Waterloo Pool Opening

Spring Pool Care: The Best Way to Open Your Pool 

The best time to open your pool isn’t necessarily the May long weekend. A May opening is traditionally the time that outdoor pools are fired up for the season but it is best to wait until the average outdoor temperature reaches 21 degrees. Instead of pulling back a winter cover and diving on in, creating a sanitary swim space is a multi-step process that addresses surfaces, as well as the internal systems that keep them running. 

Undo Your Closing: The first step to opening your swimming pool up is to undo everything that you did to close it down. Dropping water levels and winterizing plugs are both part of the closing process and will need to be reversed during a spring opening. Restoring water levels can be done with a simple garden hose and any components that were removed to be dried and stored for the off-season should be reinstalled. 

Water Treatments: Shocking pool water might be able to clear away a bit of cloudiness or discolouration but this isn’t enough to create a sanitary place to swim. The chlorine level is often the primary focus of pool chemistry but in order to achieve proper water balance it is important to monitor pH levels, total alkalinity and calcium. Simple test strips can offer insight into how to maintain a pool once it is already open but when you are starting from scratch during a new season these aren’t enough to get results. 

Debris Removal: Having unwanted items sitting at the bottom of the pool looks awful but it also has a major impact on the overall condition of a swim space. Lighter items will float along water surfaces where they will either make their way into skimmer baskets or rot and break apart, becoming even more difficult to remove. Sunken items will sit against vinyl liners where they will rot and cause permanent staining. Robotic pool cleaners may suck up a few unwanted items from flat surfaces but only specialized tools like manual vacuums and brushes can remove debris from corners and sharp angles, as well as scrubbing residue from water lines. 

Internal Systems: Monitoring pool equipment is a key part of preparing water systems for the season. This means inspecting the pump and filter to ensure they are functional. If a pool pump is failing it will stop chemically treated water from circulating and opens the door to contaminants. Clogged filters will prevent water from passing though, meaning it takes more energy to circulate and will cause an increase in utility bills and daily running costs.