Among the secrets to managing your swimming pool is to close your pool at the end of the season the right way and if you do, then it makes the job of opening your pool in spring much easier and less expensive. Use this format when you decide it’s time to start. Using these proven techniques in the right sequence, you can open an Inground swimming Pool fast, on a weekend or as little as 2 days. How to open an inground pool?
- Remove Pool Cover-Clean-Store away
- Re-assemble Filtering System-Add H2O level
- Set filter to Re-circulate
- Add quality Algaecide-brush & scrub pool walls & floor
- Mix & add a Flocculant-Let work overnight
- Vacuum settled debris to waste on filter
- Set pH to 7.4-7.8 & Alkalinity 100-120 ppm
- Super-chlorinate-Filter
This article explains how to open inground swimming pools. Nothing works quite as well on a winter pool as a good ole fashion hand-cleaning with a garden hose used in conjunction with these fine pool products. This may be a tiny bit different but I have used this sequence for more than 30 years on my Inground swimming pool with great success.
How to Open an Inground Pool
Day 1
Begin by cleaning up the Pool Area- Once the winter is over you need to peel back the cover over your swimming pool and take a peek. If you cleaned the area that is under the cover along with the pool, then you will have less to do. Any organic matter that was trapped underneath usually can stain concrete or the filtering system that was exposed to the elements. So if you read my post 10 Easy Steps to Winterizing an Inground Pool you’ll see we started off with Cleaning up the Pool Area.
There is no magic in a bottle that substitutes for keeping poolside along with the Filtering and any storage area that is exposed to the elements clean and manageable. This not only makes things easier but protects valuable equipment that keeps the Pool water, filter, and pumps in tip-top shape and ready to go. It’s time to open up your inground pool for another season.
Pool Opening Steps Open Plugs on Filtering System
Remove and Clean Cover- However, if your cover is attached to the pool, you will need the same equipment that holds the cover on the pool at the end of this upcoming season. So if your pool uses water backs or straps to keep everything together then clean the cover and equipment stretch it out and dry it the best you can. Fold up the cover-up after it dries and stores it properly in a Storage Box or Shed that you use at the Pool to store equipment and cover Chemicals.
Re-assemble the Filtering system- Before the winter you hopefully blew out the pool lines to prevent freezing and drained the filter and heater. Uncover the pump, and add the baskets, plugs for the pump, and pressure gauges. Attach the Backwash Hose back to the filter. Attach the vacuum. Power on the breakers and prime the pump through the vacuum.
Clean the Inside of The Pool- Before adding any chemicals and vacuuming the Pool you will need to remove any organic and inorganic material that may have gotten into the pool during the winter. The less material in the pool the better and faster the Pool will respond to the chemicals you add in a few days. Try and use a skimmer or leave a basket for as much material as possible.
The more you physically remove the less amount you have to try to vacuum out of the inside of the Pool which will only be harder, longer, and waste more energy. Organic material absorbs and wastes chemicals. Leaves and twigs inside the swimming pool or debris on the pool walls and floor suck up and waste chemicals. Get it Out!
*If antifreeze was added to your skimmer for winterization: Begin the process of evacuating it. If you have a DE or sand filter, turn the handle of your multiport valve to “waste.” This will push all of the antifreeze to the waste line as the pump runs. For a cartridge filter, simply use a dry shop vacuum on the skimmer line to pull out the antifreeze.
Open Inground Pool Filter System
Re-circulate the Filtering System- Once the inside of the Pool is clean, turn the Filtering system on and set the filter to Recirculate.
Add a quality Algaeside like In The Swim Swimming Pool Algaecide 60 Plus – 1/2 Gallon while adding more water to the pool, which was drained when you dropped the pool’s water level down in the Fall and put the cover on. There is a reason to use a quality Algaeside now and when you close your pool in the Fall.
If you try and buy it at a discount you will just need more. With something like this product, you will get a better result and won’t have to buy and waste more time. This Algaeside only takes around 16 oz. per 10,000 gallons.
You won’t use all of it even if you are scrubbing and cleaning the floors and walls of the pool for the first time since last season. It’s not affected by pH and since your pool won’t be stabilized yet, well then it’s one thing left to worry about.
Use your appropriate amount of Algaecide initially and save the rest for regular maintenance either once a week or every other week according to the manufacturer’s directions as a preventative before Algae blooms appear in your pool or if you mess up and need to start from scratch. Make sure to brush your pool’s walls and floors on the top and sides of the steps if there are some.
Adjust pH and Superchlorinate- In order for the chlorine to work its best, the pH comes into play so adjust it accordingly to 7.2-7.6 then add Superclorinate to the pool water. Again try and get the best quality chemicals because if you try and save money and get a deal, you most probably got what was leftover from last year.
