Sarnia Pool Opening

Spring Pool Care: What to Do & When 

After months of cold weather pool owners are often keen to open their pools up over the course of the May long weekend. Basing your opening on a date might be a nice consistency but it is not always the best time to fire up your system for the season. Opening your pool for the season too early can mean risking damage due to unexpected cold snaps while waiting too long can mean missing out on warm weather. The ideal time to open your pool is when the average outdoor temperature reaches 21 degrees. 

When you want the best possible results for your pool opening it is important to undo everything. That was done during the closing process, as well as restoring water condition, removing debris and inspecting pool equipment, as well as internal water systems. 

Raising Water Level: In order to prevent freezing in water systems the water level in pools should be dropped during a closing. One of the first steps to opening is to raise water levels so they reach the skimmer. This means chemical treatments will be carried through internal water systems and circulating treated water back into the pool basin. 

Check Pool Equipment: Winterizing plugs is a common part of the closing process. When opening back up again these will need to be opened back up so water can pass through. This is also the ideal time to check up on necessary components like the pool pump and return lines to make sure that there hasn’t been any damage over the off-season. Having a trained eye inspect your pump and filter, as well as water lines means being able to spot problem areas before they become disasters. 

Getting Rid of Debris: Even with a pool cover on, debris has a way of finding its way into pool basins, skimmer baskets and into pool filters. It is easy to skim out floating debris but for items sitting on the bottom of the pool, this is harder to deal with. When viewing your pool for the first time in spring water is likely green or discoloured and this will stop you from getting a clear picture of what is sitting at the bottom of the pool. An initial shock treatment will help to clear away cloudiness so you have a better view of exactly what you are dealing with. Standard vacuums often can’t reach debris in corners or around hard angles, leaving debris and bacteria to build up. 

Balance Water: Unlike a basic pool cleaning where chlorine levels are the biggest focus, restoring water condition after months of sitting stagnant is more complicated. Getting pools ready for spring will take more than a few test strips and a shock treatment. A multi-step chemical treatment process eliminates algae, and restores water condition over a period of multiple days.