Tips To Get Your Pool Ready For Summer
Spring is here and it is time to start getting all of those seasonal accessories ready. If you have a swimming pool, that means getting your summer oasis up and running so you can enjoy it as soon as the hot weather hits. If your pool has been dormant all winter, there are some things you will need to do to make sure that everything is ready to go. Below are five tips for getting your pool ready for the summer.
Dont empty the pool. This is especially important if your pool sits on a high water table. Draining a pool that sits high on a water table, especially during the wet months of spring when it is at its highest, can cause your pool to lift completely out of the ground and may mean you have to replace the entire pool. Pools need the weight of the water in them to make sure that they stay anchored.
Give it a clean. Give your pool a thorough chemical open before use. This means doing things such as assembling the filtration system, cleaning out the baskets, and removing any plugs that were placed in the pool when you were closing it up at the end of the previous season.
Get your water professionally tested. Take a sample of your pool water to a swimming pool store and they will test it to make sure it is safe to swim in. Many swimming pool stores will often provide this service free of charge. The staff can let you know which chemicals need to be adjusted to make sure your water quality is perfect.
Let Us Get Your Pool Ready
While its not too complicated to get your pool ready for summer, we know that for many people it seems like a bit of a hassle. At Allen Pool, our goal is to simplify pool ownership so you get all the enjoyment with none of the work. If you have too many things going on and dont have time to deal with your pool right now, we can help. We can also take care of your pool all summer long so you get the enjoyment of a pool without all the maintenance work.
Please call Allen Pool at 451-1621 today or contact us online and we can get started right away on getting your pool ready.
Tip #: Ensure All The Gates Are In Working Order
Before you open your pool in the summer, be sure that all of the gates around it open, close and latch properly. Pool fence gates are required to latch and lock to prevent animals and people from getting in. Safety is paramount, particularly if you have children that frequent the area. The fence must be childproof, meaning kids should not be able to open and close the gate without help.
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Inspect And Clean Your Filter
Even if your pool pump works as it should, your filter might still be dirty. Especially if you havent cleaned it;in a while.
So start by opening up the filter. From there, remove the inner filter media and rinse it off. ;Thats filter cleaning in a nutshell. But based on what kind of filter you have, the process may be a little different.
Here are some helpful resources for that:
Remove Your Winter Pool Cover
Once youve tidied things up, with your friends help, carefully remove the cover. Dont drag it, and take care to keep any lingering debris from falling into the pool.
A little dirt and debris falling into the water isnt the end of the world. But thinking ahead can save you headaches later when you break out your chemicals and tools in pursuit of a truly clean pool.
If youve installed a pool air pillow with your cover, be sure to remove it along with your cover. You can deflate the air pillow once its safely out of your pool.
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Chlorine Vs Salt Pool Systems
Many people have chosen to switch from the standard chlorinated pool system to a saline generator system. Chlorine tends to evaporate, especially in warmer climes, but salt remains in your pool. It doesn’t have to be re-upped after a warm day, only added if the water level drops due to things like rain or splashing. Not to mention, a saltwater pool has a much more reliable pH, doesn’t need to be monitored as often, and requires far fewer chemicals than a chlorinated pool. A drawback of a saltwater pool, however, is that it can cause corrosion within the working parts of your pool system.
Converting to a saltwater pool from chlorine isn’t as hefty an investment as you might think, especially when you consider the cost of salt around $30. In a pool that’s used quite often, chlorine costs can run as high as $180 for the summer.
Reconnect All Disconnected Equipment
When you winterized your pool, you disconnected the pool pump, filter, heater, automatic vacuum and other equipment. Nows the time to hook these back up again and make sure you dont need to repair or replace any components of your pools equipment. If you do, American Home Shield’s® pool and spa pump coverage can help defray the cost. Take this opportunity to lubricate seals, O-rings and other hardware with a silicone-based lubricant. Set up any ladders, handrails or other accessories that you took down last year.
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Clean And Remove The Pool Cover
Although you will be cleaning the pool, you dont want all the debris on the cover of the pool to get into the water. If theres water on the cover, drain it as much as possible or use a small pump to get it off the cover. Once youre ready to remove the pool cover, lay it out to dry and clean it up to store it for the summer.
Monitor The Filter And Water Color
For the next several days and weeks, keep a close eye on your filter and water color. Continue to remove any debris such as leaves, sticks, or other matter trapped in your filter so that the water can continue to flow through the system effectively.
