Here Are Some Things You Should Do To Make Sure The Pool Is In Good Shape:
- Remove drain plugs from the surface skimmers and wall returns, and restore directional fittings.
- Inspect the filter, return lines, and pump for possible damaged or worn parts and buy a replacement if necessary.
- If you removed the underwater pool lights, reattach them.
- Check the sides and remove calcium scale and stains with a household cleaner or baking soda and a tile brush.
- Inspect the interior of your pool for damage and make repairs as needed.
What Chemicals Are Needed To Open An Above Ground Pool
Some choose to drain your above ground pool for the winter, while others simply cover it. No matter which method you prefer, its important to know what chemicals you need when it comes time to open it back up for the spring.
When comparing inground and above ground pools, or pools that have or havent been drained for the winter, there is a lot of overlap between products and processes. However, the small difference can make or break the task of establishing a swim-ready pool.
Because people who own an above ground pool are more likely to do their own pool maintenance, its good to have a working understand of the various chemicals that keep your pool water healthy and stable.
If you would rather have the professionals take care of your spring pool preparations for you, Sun Valley Pool Service is happy to send out our experienced pros to assist with Pool Cleaning Service.
Alkalinity Adjusting Chemicals For Pool Start Up
If your pools initial test shows an incorrect amount of alkalinity, then you need to add some chemicals to fix it. It doesnt matter if it was too high or too low, chemicals are going to be needed.
This should be the first chemical that you add to your pool during start-up. This one can really affect the pH level of your pool. Sorting this out first prevents you from ruining your hard work on your pools pH level by doing it afterward.
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Top 10 Pool Opening Tips
Spring opening is one of the most exciting times of the year for any pool owner. After months of cold, snow, and ice, the weather is starting to warm up for pool season! Even though the sun is shining and the water is warm, the pool isnt quite ready for swimmers, yet. There are some necessary steps every pool owner must take in order to have a clean and safe pool that is ready to handle a long summer season. Leslie’s is here to help with 10 tips on how to open your pool.
Before starting the pool opening process, we recommend having all the chemicals you will need on hand. Save this list as a quick and easy reference guide for opening pools in all climates.
Addressing Alkalinity In Your Pool
Now it’s time to keep the water hardness in check, otherwise known as alkalinity. Think of pH as an air conditioner that cools your home and alkalinity is the thermostat that adjusts your temperature. The two are linked, meaning one changes with the other. Alkalinity is important since water that is too hard negatively affects your pool pump seals, o-rings, jet nozzles and immersed equipment.
Lastly, make sure you add some algaecide for good measure. Most people think algaecide is only for when you see algae. However, it should also be used as a preventative treatment. Use an algaecide before you have a need for it, and keep the nasties at bay.
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Check Your Pool Chemistry
After your shock is done, test your pool chemistry using a water test kit. Check your readings and make sure your pool water is balanced to the proper levels across all of these pool chemicals, which we cover in our pool chemistry guide:
- Chlorine levels
- Calcium hardness
- And other chemicals
Be sure to check the labels on all new products to ensure theyre compatible with each other. If in doubt, call up a local pool store associate for help.
Clean Up Debris And Check For Wear And Tear
Before you open your pool, take some time to survey the area around your pool. Trim overgrown trees and hedges. Sweep away nearby leaves. Check your for damage, wear, and tear and address any issues before you open your pool for the season. Be sure to clean and repair any deck furniture so that it is safe for use. You should also check pool equipment like safety rails, slides, rescue equipment, ladders, and diving boards.
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Balance The Water Starting With Total Alkalanity
Balancing your water properly is a necessity for safe and healthy swimming. You can control the pH and chlorine levels in your water by first adjusting the Total Alkalinity.
If TA is too high, you can use Leslies Dry Acid to lower the levels to the ideal range. To lower the TA by 10 ppm, add 1.5 pounds of Leslies Dry Acid for every 10,000 gallons of water.
