It seems like ages ago that folks were closing their pools for the colder months. Fortunately, the warm weather has finally arrived for many areas. Let’s talk about opening your pool for spring.
Too Soon?
A lot of folks think you need to wait for summer to open your swimming pool or hot tub. Depending on where you live, this may or may not be true. It’s all about the temperature. Once the weather hits a reliable 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you can consider opening your pool for spring.
Besides, these days, many of us are finding ourselves trapped indoors with little to do thanks to social distancing. Well, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that
swimming is a safe activity, even during the COVID-19 outbreak. Swimming can also be a healthy way to pass the time. Just be sure to keep your distance from other swimmers.
Get Started Opening Your Pool for Spring
Before opening your pool for spring, there are a few health and safety matters to consider. During the colder weather, your pool water naturally sits dormant, unused and probably untreated. As we addressed in last week’s
hot tub cleaning post, this water can develop harmful bacteria during this time. Put simply, the water won’t be clean enough to just hop into. Here are a few steps you’ll need to take before opening your pool for spring.
Pool Cover Grossness
Over time, your pool cover has likely collected rainwater, leaves and other debris. Gross! Before you remove the cover, be sure to drain any excess water. By most odds, you won’t be able to get all of the gunk off the top, but do your best. Remember that as the cover is coming off, a lot of the rubbish on top of the cover can accidentally end up in your pool. This will just make it more difficult to clean later.
Refill and Filter
Over time, it’s likely that a large amount of water has evaporated from your swimming pool. To combat this, grab your garden hose. Now you can simply replace any of the water that you’ve lost. While doing this, be sure to skim out any debris and also vacuum the bottom of the pool. Finally, once you pool is all cleaned and topped off, run your pool filter overnight. Following these steps for opening your pool in spring will help to clean out the water.
Better Living Through Pool Chemistry
As any pool owner knows, it is critically important to treat and prepare your water. This should be done regularly, but requires special attention when opening your pool for spring or summer. First, bring a sample of your water to a pool professional. This person will likely be able to guide you towards the proper mix of chemicals you’ll need to add to your pool. When properly mixed with your water, you’ll be able to control the pH, total alkalinity, and chlorine levels of your pool by using a testing kit.
Once you’ve gotten the initial balance set, this job is not complete. Instead, it will be ongoing all season long. At regular intervals throughout the hotter months, dip your testing strip into the pool water. Next, compare it to the color chart on the bottle to determine current chemical levels. The goal here is to create a balance of safety without making the water too harsh on the people who will be using it. After all, too many chemicals can easily irritate the skin and eyes of innocent swimmers.
Safety for All Seasons
No matter what, safety should be the major priority for all pool owners. Aside from keeping safe during the pandemic, drowning is a problem all year long. For this reason, we recommend installing a pool fence and other layers of protection around your home and pool area, even if you don’t plan to swim in the pool yet. A
do-it-yourself removable pool fence can help to prevent young children and animals from accidentally falling into the water.
https://youtu.be/gBuUcrgUi3Q
Additionally, installing alarms on your doors and windows can help to give parents a heads up if a little one somehow wanders outside. In these days of bored kids and social distancing, these safety measures are more important than ever before. It absolutely pays to be prepared. Accidental drowning is one of the most common causes of death for young children.
Otherwise, that’s it! Good luck opening your pool for spring.
