Pool Opening Made Easy. (Errr….Easier.)
“Open the pool.”
Those three little words means there’s important work to be done before you and your family can go swimming. In fact, if you timed the effort involved in properly opening a pool for the season, you’d learn that the whole process takes approximately 12 to 20 hours. And in today’s busier-than-ever lives, that time can be hard to come by.
Still…you always find a way to get the job done, because you know the investment of time you make during pool opening…pays off handsomely with long months of family fun and enjoyment.
But pool opening doesn’t have to be a major chore—not if you approach your pool opening with a little patience…and a little planning.
Patience: Start Early!
There’s plenty you can do long before you begin your water-balancing chemical treatment, even before removing your pool cover. If you dedicate a few hours each weekend PRIOR to cover removal, you’ll find that opening the pool can be a manageable process that reduces the need for an extended burst of work over a hard-to-find free weekend.
Weekend 1: Prepare cover by skimming leaves and pumping water from pool cover (do not remove cover)
Weekend 2: Inspect, clean or replace filters as necessary. Inspect pumps and circulation system. Inventory your supplies. Visit the pool store to pick up replacement parts, filter media and additional supplies of chemicals for the season.
Weekend 3: Fill pool to recommended skimmer level. Install new parts or filters if necessary.
Weekend 4: Remove remaining leaves and water from cover. Remove, clean, dry, and store pool cover. Vacuum and clean pool. Start pumps/circulation of water.
You’re now ready—at any time during or after the fourth weekend—to complete your pool opening by balancing the chemicals and PH levels in your water—a process that generally takes 4-8 hours. Your investment of time at the chemical stage is minimal: you are simply testing the water and adding chemicals as needed over time per manufacturer’s recommendation.
Planning: Easy Opening!
Making the choice to start early—planning ahead—will allow you to greatly reduce potential bumps in the road on the way to an open pool.
- If replacement parts or supplies are necessary, there’s time to ensure they’ll be available and place orders, if needed.
- If an issue arises you cannot repair or solve, you’ll be ahead of “opening season” for many pool service companies.
- Spreading the time you spend opening the pool across 4 weeks can build a sense of anticipation and more importantly, put less strain on your busy schedule.
Practice a little patience and prior planning, and you will very likely be one of the first in your neighborhood with a pool that’s ready for action!
