Pool openings for Memorial Day weekend- during quarantine!

We have certainly had an unusual spring with many changes to our daily lives.  However, summer is fast approaching and now, more than ever, our families need to get their pools open so everyone can enjoy some swimming fun and water play!  Here are some tips and tools to help you get pools open fast and keep pools clean, clear and safe all summer long.

Solutions created by pool cleaners

Although many pool owners have relied on their local pool professional to open their pools in the past, bringing a pool professional into your backyard this year may not be an option.  Whether because your state is still in lock-down or your local pool professional is sick or you are not yet comfortable bringing someone into your backyard to open your pool, a DIY pool opening may be the best option.  While we always recommend working with a certified pool service professional, there are many new pool-cleaning tools available to help make the cleaning and opening process faster and easier for DIY pool owners. 

Getting Started

Before you get started, it’s important to have a few tools on hand.  Among others, some of the most helpful tools include a vacuum to waste system, a pool cover pump to pump water from the surface of your pool cover, a chemical start up kit, a water test kit and probably some shock. 

• Removing the Cover – When you are standing there wishing the debris and water on the pool cover would magically disappear remember that with just a little work and the right tools you could be swimming in crystal clear water tomorrow.  By opening your swimming pool correctly, you will be setting the stage for easy maintenance for the remainder of the season. The first priority is the removal of the cover.  Depending on the type of cover on your pool, the removal process maybe fairly simple or may require more time to pump off the water and brush off all the accumulated leaves, twigs, acorns, branches and silt from the winter.  The pool cover pump mentioned earlier can be very helpful if you have some sort of solid cover that has accumulated water or melted snow on the surface.  Once the water has been removed, it is best to have two people working together to remove the cover as they can be fairly heavy even after the water has been pumped off the surface.  Once remove, clean, dry and store the cover so it’s in good shape at the end of the season.

• Vacuuming the Debris – It’s very likely that while you were removing the pool cover, you unintentionally dropped debris from the cover into the pool.  Don’t worry because your vacuum to waste system will help you remove anything that fell into the water.  Begin cleaning the interior of the pool by thoroughly brushing and vacuuming the pool surfaces—both the floor and the walls.  Even if you had a solid cover, there may still be a fair amount of dirt and debris in your pool. 

• Scrub Pool – It’s always a good idea to give your pool a thorough vacuuming before shocking the pool.  This will prevent any algae or bacteria from clinging to the pool walls and will help your filtration system begin to eliminate algae spores that may be present. Brushing and vacuuming the surfaces of the pool should prevent future algae problems.  Disturbing algae on the surfaces will knock them to the floor to be picked up by your pool vacuum. Additionally, these battery powered pool vacuums come with scrub brush heads to scrub pool walls and floors so that algae won’t cling to these surfaces. This is an important point to stress because pool vacuums help protect the pool surfaces by keeping both algae from clinging to pool surfaces and keeping pools clean and clear. Pools can turn green in as little as two weeks and will breed mosquitoes that can carry West Nile, Zika, and more. Keeping algae at bay will ensure your pool water remains clean, clear and safe.

• Filter, Balance and Clarify – Once all the majority of the debris has been removed from the pool, it’s time to reconnect all of your equipment, turn on the filter and let it run for 24 hours. The filter will take out most of the small remaining debris, dead algae spores, silt or other particles that remain in the pool water. Once you have run the filtration system for 24 hours, go back in to the pool with your battery-powered pool vacuum and pick up any additional debris that might have accumulated in corners or areas with less water movement. After the filtration system has run overnight, the next step generally involves shocking the pool water to remove bacteria and contaminants.  You may even need to backwash the filter to ensure the filter is clean.  If the pool water still looks a little cloudy after cleaning and adding the initial shock, you may want to add a pool water clarifier to help filter out the micron sized particles that may be keeping the water from looking crystal clear.  It’s very important to use your water test kit to ensure the water chemistry levels and sanitizer are correct to ensure that swimmers don’t get sick or get rashes.  Water chemistry protocol needs to be observed closely to ensure against other water problems or algae outbreaks. https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/residential/index.html

Your Pool is Open!

You have done it! The sun is shining, temperatures are rising and your pool is open!  Now, more than in years past, you and your family are really going to enjoy your pool and backyard.  Just to be safe, be sure to test your water again before allowing anyone into the pool to ensure chlorine levels are appropriate and water chemistry is balanced.  Now, more than ever, it’s important to follow recommended water sanitizing levels to ensure your pool water is safe and clean. 

Keep those vacs handy! 

Your Water Tech vacuum will ensure that the pool remains spotless all summer.  Keep your vac charged and ready for spot cleaning the pool before you get in the water each day. The Water Tech vacs even come with a crevice corner nozzle to get dirt out of tight corners and around the step area. 

Additionally, if your pool is under trees or in an area where wind frequently blows leaves into your pool, consider purchasing a battery-powered leaf vac– a cordless skimming vac for top-side and bottom dwelling leaves that makes leaf removal fast and easy.  The Leaf-Vac even incorporates a mesh, high capacity filter bag for beginning and end-of-season efficiency. Remember to also vacuum the pool completely two to three times a week. Brush the sides and bottom of your pool as this will loosen dirt and other particles that may adhere to pool finish to keep the pool surfaces and pool water clean.

This Memorial Day weekend, let’s be thankful for our family, our health and the luxury of having a clean swimming pool to enjoy this summer.