How to Get Your Pool Summer Ready

The beginning of spring is the perfect time to start thinking about your pool summer ready. Sometimes, your friends remind you by nagging you about when you’re going to open your pool. Though, if they haven’t already done that then we’re here to do the same. Here’s how you can get your pool summer ready:

1. Clean and Remove Your Pool Cover
2. Add Water to Your Pool if Necessary
3. Switch on and Test Your Equipment
4. Test and Balance Your Pool Chemistry
5. Brush & Vacuum. Then, Apply Shock & Algaecide

That’s the short version. Below you can find all the details.

Step 1: Clean and remove your pool cover

The first step to getting your pool summer ready is to clean and remove the pool cover. If you have performed your winter pool care properly, then there should be no surprises waiting for you. Remember to remove any debris off your pool cover before you roll it up and store it away.

Step 2: Add water to your pool if necessary

There are two ways in which water could have escaped from your pool; due to a leak or by evaporation. The best way to test if your water has dropped off is with a bucket.

• First, fill a bucket roughly three-quarters of the way up.
• Then, place some tape at the water line inside the bucket.
• Next, place the bucket in your pool, preferably on some steps so that no additional water flows in.
• Then, place some tape around the outside of your bucket where the water line is.
• From there, wait about 24 hours.

If the water drops inside the bucket then your water loss is due to evaporation, which is normal. If the water line drops according to the line on the outside of your bucket then you have a leak and should call a pool servicing professional like us.

Finally, if it’s required then fill your pool with water to about half way up the skimmer.

Step 3: Switch on and test equipment

As a bonus step, you can clean your filters if you didn’t already during your winter shutdown. The next step, however, is to switch on your equipment and make sure that it’s all working. Filters and pumps are of the upmost importance.

Step 4: Test and Balance Your Pool Chemistry

Now that you know everything is in working order, it’s time to test your water chemistry. There are a few ways you can do this:

• Yourself using a test-strip kit
• Calling in a professional
• Taking a sample of water to your closest pool shop. We’re located here just in case you wanted to know.

• Here are our recommendations for what your pool chemicals levels should be:

• pH levels between 7.2 to 7.4 – use sodium carbonate to increase pH levels or muriatic acid (aka hydrochloric acid) to decrease.
• Total alkalinity from 80 to 120 – Use pool buffer to increase alkalinity levels.
• Calcium hardness from 150 ppm to 250 ppm – You can adjust this using calcium chloride
• Chlorine from 1 ppm to 3 ppm – use pool stabiliser to increase chlorine levels, also known as cyanuric acid.

If you’re not sure about how to get each of these to the optimum level, we’re happy to have a chat with you in store. Or, you could contact us here.

Step 5: Brush & Vacuum. Then, Apply Shock & Algaecide

Once you’ve got your chemical balance near perfect, it’s time to get rid of any leftover debris or spots where algae could build up. Again, if you’ve made sure not to skip on your pool maintenance then this step shouldn’t really be necessary. Your final step should be to shock your pool (if you have a chlorine pool) and throw in some algaecide as well.

Now You’re Ready:

Congratulations, you now know how to get your pool summer ready. From here, it’s about regular pool maintenance, as you continue to use your pool throughout summer.

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