Super chlorinate with a strong quality product. Check the back of the bag or container for the amount of Available Chlorine 70% is good and the percent Sodium Hypochlorite aims for 70- 75% also look for a fast-dissolving Shock that will dissolve before it has a chance to lay on the bottom of the pool. Broadcast the Shock Chlorine as you walk around the Pool and of course, pay attention to Algae spots and the deep middle part of the pool. The Pool should be a cloudy white color.
Allows it to be vacuumed into the filter or out to waste and working all while the Pool is circulating all night long. It works faster on the higher side of pH 7.4 and 7.8.
You can bump it if you want to so that the Pool settles out more thoroughly at its optimum level. This is why I don’t adjust Alkalinity until afterward. Adjust the Ph a pinch and let the Flocculant work overnight. When you wake, your Pool will have a strange blue glow to it and all the particles of algae and anything else that was involved with the cloudy water will be settled out on the floor of the pool.
Inground Swimming Pool Water Chemistry Steps
Day 2
Vacuum the Pool- Now that the water clarity is maximum you’ll be able to see the settled out collection of floc and debris that you can vacuum directly off the bottom. You can take the biggest collection and vacuum the debris to waste then switch over to filter at your filtering system at continue to vacuum the rest of the pool.
Balance the Pool’s Water Chemistry- water chemistry dictates the health of the water in your pool. A proper pH level keeps makes the water comfortable and keeps it from losing its sanitizing capability. A person’s tears have a pH of about 7.5 pH. If the pH is too low it can bother a swimmer’s skin and eyes.
If the pH is too high the water can be destructive to the swimming pool. High pH creates cloudy water in your pool and more importantly, if the pH is too high or low it will affect pool shock chlorine from sanitizing capability. This is the #1 reason that pH is tested throughout the week along with the Chlorine residual.
They are 2 tests you need to run to keep your pool from turning green and becoming uncontrollable. Just like in most articles about keeping your Pool no matter what kind of pool you own, the most important test that you run is TA at the beginning of the season when Testing Pool Water.
Pool Test Steps
Total Alkalinity or TA.-In swimming pool water or any kind of water Alkalinity is an important step in keeping stability and chemical working especially chlorine. Water contains ionic compounds that are Alkaline in nature. They act as a buffer for keeping the pH in your pool from slipping. Think of it as a muscle for pH. The stronger the muscle in pH the less chance that it moves up or down leaving that ideal range in pH that is needed for the optimum level to keep your pool water sanitized properly
Retest- Acceptable range for Total Alkalinity levels is between 90-140 ppm, however, the ideal range is between 100 to 120 ppm. You should check the total alkalinity levels once a week using a simple test kit. If your Total Alkalinity is outside of this range, then adjust the total alkalinity by adding sodium bicarbonate baking soda to raise it or sodium bisulfate dry acid o lower it. Be sure to replace the reagents in your test kit every season for the best results.
Now that you adjusted Alkalinity wait about 4-6 hours and adjust the pH and chlorine along with-Total hardness in swimming pools is a measure of all the dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. The recommended level for calcium hardness is 200 – 400 ppm and both high and low levels result in swimming pool problems.
Pool Season Maintenance Steps
Once owners open up their pools they should set up and develop a maintenance plan where they can make time to put in a few hours a week for the physical process part of keeping swimming whether it’s an in-ground or smaller Above ground Swimming Pool. Brush the inside area of the pool.
This will allow the filter to pick up organic material that hides throughout an Inground Pool. Concrete, Plaster, and Cement have crevices and dimples where material can cloud your pool. Algae can hide in small places where they can colonize and develop. This affects chlorine and pH then eventually the whole pool.
It’s very important that Scrubbing and Brushing are added to the pool care process and be done at least once a week as part of the maintenance plan that you decide on. It will save you money over the course of the season. You can use what’s left of your Flocculant or a Clarifier to help any material settle out to the bottom of the pool.
This will open up hiding places and makes it easily accessible for vacuuming. Buy a quality pool vacuum you won’t regret it. Check out our recommended pool vacuum on Amazon- Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Automatic Robotic Pool Cleaner
Pools are an investment for the future of your property so protect them and make them last and enjoyable without going broke. Like my old man used to say “There’s no substitute for hard work-it doesn’t come in a bottle or can” If you want your pool up and running in a few days, start at the end of the season. Use this sequence and with a little more work, testing, and the proper use of chemicals not to mention the time to do it, you’ll have it up and running in a couple of days. It’s the fastest way!
Once your pool is open, Master it by conditioning your pool water for comfortable swims can be as easy as keeping control of the water’s chemistry read the article on MyWaterEarth&Sky for some of my best tips called How To Make Water In Your Swimming Pool Soft Silky Smooth
Have a Great Summer!
JimGalloway Author/Editor
