Opening Your Swimming Pool

Article originally written by Alan E. Sanderfoot for Pool & Spa Living magazine.

If you live in a climate with a seasonal swim season, spring means it's time to get ready for months of aquatic enjoyment—that is, after one day or so to open your swimming pool. Although you can always hire a pool service company to open your pool for you, many homeowners take pride in doing it themselves.

These procedures may vary depending on the type of swimming pool you have and your location, but as a general rule, here are the steps for an easy pool-prepping regimen:

1. Clean the cover and deck.

Before removing the pool cover, clean the deck area to prevent debris from being swept into the swimming pool; this also gives you an area for preparing the pool cover for storage without the worry of scattered twigs and stones causing punctures. A small, portable pump is ideal to remove any standing water on the cover; a hose and broom are great for sweeping debris and dirt toward a side for easy clean-up—and to prevent contaminants from entering the swimming pool when you move the cover to the deck, notes Thomas Cal Brown, executive vice president of Aquatech, a society of pool-building professionals.

2. Remove and store the pool cover.

If you have an automatic swimming pool cover, you're set. If it's a winterizing cover, however, get a friend or two to help you remove the cover and lay it on the deck. There, it can be scrubbed with a mild detergent, hosed and allowed to dry thoroughly before it's folded and stored in a clean, dry place. "Too many times I hear about homeowners storing their expensive cover in a dirty state or with moisture present, only to find cover rot and mildew staining when they retrieve their cover from storage," warns Brown. Hint: Damaged pool covers are best repaired in the spring; cover professionals tend to be extremely busy in the fall.

3. Remove the plugs.

If the swimming pool was winterized properly, there should be plastic plugs in all of the water inlets; these plugs keep water out of the pipes leading from the pool to the equipment, where it could freeze and crack the pipes. Remove them now. If your pool equipment was winterized with antifreeze, you'll need to lower the water level in the pool until it's below these inlets. Then remove the plugs and drain the antifreeze into a bucket.

4. Reconnect light fixtures.

In some areas, swimming pool companies recommend lowering the water level for winterizing. In this event, underwater light fixtures are usually removed from their housing—wires still connected—to prevent lights from cracking when water freezes. If your light fixtures were removed, carefully coil the wire back inside the niche and snap the fixture in place. If the water is not lowered, light fixtures are often left alone because the water shouldn't freeze deep enough to damage them.

5. Reinstall deck equipment.

If deck equipment—ladders, handrails, diving boards and slides—was removed, reattach it. Make sure you reconnect any grounding wires that were attached to metal parts and spray a nut and bolt lubricant (available at most hardware stores) on all bolts to prevent them from rusting.

6. Reinstall skimmer baskets and fittings.

If you have an inground pool and removed the skimmer, placing a winter plate in its place, remove the plate. Also hook up any hoses from the skimmer and return jets that lead to the pump and filter. For all swimming pools, insert removable skimmer baskets (that catch the large debris before it enters the filtration system). Lids recessed in the deck make it easy to access the baskets for quick cleaning; if stored away for winter, replace them now.

7. Examine the pool shell.

If you have a concrete or fiberglass pool, look for irregularities such as cracks in the waterline tile, chips in the plaster, or depressions in the pool deck or coping. Minor repairs can be made yourself with the advice of a pool professional; more serious irregularities should be handled by the pros. If you have a vinyl-lined pool, look for tears and washouts, which occur when excessive groundwater caused by heavy rains or quick thaws erode the sand beneath the pool's vinyl floor—resulting in the liner's resting on sharp rocks and stones. Small tears in vinyl can be repaired with a patch kit, available at most pool supply stores.

8. Reconnect the pump, filter and heater.

Assuming everything is good up until this point, reinstall the pump (if you removed it), the filter and the heater (if you have one). Make sure all the fittings are clean and tight, and replace any drainage plugs, valves and pressure gauges that were removed. "Many times O-rings will have dried or become damaged by the freeze/thaw cycle and need to be replaced," Brown says. "Inspect O-rings and gaskets for wear, and be sure all have been lubricated with the proper lubricant." Because of the variety of swimming pool equipment on the market, consult owner's manuals for proper start-up procedures.

9. Fill the swimming pool.

The water level should reach midpoint on the waterline tile or to the middle of any skimmer weirs. While you're waiting, use household tile cleaner to remove any scale or stains from the tile so that it looks as good as new.

10. Turn on the power.

When a swimming pool is winterized, the power should be turned off at the circuit breaker. Switch the breaker back on, leaving the equipment turned off until you can get back to the swimming pool. Make sure that all valves are in the open position, and fill the pump with water so it primes properly. Then turn on the circulation system and look for leaks, split hoses and cracks. If you encounter a damaged part, turn off the power until a service technician has made the necessary repairs.

11. Treat the water.

If the swimming pool is relatively clear, test for sanitizer residual, pH and alkalinity using convenient all-in-one test strips or test kits. To ensure accurate readings, make sure you are using fresh test strips and reagents by checking the expiration date; avoid using strips and reagents that are more than a year old. Most professionals recommend shocking the pool water upon reopening the swimming pool to kill any bacteria and algae and to burn any organic waste in the water. Use the label instructions on the pool shock you use to determine how much to add. You'll want to add enough to raise the chlorine level to 3.0 parts per million. If your pool is green with algae, the shock will help, but you may also need to add an algicide, following the package directions.

12. Run the system until the swimming pool is clean.

After letting the filter run for 24 hours, vacuum any debris from the bottom and retest the water. Don't let anyone swim in the pool until the water is properly balanced and sanitized. In some cases, it may take several days of filter operation to clarify a swimming pool. Some experts recommend reducing the pump operation 1 hour per day until you reach your normal filtration cycle time. During the first few days of operation, it may be necessary to backwash or clean the filter several times, depending on how dirty the water was when you started.

13. Enjoy!