How To Open Your Above Ground Pool

Learn How To Open An Above Ground Pool For The First Time

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If you are reading this article, you are probably facing one of the two scenarios: You closed your above ground pool for the winter season and now that the weather is getting warmer, you are ready to go swimming again. The thing is, you have never had to open the pool after closing it in the winter before. The second case is that you have a new pool, but you do not have the experience to open the above ground pool yourself.

A lot of people choose to pay someone to come in and do it for them. You can do that too, but think about it why should you pay someone your hard-earned money to do something that you can easily do yourself? All you need to pull off this simple task is a friend, the right supplies, the right instructions and some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

Opening your above ground pool for the first time might seem like a lot of effort, but you should rest assured that once you are familiar with the whole process, it becomes a lot easier to pull off.

If you are not sure about the steps you need to take to open the above ground pool for the first time, this guide will give you all the information you need.

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.

Aboveground Pool Opening In 5 Easy Steps

This post offers you some tips and guidelines on how to get your aboveground pool ready for the approaching summer.

Opening an aboveground pool is not much different from opening an in-ground pool, other than being faster and easier! To make it even simpler, heres my easy five-step process.

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Scrub And Store The Pool Cover

If your pool cover still has some life left in it, then give it a good rinse and scrub with some pool cover cleaner and a soft brush. Using any harsh chemicals or sharp implements is just asking for your pool cover to meet its untimely end.

Once youve cleaned a seasons worth of much off of the pool cover, grab your garden hose and rinse the whole thing down. You can either let it dry in the sun, then flip and repeat, or use a leaf blower to shave some time off of your task.

Once the cover is good and dry, fold it up nicely, and store it in a sealed storage bag or container. Leaving a winter or safety pool cover exposed in a garage or shed is basically like putting a For Sale sign on it that only rodents and bugs can read. It will be in tatters come the autumn and all your work will have been for nothing.

Add Water And Prepare Equipment

Once youve finished checking the pool and equipment for leaks and made any necessary repairs, go ahead and start filling your pool from the hose. While you wait, start hooking up the hoses from skimmer to pump and filter to return, tightening all hose clamps securely. Replace any pump and filter drain plugs removed during winterization.

Once your filter hoses are connected to the pool, you can remove the freeze plugs or Gizzmo, and replace the return eyeball fittings and skimmer baskets.

Return the pump basket to its proper place and lubricate the pump lid O-ring with a Teflon-based lube. Set the filter valve to the Filter position for sand and DE filters. Once the water reaches the middle of the skimmer, open up any valves in front of the pump and allow the pump to fill with water.

Open up the filter air bleeder and start up the filter pump, watching the pressure gauge rise. You should quickly see air bubbles coming into the pool. If not, shut off the pump, and check that all valves are open and all plugs are removed from the pool returns.

If your pump doesnt catch prime and begin pumping, check that the pump lid is tight, the hose adapter coming into the pump is tight and sealed with Teflon tape, and that the incoming hose has no splits or kinks.

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How To Open An Above Ground Pool After Winter

Temperatures are rising, and its time to open your pool after the winter. But how is the pool properly wintered out in spring?

First, the pool cover is removed, and the coarse dirt is pulled from the pool with a net and a pool vacuum. The water is then pumped out of the pool, and the pool is scrubbed with pool cleaners. Afterward, the pool can be filled again and treated accordingly with chlorine.

In this article, you will find practical tips on how to open a pool in spring and which care products are necessary.

Next Steps After Opening Your Above Ground Pool

In the days immediately after opening the pool, the filter may need cleaning or backwashing, so keep a close eye on the pressure gauge. Once the pressure gets 10 psi higher than the clean pressure reading, its time to clean the filter. Also monitor the pool water level closely to ensure the pump stays primed and to rule out pool leaks. If the water was particularly dirty at opening time, your pool may need a few more cleanings before its ready for prime time use. But if the water chemistry and clarity is good, there is no need to wait. Start swimming!

