It’s that time of year again when swimming pool owners across the country pull back the cover on their swimming pool and find out how much work they have to do to get the pool ready for summer. If you closed the pool properly last fall and kept up with it over the winter, you should be OK. If not, you may have a little more work to do this spring.
The first thing you have to do is to remove the cover. Most people will have some dirty rainwater or melted snow in the cover mixed with leaves, pine needles, and other debris. Carefully remove the debris and pump out the water. If you have an older cover with holes that water can seep through, get as much of the dirty water out without forcing any into the pool or pumping out too much pool water.
Take the cover off being careful not to let any remaining water or debris fall into the pool. Hopefully the water in the pool will be as clear as it was when you closed the pool last fall. Remove plugs from all of the lines and turn the power on to the pump.
If necessary, fill the pool up to the proper level, start the pump, and check for any leaks that may have developed over the winter. If all is well, let the pump run for a few hours to circulate the water and then check the condition of the pool water. Add any chemicals needed to bring it into the proper balance.
Once the pool is opened, regular pool maintenance will be needed to keep the water sparkling clear. You can do it yourself or save yourself the trouble by hiring a good pool service.
