The cold weather is finally returning to where it came from, and that promise of summer is in the air. With that, of course, come the images of long summer days lounging by the pool. Yes, it is almost time for everyone’s favourite backyard activity. However, as any pool owner can tell you, there is one big spring time hurdle that needs to be cleared before the fun in the sun can begin: the pool opening.
Hopefully this was not you, however, thanks to our long warm spring last year, D&D Pools in Orangeville found that a lot of people were opening their pools and finding murky green water. Since we want to enjoy another warm spring while also avoiding algae filled pools, we sat down with D&D Pools to give you a quick rundown on the best pool opening practices.
The biggest thing that contributed to the increase of green pools last year was not getting the pools open quickly enough. It’s important that you get the cover off of your pool as soon as the ice melts. We know that it feels strange to be even thinking about your pool before the May long weekend, but if the temperature allows it, you need to get the process started. Algae growth doesn’t care about the date on the calendar; it just needs the warmth to feed off.
Once the cover is off, you can check the water level. If it is above the jets, you can “shock” it with chlorine. As a rule of thumb, you want to add 10L of liquid chlorine for every 40L of water in your pool. If you use chlorine crystals then you want 4 cups or 4 packets per 40L of water. If, unfortunately, you have opened up to very green water, you are going to want to double the amount of chlorine that you put in.
At this point, you have a couple of options. The easiest one is to contact D&D Pools. They provide both Spring clean-up and pool opening services. Once you’ve contacted them, simply ensure that the water is above the jets, and they will take care of the rest. However, if you are more of a hands-on person, then we have a few more tips that you can follow to get your pool into tip-top shape.
The first one is patience. This applies even if you do call D&D Pools, as they will do all the work, but they can’t make nature go faster. Spring cleaning the pool is a multiday process, if not a multiweek one. You will need to continue to add chlorine to your pool until it’s milky blue. It does not have to be clear, but the green has to be gone. Only chlorine will remove algae buildup. Adding anything else or trying to balance before you’ve reached that milky blue stage will just be wasting your time and product.
If you have a salt water pool, get your salt in as fast as possible. If your water is particularly bad, consider adding a shock of chlorine to get things moving. You can add chlorine to a salt pool without damaging it.
Another thing you need to be sure to do is be thorough with the cleaning out of the pool. Any organic matter in your water will contribute to algae growth. Skim as much as you can see on that first day, and then be sure to skim again once the water has cleared enough for you to see the bottom of your pool.
You also want to make sure that you reconnect everything, turning on your pump and filter. This will get the water moving, ensuring that the chlorine that you are adding moves around the entire pool. It also gives you the chance to make sure everything is working before you get too far into the opening process. While you are checking your mechanics, it is also a good time to look at your sand, liner and pool cover. Again, it will make both your opening and pool season run more smoothly if you get ahead of any problems before they come up.
Once you’ve completed all of this, there is nothing else to do but make sure that you stay on top of the chlorination process all season, and enjoy your pool! To help with that enjoyment, you can book D&D Pools in to make regular visits for summer maintenance, allowing you to really relax—and don’t miss their big Spring Sale on the first Saturday of May. This is the ideal time to stock up on discounted chemicals, as well as their other products, such as anything from Big Green Egg.
With your pool open, and D&D Pools available to help you with any issues that come up, you know that you will be ready to enjoy that clear, refreshing water all summer long.
WRITTEN BY: JILLIAN KENT | PHOTOS & RESOURCES: D&D POOLS & SPAS
