chemicals have been balanced and your water has been shocked then it’s time to add salt and get your salt water system running. Note that you need to wait until your chlorine levels are dropped back to the normal range after shocking.
You’re nearly done! There are just a few more steps to confirm that your pool is the safest it can be this season.
If you have an above ground deck, spray it down thoroughly to rinse away any chemicals that may have spilled so you won’t have any swimmers stepping in them.
Test all the safeguards around your pool area, such as gate locks and door alarms. If anything isn’t working properly, fix or replace it as soon as possible.
Ensure all your chemicals are stored correctly, and out of the reach of pets and children. Keep them in a cool, dry place in their original packaging. Verify the containers are closed properly, and that chemicals are not stored too close to each other or in a way that mix.
