Spring is a great time of year, but it brings some seasonal “chores” and for many of us that includes the chore of reviving a dormant pool. Depending on your local climate, this can be a big problem or a non-event. For those of you in warm climates who run your pumps year-round, I’ll just remind you to increase run times as your water warms. That plus the usual advice to keep your pH in line and your filter clean. If you’re lucky enough to have a saltwater pool, check its salinity to see if winter rains have diluted its salt content, and add salt as needed.
For pool owners in cold climate areas, opening the pool is more complicated and much will depend on whether or not the pool has been covered and if proper steps were taken at the time of closing in the fall.
If your pool was nice and clean at closing time, and you kept it covered over the winter, your job should be easy. My best advice has to do with timing. Open your pool while the water is still very cold; sixty degrees or less. And most importantly, don’t remove the cover until there is some disinfectant in the water. It might look pretty good when you peak under cover, but there are probably plenty of microscopic algae plants waiting for the ole sun to turn them green. Fill your pool to the proper level, set your filter valve to “recirculate” or “bypass” and turn on your pump. Make sure your skimmers are free and clear and you have good circulation. If you have one, turn your salt system control to 100% or press the Super-Chlor button. After five to six hours, check your pH and balance as needed. If you don’t have a salt system, now is the time to add some chlorine. For this purpose, I like granular Di-chloro. It’s a bit pricey but it won’t drive you crazy trying to fix the pH. It also contains Cy-Acid, the stabilizer that will protect your chlorine from the sun when you remove the cover. If you can feel silt on the side of your pool, I also recommend using a high-quality algaecide, but only after the Di-Chlor has been in the water for eight to twelve hours.
Allow your pump to run continuously for 48 hours. You can now remove the pool cover and turn the filter valve to the “filter” position. Continue to run your pump for another 48 hours, keeping an eye on the pressure gauge and cleaning the filter media as necessary. When everything looks good, go back to your normal filtration times and get ready to enjoy your pool!