If TA is too low, add Leslies Alkalinity Up to increase it. Adding 1.5 pounds of Alkalinity Up will increase the TA of 10,000 gallons of water by 10 ppm. Wait at least 4 hours after adding Alkalinity Up before retesting the water.
Chemical #: High Concentration Algeacide
This kind of algeacide removes most of the oxygen from the water that is necesary for organic material to survive. This will help kill the existing algea, as well as help prevent any new algea from growing. We suggest a minimum of over 20% concentration, 40-60% as a recommendation.
Note: 5% or 10% will not cut it here, even if you add high quantities. Also, if you did do it with low concentration products, it would end up costing you more.
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Pool Chemical Start Up Instructions
Pool Team
Having a pool at your home is surely something that a lot of people strive for. Although with a pool, you also need to make sure that you are taking proper care of your pool. With the right pool chemical start up instructions and guide, you will be able to maintain your pool and keep the right balance.
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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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
Turn On The Pool Filter And Test The Water
Youre almost there! All you have to do now is get the filter up and running. Turn on the filter and run it for 12 to 24 hours to mix up the old and new water before testing or adding chemicals .
Dont feel comfortable testing the water yourself? You can always bring a water sample to a pool professional for proper analysis. Your pool professional will provide you with instructions for balancing your pool water. They can test the waters pH level, the alkalinity, the calcium hardness, and the chlorine content. In addition to shocking the pool, they may be able to also recommend that you add a stabilizer, conditioner or algaecide to your pool before its ready for the warm weather.
Continue to run the filter for a few days, vacuuming out any debris that has settled. When the water is clear and the chlorine levels have come down, your pool is ready for swimming! Enjoy your pool!
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Filling Your Pool With Water For The First Time
Follow these simple steps to get your new pool ready:
Filling Your Pool with Water for the First Time
Check filtration system
Make sure the filtration system is operational.
Fill pool
Based on temperature and type of finish, fill the pool to the middle of the skimmer or specified water level without interruption and as rapidly as possible with clean water, to help prevent a bowl ring. Be sure to place the hose in the deepest area with a clean rag on the end to prevent damage to the surface material.
Start filtration
Based on temperature and type of finish, fill the pool to the middle of the skimmer or specified water level without interruption and as rapidly as possible with clean water, to help prevent a bowl ring. Be sure to place the hose in the deepest area with a clean rag on the end to prevent damage to the surface material.
Test the pool
Test the pool in multiple spots, at least 600mm 900mm below the surface to make sure the readings are right.
Additionally:
- At no time should any person or pets be allowed in the pool during the fill
- To prevent streaking, do not allow any external sources of water to enter the pool
- Do not swim in the pool until the water is properly balanced
- Test the water for: pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and metals
Dont forget to record the results.
Addition By Broadcast Method
Other pool chemicals must be broadcast directly from their packaging into the pool or spa. Before starting, make sure to use the appropriate protective equipment. This process should never be carried out when wind is present, as the chemicals can be released into the air and around the pool, potentially causing someone harm. Every facility should be properly closed off before using the broadcast method.
After the pool is closed, open the container as instructed and slowly pour the chemical over the water. Keep the packaging away from your face and body. Kneel down and pour some of the chemical into the pool water close to a return fitting to spread them around. Repeat this process as many times as is required for your particular facility.
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How To Open An Above Ground Pool
- |March 24, 2020
Its that time of year again: pool season. Lots of sunshine in the forecast and warmer weather is finally here.
All you want to do is jump in the pool for a refreshing dip but youve been avoiding the unavoidable: re-opening your above-ground pool after the winter season. Its just sitting out there, taunting you. The pool cover is a dirty puddle of rainwater and old leaves.
Youve been dreading it, but the time has come. The sooner you open your pool, the sooner you can get back to swimming and enjoying it! So don a floppy hat and slather on some sunscreen, were here to walk you through it step-by-step.
