Opening Your Inground Pool
As a new pool owner, you must be looking forward to the spring season. Spring can be an exciting and fun time for you. This is especially true if you live in a cold-climate region and had to close your pool for winter. You are probably looking forward to opening your in-ground pool for a fun swim season as the weather gradually warms. You might not, however, be looking forward to opening your inground pool. While you are excited and happy about dipping into your pool for a relaxing and enjoyable swim, you may not be so motivated to do all the work to open an inground pool. Did you know that inground pool opening includes everything from removing the cover and chemical treatment to properly refilling your pool? Although you may hire a professional to do this for you, here is a guide to opening an indoor pool so that you can know and understand how you do it yourself.
Remove Any Water and Debris from Your Pool
You have to get rid of all water and debris from your pool before opening it. It is best to pump off any excess water using a submersible pump, especially if you are using a solid cover. After that, let your pool cover dry for a few days and simply use a leaf blower in order to blow off any debris. This technique is excellent as it will save you both the energy and time you may spend removing stubborn and soppy debris from the pool cover.
Clean and Remove Your Pool Cover
After getting the debris and water off your pool cover, you should carefully remove it. It will help if you have somebody to help you get the pool cover off. If you use a solid cover, rainwater or snow might have also accumulated on the surface. And sometimes, it can stagnate and turn green or icky brown with decomposing plant debris. This is why it is essential to pump this bad water out so that it doesn’t dump into your swimming pool water. You can also hire a pool professional, such as Central Jersey Pools, to carefully remove your pool cover and thoroughly clean and sanitize it in order to prevent bacteria and mildew buildup during storage.
Store the Cover
When you have removed the pool cover, you should take it to your driveway or any other hardscaped area, ideally on a slope or slant for easier drainage. If the cover manufacturer recommends it, thoroughly sweep and then hose off the pool cover. Allow the cover to dry completely before you store it. It is best to tightly fan-fold or roll the pool cover and wrap with a rope or use suitable strapping to keep it tight. You should store your pool cover indoors or in your garage. This is an essential step in pool opening as it will protect the cover from rodents, insects, and moisture.
Remove Winter Plugs and Ice Compensators
Inground pool opening also involves removing all the winter drain plugs from around the swimming pool, such as return jets or step jets. Note that you might also have to reinstall any skimmer baskets as well as take out anything else that you used for the winter, like inflatable cushions to help keep covers up.
Refill Your Pool
After removing the winterizing plugs and ice compensator, you may move on to the next step, which is refilling your swimming pool. Did you know that improper water levels are likely to cause malfunctions as well as costly repairs? And you don’t want that. Also, it is worth noting that high inground pool prices usually make replacing damaged parts quite expensive for most people. However, you will be happy to know that a seasoned pool specialist ensures proper pool depths, only reconnecting your system when it is at a suitable level. Keep in mind that your pool should remain filled for proper winterization. However, the water level in your pool must have been reduced to just below the skimmer. It is worth noting that over the winter, the level of water may naturally drop even lower because of evaporation. This is why it is essential to return the water level to about halfway up the skimmer. You can easily do it with a garden hose.