Once the color of your water turns crystal clear and your levels balance out , youre ready to complete the final step.
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How To Put Chemicals In Your Pool For The First Time
First time opening your pool? Congratulations! You’re about to have endless summers of fun and enjoyment. Before you can get to swimming, follow these steps to put chemicals in your pool for the very first time:
Pro Tip: Be sure to check your filter and return lines for damage, cracks, or leaks. If you have a sandfilter, add sand if needed. If you have a cartridge filter, check the cartridge and clean/replace asneeded.
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Hook Up The Pump And Filter
Image credit: Ralf Geithe, Shutterstock
Hopefully, you didnt leave the filter in the pump and all the hoses and connected over the winter months. If you did, you need to carefully inspect every inch of your filter system to make sure theres no damage from ice. Otherwise, this is the time to attach your pump, filter, and hoses to your pool. If your sand is more than seven years old, you may consider replacing it with fresh sand.
Even if you did store everything correctly, you want to check over every part of the filter system to look for cracks or wear and replace anything that looks like it could fail. Once everything has been inspected and is in place, you can run the filter pump to make sure there are no leaks. The filter will begin cleaning out the water that has been sitting.
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Never Empty Your Pool
This is a myth that has been speculating around for a long time. People often think that emptying the pool & then again refilling will solve most of the problems. But this is entirely wrong. Though emptying does little good,; instead it can create more problems in return.;
For instance, if you have a vinyl liner in your pool, emptying it will leave the vinyl liner vulnerable. Eventually, it will get dried up & form leaks in the liner. Furthermore, it will open up cracks in the walls & liners.;
One crucial point everyone forgets to consider is to determine the high water table. If you empty your pool without considering this option, it may just cost you big time.
Getting Your Pool Ready For Summer
As the weather warms up you can prepare for summer swimming by doing some simple pool maintenance now.
A personalised treatment plan from your BioGuard retailer can help, as can the following steps.
Remove your pool cover.
Drain off any water, but not back into the pool. Sweep the cover to ensure its clean and wont stick or smell over summer. Store it under cover for protection from the elements and it will last longer too.
Check the water level.
Top up any lost water, ensuring the level is at the middle of the skimmer opening to allow for proper circulation.
Check the pump, filter and skimmer basket.
Ensure everything is clean and in good working order. Use BioGuard Filter Brite to clean and sanitise the filter. Then start the circulation system and remove any debris from the water.
Get a water sample tested.
After the pool water has circulated for 24 to 48 hours, fill a bottle with pool water collected at elbow depth. Take it to your BioGuard retailer for a complete water analysis.
Test pH and sanitiser levels.
If youre testing the pool water yourself, use a BioGuard Test Kit or BioGuard Test Strips. To ensure sparkling, healthy water you need a free chlorine level of 1-3ppm and a pH of 7.4-7.6.
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Take Off The Pool Cover If Necessary
If you use a pool cover, dont remove it before getting rid of all leaves, dirt, branches, and whatever other nasties have collected on top of it. Hose off the cover with high pressure, use a mild detergent to remove any dirt stains, dry it completely, and, say some experts, sprinkle some talcum powder over it to keep it from sticking to itself while its stored.
Test And Balance Chemical Levels
Test the pH balance, chlorine and salt levels in your water, as well as the total dissolved solids present in the pool. Ideally, your pools pH level should be between 7.2 and 7.6, and the chlorine level should be between 1 and 3 parts per million . If you have a saltwater pool with a chlorine generator, consult your manual to check that salt levels are in line with its specifications. TDS levels should be between 1000 and 1500; .
For other tests, the desired calcium hardness level is 150-280 ppm, and the bromine level should be 3.0 to 5.0 ppm.
To adjust levels, use soda ash to increase pH, and muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate to decrease the levels. For chlorine, cyanuric-based tablets can help levels get in line with where they should be, or have a pool tech attach a plastic chlorinator to the filter system.
As for TDS, pools with too-high TDS levels will need to be partially or fully drained and refilled.
Finally, if you dont put calcium in the water, it will take it from the grout in the tiles, experts warn, so adjust the calcium hardness by using calcium chloride.
If you dont want to test your water yourself, take a water sample to a swimming pool store, where it the mineral content of the water will be tested, along with total alkalinity, pH and chlorine levels. The pool professionals will then tell you what needs to be adjusted and by how much.
