The swimming pool opening is one of those things that can be very easy to do if done correctly. There are many things that can also go wrong when opening your swimming pool, only to cause damage to the pool or filter system during the pool season. If you have never opened your swimming pool before it can be a scary experience.
Knowing how to do things right the first time when opening your swimming pool will not only save your time, but also save you money as well. If you know how to properly take care of your swimming pool equipment then you will save money on your pool openings for sure. These little swimming pool open tricks and tips seem like small things but if not taken seriously the alternative can wind up costing you a lot of money.
For instance if you were to store your winter swimming pool cover in an area that is prone to insects, chances are the insects would chew small holes through your cover. This would mean you either would have to repair the pool cover or replace it and this could have been prevented if you put the cover in the right place. That is just a small example of what could go wrong on a pool opening without you even realizing it until it was to late.
Proper Water Bag And Cover Removal:
You will want to remove all the debris and the water from the top of the swimming pool cover before trying to remove it, the cover will be heavy and to weight to much for you to just lift off if there is anything on top of it. Once you have removed all the debris and water from the cover you will want to wash the cover and the pool water bags well. Failure to properly clean your swimming pool cover can cause the cover to stink and become moldy. When the cover starts to stink like mold then often it’s to late and you will then need to buy a new cover. Pool covers are expensive; so make sure to clean your cover well.
After you wash the pool cover and the water bags you will want to let them air dry for a few hours before folding them up to make sure that they are completely dry, if out away wet mold could reform. Once the pool cover and the water bags are dry you can fold them and store them into a cool dry place for the summer. You will need the water bags and the cover for the swimming pool closing so make sure to put them in a safe place. If you choose to not store your pool cover in a safe place small animals can destroy it during the summer time. Often small animals like to nest inside the pool cover and they will also eat the plastic causing damage. Once they start nesting inside the pool cover they will eat the pool cover leaving you will a cover full of holes. This is why it’s best to store the cover is a safe, dry cool place.
Making Sure Your Filter In Working Order:
Before you turn on your swimming pool filter system you will want to make sure that the filter is clean and ready to go. If you own a swimming pool with a DE filter then you will want to take your filter tank apart and thoroughly wash the filter grids. This will ensure that your DE filter works at its best throughout the swimming pool season. If your swimming pool has a sand filter then you will want to make sure you backwash the filter really well before running the pool. If your sand is more then 5 years old you will want to replace it.
Properly Shocking The Swimming Pool During The Opening:
Shocking The Swimming pool and adjusting the pool chemicals the right way from the star will save you money during the pool season. To often pool owners only add a tiny bit of swimming pool shock and don’t get the results they expect. When opening a swimming pool you have to remember that the pool water has not been filtered for at least six months so you will have to “shock it hard” as they say in the swimming pool industry. On the side of the swimming pool shock bag or container there will be two different sets of dosage instructions. You will want to make sure to shock the swimming pool with the right amount of shock that is suggested by the manufacturer of the shock brand.
There are two different does that can be done with shock. One is called maintenance dose and one is meant for times like this when you’re opening the pool. You will usually see something on the side of the package like: “add one LB pool shock per 7,500 gallons of water” or similar instructions depending on the brand of pool shock. Remember you will want to shock the pool with the full dosage and not the maintenance dosage because that will not be strong enough. Failure to not add enough shock at the time of the pool opening can cause the algae and the bacteria in the pool to keep growing your pool water may never get clean. It’s always best to add the right amount of shock treatment into the pool at start up.
Swimming Pool Pump Start Up Tips:
Most swimming pool pumps will have a number of areas that could easily pull air into the pump which can cause your pump not to start or fully prime. You will want to make sure that you have Teflon taped all the drain plugs on the pump; this will prevent air suction leaks. You also will want to make sure that the PVC fittings that are screwed into the discharge and suction side are also tight. Sometimes these fittings can loosen up on the closing and will have to be re tightened on the pool opening.
Before you can start your pool pump you will have to add water to the pump. Even though the pump may say it is self-priming you will still need to add water to it, which is called “priming the pump”. What you will want to do is to take a bucket full of water and slowly pour it into the pump until the volute or strainer basket is full of water. Once the pump is full of water you will want to put the pump cover on and tighten down securely. Your swimming pool pump is now considered primed. Make sure that you also open both the suction and discharge valves on your system if you have them. If you still need help and you cannot get your pump to run you will have to troubleshoot your swimming pool pump to find out what is wrong with it. Swimming pool pump troubleshooting can only take a few minutes to perform and will save you lots of money because you can determine right away what is wrong with your pool pump.
Make Sure To Set The Swimming Pool Filter System Timer:
One of the most common mistakes at the time of the swimming pool opening is that the swimming pool timer is never set properly causing the pool water not to filter long enough. You will need to run your swimming pool filter for at least 48 – 72 hours after removing the pool cover. Failure to properly remove all the debris and bacteria out of the swimming pool water at start up may cause the pool to have constant algae growth all during the swimming pool season.
You will want to remove your timer pins and run the pool filter while back washing the swimming pool as needed. If you see your pressure start to rise or your swimming pool return jets start to slow down you will need to backwash the filter.
After your swimming pool water has completely cleared up and the 72 hours have passed you will want to set the pool timer to run at least 6 – 8 hours a day depending on your pool size. It’s also best to run the swimming pool filter at nighttime.
