Thomas Kelly
22 September 2020
The advent of spring brings back many of our favourite things, the warmer weather often means that it’s almost time to open your pool for the season! But just because the sun is shining doesn’t mean the pool is ready for swimmers. And before you search online for ‘swimming pool shops near me’ with just a little effort, you can be on your way to a tidy, dry and healthy swimming pool.
Steps to open your pool:
Equipment
An important aspect of a swimming pool maintenance is the equipment. A functional swimming pool needs all the right equipment to be in working order before the pool is opened. Conduct a full inventory of all pool equipment and materials, inspect for damage in the process. Replace all damaged, missing or broken emergency equipment and fully re-stock all first aid kits. Remove overwintering plugs and instal back drain plugs.
Reassemble the circulation tubing, the pump and the engine. Make sure you lubricate all metal parts and hardware and strip antifreeze from all pipes and flush with fresh water. Reminder – Test the hydrostatic relief valve to ensure that it is correctly worked. This is the guilty party for most leaks!
Prepare for a Pool Opening
Pump any accumulated water and debris off the top of the wintering pool cover to prepare for the opening of the pool. Do not allow stagnant water and debris to enter the pool. You want to remove the cover of the pool carefully, clean it and lock it away. Be careful not to use metal brushes that can break off the cover while cleaning off the cover. Buying good pool covers in Sydney can help forestall any debris from entering the pool. Though they will not stop it completely, imagine not having one at all!
Turn the water pump on and clean all the debris out of the tank. Do not try to vacuum out dead or rotting leaves or wildlife. You want to scrape or dump as much solid waste as you can manually.
Chemicals and Water Circulation
It is absolutely important to make sure that the water chemistry is right before the pool is opened. Check that all chemical and maintenance contracts are in place. You should procure the maintenance and start-up of chemicals from a reliable supplier. You should inspect and calibrate all necessary equipment, test all circulation lines under pressure and repair test kits as needed.
If any of the pipes were broken during the off-season period, they must be replaced immediately. When you begin to fill the pool, start to circulate and filter the water after the water level is above the returns. Remember to close the skimmer lines in order to prevent air from entering the device during this process.
Repair and Upgrade
Anything in a swimming pool must be fixed or replaced, if necessary, before opening for the season. Look to see if all changes made during the off-season have been completed as necessary. This can involve surface cleaning, including sandblasting, acid washing, chlorine washing, sealing, painting, re-plasting, fibreglass coatings, and/or patching liner tears to prepare the surface of the pool. You may also want to consider painting or touching depth markings, drop-off lines, lane lines and targets, step edges, and graphics before you refill the pool. Replace gutter drains, bolts, gaskets, inlets and plugs when required. Clean the skimmer basket and lids and replace it if necessary.
This can all serve as a model for the opening of a swimming pool, but each pool is different. It requires highly qualified professionals like Pool Central to fill in the gaps. So if you are looking for professional swimming pool maintenance, get in touch with Pool Central today!