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Maintain Your Pool Regularly
Getting your swimming pool up and running is not enough; it is also equally important to maintain it regularly; otherwise, your pool would soon revert to the same bad condition that you had originally found it in! As part of your above-ground pool maintenance work, you should be doing the following kinds of maintenance on your pool at least once per week:
- Brush both your pool as well as the pool deck thoroughly
- Get rid of any and all the debris and junk you find in the pool and clean it well using a vacuum cleaner
- Use chemicals to cleanse the water of its impurities
- Regularly empty both the skimmer as well as the pump baskets
- Make sure your pool filters remain clean
- Check the strainer basket often for leaks and cracks as leaks in it can permit debris to get through it, etc.
- If possible, buy an automatic above ground pool cleaner; believe us, it will save you a lot of the time you spend on pool maintenance, and the money you invest in it is worth every penny!
- You need to get rid of stale water regularly and refill your pool with fresh water. Do this as often as possible; the more often you do it, the longer your pool would last!
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- Before opening your pool, you will need some few items
- The first thing is net, brush, and skimmer
- Be sure to get a clean plastic container to hold the water sample
- Clean and remove your pool cover and also store it
- Prepare for warm weather
- Fill your pool and prep your pump and filter
- Turn it on before you clean and shock your water
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Run Down The Pool Equipment Checklist
You may be eager to prep your pool, but are you, yourself, prepared?
Do you have all of the tools and equipment you need to restore, clean, and get your pool ready for summer?
Its likely that youll have to fish out some leaves and bugs, so youll need your skimmer, vacuum, and telescopic pole at the ready. And if your water has been sitting stagnant for awhile, then brushing the pools walls is a must.
After you finish cleaning up, ;test your water and add the necessary chemicals to restore balance.
Chances are, you already have almost everything you need. But just to be safe, take a quick run down this pool equipment checklist:
- Water Test Kit
Get Your Pool Ready For Summer 7 Simple Steps
After a long winter, you may be excited to get your pool going again, but you might be unsure of exactly what steps are necessary to get it ready for swimming.
After several months lying dormant, your pool can look like it will never be swimmable again, but it only takes a few steps to get it back in tip-top shape.
Well go over each of these steps in detail and explain why they need doing and what tools you need to complete them. Were confident that after completing each of these steps, your pool will be ready to open for the summer.
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Clear Your Winter Pool Cover
Whether you have a pool safety cover or a winterized cover, your first priority is removing a winters worth of water, leaves and debris. A submersible pool cover pump makes short work of any excess water. You can also use a regular sump pump if you dont have a pool cover pump.
To remove leaves and other debris, use a Soft broom or skimmer net. Use a gentle touch. Sharp equipment or overly enthusiastic sweeping can damage your cover.
Try to remove as much of the debris as you can. The more crud you remove now, the less you have to worry about falling into the water when you remove the cover.
Inspect Your Pump And Filters
Checking if the pump and filters are in good condition is mandatory because you need to inspect your pump and run it before you open your pool. This gives you time to address additional problems that can come up to ensure your pool is operating well when the time comes.
Well, your pump can be in good condition what about the filters? If your filters are dirty, you will need to open it up and remove the inner filter media and rinse it thoroughly by removing clogged debris.
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Start The Filtration System
Now it’s time to turn the pool equipment back on.
Start by priming the pimp and getting the filtration system back up and running. You should also open the air relief valve to let extra air get out of the system.
Let your filtration run for several hourstwo at the very leastbefore you do anything else.
Check And Set Pool Chemistry
Image Credit: kelifamily, Shutterstock
With the filter running, you can also check your pool chemistry using test strips. You can expect your chlorine levels to be nonexistent, but you still want to know the pH level, the water hardness, and if any stabilizer remains in the water so you can start to take steps to correct them. Once you get your pH and stabilizer balanced, you can add chlorine to the water.
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How To Open Your Pool For Summer
Louie Warco
With temperatures rising, its time to welcome the long-awaited pool opening season!;
But before you dive in, we have to first complete the necessary tasks for a successful pool opening. Just a few proactive steps could help you save time, money and trouble later on. Starting this process early will help your pool stay clear, healthy, and ready for swimming or relaxing all summer long.;
Lets take a closer look at how to open your swimming pool.
