Opening a pool is a lot easier with a plan. Use this checklist whether you open the pool yourself or want to know what a professional opening should cover.
Before you start
- Gather supplies: a cover pump, soft broom, test kit or strips, sanitizer, shock, and your plugs and fittings from last fall.
- Check that the electrical supply to your equipment is on and the breaker is working.
- Have a garden hose ready to top up the water.
1. Remove and store the cover
- Pump standing water and sweep debris off the cover before removing it, so the mess stays out of the pool.
- Clean, dry and fold the cover, and store it off the ground away from rodents.
- Safety cover? Retract the anchors so nobody trips on them.
2. Clean the deck and waterline
- Clean the waterline tile or liner, the coping and the deck.
- Reinstall ladders, handrails, diving boards and other deck equipment.
3. De-winterize the equipment
- Remove winter plugs from the skimmer and returns, and reinstall the return fittings.
- Reconnect the pump, filter and heater, and replace drain plugs.
- Raise the water to the middle of the skimmer opening.
4. Start the system
- Prime the pump and start it. Check for leaks at unions, valves and the filter.
- Note the filter pressure once the system is running clean. This is your baseline.
- Have a qualified technician light and check a gas heater. Do not relight it if you smell gas.
5. Balance and sanitize the water
- Test pH, total alkalinity, sanitizer, calcium hardness and stabilizer.
- Adjust alkalinity first, then pH, then shock the pool.
- Run the filter continuously for the first few days.
6. The first week
- Brush and vacuum daily until the water is clear. Heavy debris may need more than one vacuum.
- Clean or backwash the filter as the pressure rises.
- Retest the water every day or two until readings hold steady.
Let us handle it
Poolmaster’s opening packages range from cover removal and start-up to a full drain and clean. Bring a water sample to our store for testing, or let our CPO-certified technicians do it all.
Want a professional opening? Request a quote or call 416-449-1450.
