With the winter months coming to an end, it is time to look forward to the spring: birds singing, flowers blooming and, of course, swimming! When spring comes back around pool maintenance isn’t a one-step process but should be a multi-step deep cleaning that addresses your swim space from top to bottom. With the swimming season right around the corner you might asking yourself when is the opportune time to fire up your water system and what needs to be done before you can cannonball into spring, well we have got you covered!
Spring Pool Care: When is the Best Time to Open Your Pool?
Plenty of pool owners choose to open their pool for the May long weekend. While keeping a schedule might help you to remember your pool care, this isn’t always the best time to open up your system. In fact, opening too early can result in damage while waiting too long can mean missing out on the first warm days of the season.
The best time to open your pool for the season is when the average outdoor temperature reaches 21 °Celsius/69.8 °Fahrenheit. At this point you are past the threat of cold snaps and will likely be able to swim comfortably in no time at all.
What Is the Best Way to Open a Pool?
Even if you clean your pool regularly throughout the season, nothing can prepare you for what is lurking under a winter cover. After months of disuse your pool water probably looks more like a new ecosystem than a safe place to swim. Instead of grabbing a test kit and some pool shock, restoring pool condition takes time and technique. That is why our Puddle technicians have broken the process down into multiple steps designed to clean and sanitize swimming pools from top to bottom.
The first step to getting pools ready for use is to undo everything that was done during a pool closing. This means restoring the water level so it reaches the skimmer line. This enables chemical treatments to circulate throughout water systems. Winterizing plugs is also common practice so these will need to be opened back up to allow water flow. Once these steps are completed it is time for an initial shock treatment that will clear away some of the cloudiness and start to reduce discolouration.
It is important to remove any debris that is sitting on the bottom of your pool, floating along water surfaces or sitting inside skimmer baskets. Just flipping the switch on a pool vacuum isn’t enough to get rid of all of your unwanted items. It takes manual vacuums, heavy scrubbing with specialty brushes and thorough skimming to get rid of debris completely.
Once you have a clear view of the bottom of your pool it is a good idea to inspect liners, tiles and surfaces for any signs of damage that might have occurred over the off-season. Before any pool is fit for use it is important to perform a thorough water balancing. This means testing and balancing chlorine levels, as well as pH levels, total alkalinity and calcium. A pool opening is also the ideal time to swap out your solid winter pool cover for a mesh one. Mesh covers allow sunlight to pass through and will help to heat pool water.
The Puddle Guarantee: Make the Most Out of Summer with a Reliable Pool Opening Service
After years of industry experience our Puddle technicians have seen it all! Instead of dealing with trial and error on your own, hiring highly trained and experienced technicians can help to expedite the process. A proper pool opening is a science but our Puddle Pros have made it into an art form as well.
An amateur approach to seasonal pool care can mean days or even weeks of water testing, balancing, debris removal and more. When you book your opening with Puddle you get efficient treatments and thorough cleanings, all at an affordable rate. Puddle crews offer fully insured staff and services so you get great results, top-notch customer service and peace of mind. Book online or by phone 24 hours a day.