Wait For The Water To Clear
Don’t dive in yet. The filter has to be cleaned every day until the water is clear. Expect the entire process to take about a week. You may have to add chlorine to keep it at the right level. Only when the water is clear and you can see the pool floor should you remove the cover. Remove the cover too soon and you’ll end up with more leaves and pollen and debris to clean out.
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What Is Breakpoint Oxidation
To reach breakpoint oxidation, the chlorine reading must be 10 ppm over your combined chlorine reading.
Your chlorine has two readings: free chlorine and combined chlorine . Free chlorine refers to the chlorine that is free and available to kill.
NOTE: Pool shock products are made with unstabilized chlorine or no chlorine at all. They will go in, do their job, and get eaten up by the suns UV rays very fast. Thats why its important to shock your pool at night or dusk, and let it work for 8 hours throughout the night.
Remove And Prevent Metal Stains With Metalfree
Over a long winter off-season, metals like copper and iron can build up in the pool and cause stains. These metals can be difficult to remove once they’ve reached concentrations where they’re staining the walls, so it’s best to attack them early. One initial dose of METALfree during spring opening can help neutralize the metals in your pool and prevent further staining on the walls and pool floor. METALfree also helps eliminate stained water that comes from having high metal content.
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Set Up And Run Your Filter And Pump
Reinstall the drain plugs in your pump and filter using thread seal tape. Lubricate any O-rings with pool gasket lubricant to protect them.
Use the same lubricant on your pump housing O-ring. If you see any cracks in that O-ring, replace it immediately to avoid sucking air into your pump. Your pool heater and chlorinator, if you have them, also have drain plugs.
Next, open your return side valves to be sure the water being pulled into your pump has somewhere to go. If you have a multiport valve, turn the handle to waste, and replace the air bleeder, sight glass, and pressure gauge.
Flip your circuit breaker, then turn on your pump. Once water is flowing through, your pump is primed. Take a look at your filter. Wash or replace it, if necessary. Switch your multiport valve to filter.
If you used antifreeze when you closed your pool, this process will expel from the lines. Most of it will come out while the valve is turned to waste, but a little of it may still make it into your pool water. Dont be concerned. The antifreeze made for pools is non-toxic, and the rest of it will be filtered out in subsequent filtering cycles.
Tip: If your pressure gauge shows a sudden spike, shut off your pump immediately. Check to make sure nothing is impeding water flow through your system. If necessary, you can prime the pool pump again.
How To Open A Pool For The Season
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How To Get Your Swimming Pool Ready For Summer
Here’s your eight-step guide to getting ready for lazy summer afternoons.
Opening your backyard swimming pool for the season takes more than filling it up and jumping in. Larry Biscornet, president of LBI Swimming Pools in New Rochelle, N.Y., has been in the swimming pool business for 50 years, and he knows the importance of opening a pool correctlyboth for the health of the swimmers and the pool. “If a swimming pool is opened properly, you can be assured of proper operation and chemical safety,” he says. Here’s your eight-step guide to getting ready for lazy summer afternoons.
Cyanuric Acid Or Stabilizer
Most chlorine products you add to the water will be stabilized chlorine. However, if you start with fresh water, you might want to add some cyanuric acid as a stabilizer base so that the chlorine doesnt get burned off by the suns UV rays so quickly. This chemical will protect your chlorine from the sun.
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Test The Pool Chemistry
Once the circulation system has been running for a few hours, test your pool water for pH, Total Alkalinity , and Chlorine levels with a test kit or test strips. Ideal levels should be:
- pH: 7.4 to 7.6
- Total Alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm
- Free Available Chlorine: 2.0 to 4.0 ppm
- Calcium Hardness: 200-400 ppm
DIY TIP: You can also being a water sample to your local Leslies for a free water test. Our pool experts will help you get the most comprehensive and precise chemistry analysis with the Leslie’s AccuBlue® water test, and you’ll receive a customized step-by-step plan to balance your water.
