Pool Opening 101: Leaf the Hard Work to Your Pool Leaf Vac

Summer is right around the corner and families are looking to get their pools open after a long-winter so everyone can enjoy swimming fun and water play! As pool covers are removed, it’s typical to find unwanted leaves that have accumulated on the pool water surface as well as the pool floor. But never fear, pool leaf cleaners are available to open pools quickly and easily, while pool cleaners keep pools clean, clear and safe all summer long.

Get Started Opening Your Pool

Before you get started, it’s important to have a few tools on hand. Some of the most helpful tools include a pool leaf cleaner and a cordless hand-held battery-powered pool vacuum with brush attachments. It’s also helpful to have a pool cover pump to suck water from the surface of your pool cover, a chemical start-up kit, a water test kit, and shock.

Remove the Pool Cover

While we all wish the leaves, debris, and water on the pool cover would magically disappear, remember that with a little work and the right tools you could be swimming in crystal clear water tomorrow. By opening your swimming pool correctly, you set the stage for easy maintenance for the remainder of the season.

Depending on the type of pool cover, the removal process may be fairly simple or may require more time to pump 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 a solid pool cover that has accumulated water or melted snow on the surface. Once the water has been removed, have two people working together to remove the cover,  as covers can be heavy even after the water has been pumped off the surface. Once removed, clean, dry, and store the cover to keep it in good shape.

Vacuum the Debris

It’s highly likely that while you were removing the pool cover, you unintentionally dropped leaves and debris from the cover into the pool. Don’t worry because your pool leaf cleaner 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 haved a solid pool cover on the pool over the winter, there may still be a fair amount of dirt and debris in your pool. Our Pool Blaster Leaf Vac offers an easy-to-use, push-button operation and can be attached to any standard telescopic pool pole to easily remove leaves from the pool water surface or from the pool floor.

Hot tip: Pool leaf cleaners are not only helpful for pool openings, but they make leaf removal easy throughout the summer!

Many agree that cordless, light-weight (under 6lbs), battery- powered pool vacuums are one of the best tools to have when opening pools. Unlike cumbersome hoses and water-powered cleaners, our pool cleaners are engineered to capture debris including acorns, twigs, leaves, dirt and sand and keep them contained within a large filter bag for easy disposal.

Scrub the Pool

It’s always a good idea to give your pool a thorough brush and vacuuming before shocking the pool. This will prevent any algae or bacteria from clinging to pool walls and will help your filtration system begin to eliminate algae spores. Brushing and vacuuming the surfaces of the pool should prevent future algae problems. Disturbing algae on the pool surfaces will knock them to the pool floor to be picked up from the pool floor by your pool vacuum.

When brushing the pool, most pool professionals agree that it’s best to start in the shallow end and move toward the deep end. Our battery-powered pool cleaners come with scrub brush heads to scrub pool walls and floors so that algae won’t cling to these surfaces. Pools can turn green in as little as two weeks, fostering a breeding ground for mosquitoes and more. Keeping algae at bay with a pool cleaner will ensure your pool water remains clean, clear, and safe.

Filter, Balance, and Clarify

Once most of the debris has been removed, 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. By using leaf and pool vacuums first, you help your filter perform better and avoid damage caused by large debris. Once the filtration system has run for 24 hours, use your pool cleaners to pick up any additional debris that might have accumulated in corners or areas with less water movement.

The next step 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 cloudy after cleaning and adding the initial shock, add a pool water clarifier to help filter out the micron-sized particles. It’s 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 rashes. Water chemistry protocol needs to be observed closely to ensure against other water problems or algae outbreaks.

Your Pool is Open!

You have done it! The sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and your pool is open. Just to be safe, test your water again before allowing anyone into the pool to ensure chlorine levels are appropriate and water chemistry is balanced. Even if the pool water looks sparkly clean, it’s important to follow recommended water sanitizing levels to ensure your pool water is safe and clean.

Keep Those Vacs Handy!

Not only did your new powerful, cordless, pool vacuums help you get your pool open, but they will ensure that your pool remains spotless all summer. Be sure to keep your pool vacuums charged and ready for spot-cleaning before you get in the water each day. Water Tech pool vacuums even come with crevice corner nozzles to get dirt out of tight corners and around the step area.

If your pool is under trees or in an area where wind frequently blows leaves into your pool, your pool leaf vacuum provides an easy, cordless skimming both on the pool water surface as well as fast and easy removal from the pool floor. Remember to completely vacuum the pool two to three times a week. Brushing the sides and bottom of your pool will loosen dirt and other particles that may adhere to pool finish to keep the pool surfaces and pool water clean.

Get ready to enjoy your sparking-clean pool this summer!