8 Easy Steps For a Successful Above Ground Pool Opening

Temps are on the rise, which means it is TIME FOR YOUR POOL OPENING! 

The indicator that summer is right around the corner  (other than all those end of year school activities) is getting your above ground pool opened up and ready to go...  Some people dread this process, but we are here to help!  We have outlined 8 steps to getting your pool opened up.  While there may be a bit of 'fine-tuning' needed for your chemicals to be perfectly in balance, these steps should get you 90 - 95% of the way!

1. REMOVE YOUR POOL COVER:  Clean off the pool cover of leaves or debris (a leaf blower works pretty good here as long as things are dry), remove the cover from the pool, allow the cover to dry and then fold up and store for your pool closing.
2. RE-INSTALL POOL EQUIPMENT:  Re-install your pump if you brought it in for the winter.  Hook up all of your pump and filter hoses that were disconnected at closing.  Put the drain cap back on the filter and the drain plug back into the pump.  Turn your multi-port valve to 'Backwash' setting.
3. FILL YOUR POOL:  Fill the pool back up to the correct water level as indicated on your skimmer plate.  Once filled, unplug the skimmer and return jets and backwash and rinse the sand filter.
4. VACUUM DEBRIS:  Vacuum any debris from the bottom of the pool.  Backwash and rinse your filter - you may need to add water to your pool at this point depending on how long your filter needs to be backwashed.
5. BALANCE PH AND TOTAL ALKALINITY:  Add 2 ounces of Pure 'N Blue Fresh per 1,000 gallons of pool water.  Run your pump for 24 hours with your filter on the 'Filter' setting and then test your pool water.  Balance your pH and Alkalinity.  You may need pH Reducer, Alkalinity Increaser or Muriatic Acid to get your water to acceptable readings of 7.2 - 7.6 and 60 - 120 respectively.
6. ADD 'HELPER' CHEMICALS:  Once your pH and Alkalinity are balanced, add up to one bottle of Natural Chemistry Pool Magic Spring & Fall and up to 1 bottle of Natural Chemistry Scale Free (amount added depends on the size of your pool and gallons of water).  Add these chemicals in the morning and allow your pump to run all day on the 'Filter' setting.  **If you are a chlorine based pool, you will add Combat 60 in lieu of Scale Free.
7. ADD SANITIZER:  Test your copper level that night and add Pure N Blue Clear according to the chart and your copper reading, and 1-3 bags of chlorine shock, depending on the size of your pool.
8. FILTER:  Allow the last chemicals to filter through your pool overnight with your pump on high - test your chemicals the next day and make any necessary adjustments to fine - tune your readings.  Next step .... add toys & kids!

The above steps will work for chlorine based pools as well - you will follow the same steps, simply excluding the Pure 'N Blue products that are added, and you will not need to test a copper level. 

If your pool is a chlorine based pool, you will want to test your cyanuric acid level to ensure it is in the appropriate range of 30 - 150.  If it is above 150, you will want to backwash and fresh fill your pool until your cyanuric level is lowered.

If you need any help troubleshooting your pool chemicals, we have a free water lab in our store and can get you back on track.

 Happy Summer Swimming Season!