To keep your pool in top shape throughout the summer, its important to keep up with proper water balance, regular cleaning and routine maintenance. Browse through our extensive library of pool care blog content to learn more about keeping your pool swim-ready.

Still have questions? Call or stop by your local Leslies store to speak with one of our knowledgeable pool professionals. Dont forget to bring along a water sample for a free AccuBlue® test, which precisely analyzes 10 different aspects of water chemistry in your pool.

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Test And Balance With Above Ground Pool Startup Kit

Get a pool test kit and see your pool water chemicals state after months of a nap. And remember, youre not using test strips here.

Why not?

Test strips are ideal for weekly checks. However, since youre dealing with pool reopening after months of hibernation, a test keep will give you the best result.

You could also take a water sample to a local pool store for professional analysis and second opinion. You could also carry the test result you got.

If you winterized your above-ground pool right then, the results might be fair, and you can start balancing right away.

Water chemical balancing means ensuring everything is under the normal range. Aim at

• Pool Water pH: 7.4 7.6
• Alkalinity: 100 150 ppm
• Calcium hardness: 175 225 ppm
• Chlorine level: 1 3 ppm

Take your start-up kit and add it to balance the water. Follow the users manual to make sure youre adding the right amount.

What does a pool start-up kit come with?

It contains start-up chemicals to help you retreat your above-ground water and rebalance it. The start-up kit will have:

• Water clarifier

Clear The Area Around Your Pool

A simple way to save yourself more work later in the summer is to clear the area around your above-ground pool.

Leaves, twigs, dead insectsthey can quickly tax your filter and pump and create more work than necessary to keep the pool clean over the summer.

Take this opportunity to nip that in the bud by doing some quick landscaping around the pool.

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Reinstall Your Deck Equipment

This might seem like a page from How to Open an Above Ground Pool 101, but youll need to reinstall your deck gear to use your pool. This includes ladders, steps, or lifts.

Double-check each component for rust or other damage. If anything seems flimsy, damaged, or worn out, nows the perfect time to replace it.

Wash Brush And Store The Pool Cover

If your pool cover is still in excellent condition, clean it with a gentle brush and some pool cover cleanser. Youre only asking for your pool covers premature demise if you use any harsh chemicals or cutting-edge tools.

Once youve removed the seasons worth of debris from the pool cover, turn on your garden hose and thoroughly rinse the entire thing off. You may either let it dry in the sun before flipping it over, or you can use a leaf blower to expedite the drying process.

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How To Open Your Aboveground Pool

Did you know that the last Saturday in April is National Pool Opening Day? Getting your aboveground pool ready is a time to rejoice and celebrate the fact that summer fun is fast approaching.

At Parnell Pool & Spa, we want to help make Pool Opening Day a little easier with a handy-dandy outline of all the steps needed to open an aboveground pool properly.

Clean Your Pool Cover With A Pool Pump

Take your skimmer net or soft broom and try to remove as much dirt from the cover as you can by sweeping it up. If you get off as much as you can now, youll have less to lift with the cover and less to worry about dropping it into your pool later on.

Take care not to rip up your pool cover. Its spent the entire winter guarding your pool against trash and waste. Accidentally ripping it with a rake or prickly broom at the last minute is a tragic ending for something that has been tirelessly safeguarding your pool.

Make use of your submersible cover pump to eliminate any water that has accumulated on the surface. If you dont have one, a sump pump will suffice in the meanwhile. If there is water on the lid, do not attempt to remove it. Theres a chance that youll break the cover and damage it, or worse, youll wind up spilling all of that disgusting water into your pool.

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Cleaning Your Above Ground Pool

Can you imagine the gunk that might have built up in your swimming pool? You cannot add the water chemicals until you clean the pool surfaces.

Get your soft pool broom and brush the walls. Once you have touched them, take an above-ground pool vacuum and remove all the dirt out.

Some dirt will float on the surface you will need to skim them out with the pool skimmer net. The water doesnt need to be crystal clear but clean. You will still need to add the chemicals.

How To Open Your Above Ground Pool Like A Pro

If this is your first season opening your above ground pool by yourself, then youve come to the right place.

