Reviewed April 2007

Pool Tips^™
Pool Opening I: The Slow, Easy Way

You must read all of the Liability Agreement before taking any action, especially all safety and liability warnings.

A little work now, can save you lots of work later.

What if the weather was really nice Memorial Day weekend? Would you be rushing to get a cold, green pool ready for a pool party? Would you be in the world's longest line at the pool store, because you were shopping the same day as 2000 other people? Put in 30-60 minutes a week in spring, and you'll save time and money, later.

At the end of April, drain the water off your pool cover. If you need water in the pool, and if you have a well that you need to conserve, you can even pump the water through your filter, and into the pool. Just hook your vacuum hose to the front of your pump-it should be the right size. Either way, get most of the water off the cover, so it can dry out in the sun. Once the leaves dry out, they're much easier to take off.

Next week, scoop off the leaves that are left, pour some pool cover cleaner onto the cover, and wash it while it's still on the pool. Pump or syphon off the water, and let it dry in the sun another week.

The following week, remove all winter plates, gizmos, and plugs from your skimmer and returns. Store them someplace where you will find them in the fall. Now, try to remember where you put the return eyeballs, pump freeze plugs, weir door, hose clamps, etc. last fall. Was it in the pump basket? Put them all back where they belong.

Remember to use teflon tape anyplace that you screw things together. Never use pipe dope or anything permanent on screw fittings. Put a fresh coat of silicone on any rubber o-rings that can be exposed to air, especially on the hair-and-lint pot basket (that's the basket in front of the motor). If your pool uses black poly-pipe, or cream-colored flex-pipe that's not glued together; double-clamp your connections, with each clamp facing the opposite way of the other.

If you have an above-ground pool that uses hoses, check them carefully. The cheap ones only last a year or two. The good ones go three or four years. If in doubt, replace them. If a hose springs a leak when you're not watching, you can lose a foot of water, and burn out the pump!

In-ground pipes generally last a long time, but they are often a pain to deal with. If you want it to be easier, draw a diagram of your entire circulation system, take a few photographs, and make an appointment to talk to one of our more experienced technicians. He will be happy to design a better system with quick-disconnects. However, it does require the kind of unhurried time to design this, that we can't do it properly on a busy Saturday. Weekdays are best.

Now, raise the water level to normal, and hook up the filter. If you have a solar cover, take off the winter cover, and put on the solar cover. If you don't have a solar cover, come buy one. It can give you almost two extra months of swimming!

Notice what we just did. The winter cover was clean and dry before we took it off. It wasn't possible to drop the last bit of dirty, leaf-filled water into the pool. You didn't rip the cover, fall in, or hurt your back trying to take it off! Putting the solar cover on by May 1st allows the pool a month to warm up by Memorial Day.

So far, nothing here has cost extra. The next part costs very little, and saves you lots of money if you avoid a late - May algae attack when it gets warm outside. Run the filter (yes, with the cover still on) six hours once a week (good) or two hours a day (better). The circulation will help control growth, and speed up the water's warming. At this point, you can even bypass the filter's tank if you want - we're just circulating the water, not cleaning it.

By mid-May, start to check the water once a week. Pull up a corner of the cover, and look for algae starting to grow. It wouldn't hurt to do a quick test, and add a little sanitizer (chlorine, bromine, Baquacil, Soft-swim, etc.)

If the pool's full and well circulated, you can even bring in a water sample for your opening balance. We can give you a print-out now, and you can still wait until you're ready to open the pool to shock, algaecide, balance, etc. Please see our Pool Tips Guide: Pool Opening II, The Water. There, we'll discuss the chemical procedures.

In any case, get the pool opened and running by June tenth - waiting any longer increases the chances of a quick algae bloom that will ruin all the work that you've done so far.

Please let us help you, anytime.

IMPORTANT

We write Pool Tips^™ for the exclusive use of our own local customers. They are meant as a summary of general information, to be discussed in our store, with our staff, to determine which items are best for specific pools. Pool Tips^™ are a trademark of Gull Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Our suggestions assume that you have given us a proper description of your pool's size, history and symptoms. Sometimes we can figure it out, sometimes we can't. Your doctor has years more training, far better diagnostic tools, and makes way more money—and sometimes he or she gets it wrong, too.

1. Read all labels carefully, and only use chemicals exactly as described on the label. Never mix chemicals together outside of the pool. Some of them can cause a fire or explosion.
2. Do Not follow any advice or suggestions here without coming into the store, customizing them to your specifics, and receiving them in writing.
3. Do Not print these out or reproduce for any purpose whatever. They are all copyrighted, and we take our copyrights very seriously.
4. Don't Blame Us for anything. It's free advice, and worth the price paid. We're trying to help, but pools are complex, and chemicals and electricity are dangerous.
5. Our Best Advice: Go find a local pool dealer who knows what they are doing, become a steady customer, and give them a chance to learn about you and your pool. Pick a brand, pick a store, and stay with them.

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