Its time to think twice about hiring a service because weve got a comprehensive, easy to follow guide that will have you ready for summer pool parties in no time. You have the pool already, you may as way learn your way around it.

If youve got an above ground pool we have 12 or 13 steps for you, depending on whether you consider a cannonball contest as part of the process. If you have an in-ground pool youll want to check out our other guide here.

If youre ready to open your above-ground pool, weve got your back.

1.Give your pool cover a spring cleaning

Use any soft broom to clean off any debris that may have found its way onto your pool cover. You want to do a good job at this since anything you miss is going to end up in your pool, haunting you later. Next you want to use a submersible pump to eliminate any still water sitting on the cover. Be patient and let the pump do the work.

2.Pull the Cover Off the Pool

Now would be a good time to recruit a friend or family member. Youll both start on one end of the pool to lift the cover and pull it back. Instead of pulling all the way to the end, fold it back onto itself to make it more manageable.

Pro Tip: Youre going to want to lay the cover out to dry, so start on the opposite side of where you want to end up.

3.Prepare your Pool Cover for Storage

4.Fill the Pool with Water

5.Skim the Surface

10.Clean Up Duty

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Clean And Store Your Winter Pool Cover

Find a large, easily accessible area like your lawn, deck, or driveway, and spread the cover flat. Make sure the areas clear of sharp objects and other potentially damaging items.

Wash your cover with water, cover cleaner , and a scrub brush or rubber broom.

Scrub it thoroughly, but gently. Youll ensure a longer life for your pool cover, which can save you quite a bit of money since you wont have to replace it. Make sure you allow your cover to dry thoroughly before storing it to avoid damage from moisture and mold.

Stash your winter cover in a durable, tightly sealed plastic tub or other large storage container during the off season. This will keep rats and other critters from making a nest in your expensive cover or, worse yet, chomping it into tiny bits.

Time To Remove The Pool Cover

Ask a friend to help you lift the cover off the pool. You cant do it alone, and theres no shame in asking for assistance. A sturdy ladder would be helpful to reach your favorite spot on your pool deck.

Once youve successfully removed the cover. Spread the cover out nice and wide. The best place to spread the cover is on a flat surface where you can see it. Most of us dont have a garage large enough to fit a pool cover, so your best choice is likely to be your front yard. And oh, this isnt a flag, so no repercussions when you drop it in the ground.

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Reconnect Your Pool And Pool Accessories

Do you remember you took out all the plumbing, pool pump, and filter while closing your above-ground pool? Well, this is the step to re-fix everything back.

Remove all the items from the storage, clean them using the ideal pool accessory cleaner and while doing so, inspect for mold and algae.

If there is any, you will need to add some bleach and algaecide in the cleaning water. The chemicals will help kill and kill these intruders.

Remember to get everything you removed when closing the pool, including the rails and ladders.

What Youll Need To Open Your Pool

Gather your equipment and lets get started! Once you get everything together the whole task seems a lot less daunting. Well walk you through it and make this process as painless as possible.

• Pool cover pump or sump pump
• Soft broom or skimmer net
• Pool cover cleaner
• Start-up chemical kit
• A second set of hands
• A previously-closed above-ground pool

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Check The Pool Filter Pump & Heater

Why You Need To Know How To Open An Above Ground Pool

Your pools been covered all winter. As convenient as it would be to just pull the cover off and dive right in, think for a minutethat waters been sitting there, stagnant, all winter long. Do you really want to submerge yourself in that? Didnt think so.

Knowing the above ground pool opening process will ensure that when you do finally get back into the pool, its in clean, clear, non-swampy water.

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Fill Pool To Middle Of Waterline Tile And Do Final Debris Removal

Grab a garden hose and fill the pool until the water level reaches the midpoint of the waterline tile or middle of the skimmer weirs. Once youve got the water level where it needs to be, you can now clean leaves, twigs and debris from the pools bottom by using a wall and floor brush. This is also time to dust off your algae brush and pool vacuum. Also be sure to remove any debris from the leaf basket.