Freephone: 0800 056 4030

 

How Do I Open My Pool?

Step 1. Remove Your Cover

To make removal of your cover easier, be sure to drain as much water off the top of the cover as possible. Slowly remove your cover so that unwanted debris (leaves, twigs, etc.) that has accumulated on your cover over the winter does not fall into your pool. To further extend the life of your pool cover, thoroughly remove any dirt and grime from your cover with a mild soap and rinse with your garden hose. To prevent the cover form sticking or forming mildew, let it dry completely before storing it for the swimming season.

Step 2. Connect Your Pool Equipment

If your filtration system was cleaned before closing your pool in the fall, then attach the hoses and open all valves. If your system needs to be cleaned or the sand needs to be replaced, now is the time to do it. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines to accurately ready your pump, filter and heater for the swimming season. Be sure to lubricate all o-rings with water-based lubricant, free skimmer basket and lint pot of debris and remove all winterising plugs. Vacuum out the lines or let it drain into the pool.

Step 3. Add Water

Begin adding water until ¾ of the skimmer is covered.

Step 4. Clean Your Pool

Once the pool is filled, it is time to skim and vacuum. Chemicals are much more effective if the pool is clear of debris. Clarifiar will help your filter remove small particles that ordinary vacuuming can’t pick up.

Step 5. Adjust Your Pool’s pH & Alkalinity Levels

pH is the most important component of your pool water. The pH level must be between 7.2 and 7.6. This can be accomplished with pH Increaser or pH Reducer To keep your pool’s pH from fluctuating, maintain an Alkalinity level of 80-120 parts per million (ppm). Use CLEARPOOLS  Alkalinity Increaser or pH Reducer to control your alkalinity level.

Step 6. Shock Your Pool

Step 7. Stabilize Your Pool

To prevent the rapid loss of chlorine, add Stabilizer at a rate of 2-1/2 lbs. per 10,000 gallons. Completely dissolve the required amount of Stabilizer in a bucket of water and add to pool water.

Step 8. Sanitize Your Pool

To make swimming safe and economical, maintain proper levels of sanitizer with    CLEARPOOLS Chlorine or Bromine. The chlorine level must read between 1-3 ppm and bromine must be between 2-4 ppm. Chlorine can be added in tablet, stick or granular form. Bromine is only available in tablet form and requires an automatic feeder for dispensing.

Step 9. Add Algaecide

Add algaecide as a preventative measure for keeping your water free of algae. CLEARPOOLS offers several types of Algaecides at different concentrations to help fight off those pesky algae blooms!

Step 10. CLEARPOOLS Start-Up Kits

Our kits save you time and money! CLEARPOOLS offers the kits that will suit your pool. Each kit includes the necessary chemicals for getting your pool ready for the swimming season. The CLEARPOOLS Start-Up Kits include:

  • Chlorine Shock
  • Algaecide
  • Stain, Rust & Scale Preventor
  • Clarifier

In order for your pool to look its best and be safe to swim in, you must practice routine maintenance procedures. Following these easy guidelines will keep your pool running smoothly all season! 

How Do I Close My Pool?

Whether you are in a cold or not so cold climate you will need to do a few things before you close your pool. In the week prior to closing your pool you need to:

  • Balance Water (bring to pH 7.2-7.6, make any necessary adjustments in calcium hardness, etc)
  • Brush and Vacuum
  • Shock the pool
  • Re-adjust the sanitizer, then add long lasting algecide
  • Turn heater off
  • Reduce filtering times gradually over a week
  • Drag cover out and inspect and clean if necessary
  • Remove any ladders, ropes, clean and store
  • Clean around pool area
  • Clean and store pool furniture
Try and close your pool BEFORE the leaves start blowing around! Plan to close your pool when the night time temps start to dip reliably into the 40's and the daytime temps range in the 60's - low 70's. Much sooner than that and you risk an algea bloom. Much later and you could be fishing out a ton of leaves (and then deal with an algae bloom in the spring). Of course if you are a really hard core swimmer or are independantly wealthy, leave your pool open for as long as you like!
  • Drain pool water to below skimmer and blow out the lines with a shop vac
  • Plug return with stopper
  • Add special RV/pool antifreeze to skimmer lines, and return lines, if below ground, and shut them down
  • Drain filter of water
  • Inspect filter unit for wear and tear, remove multiport valve and have a peek at the filtering media, replace with new media every three years, or when you find you can't keep the pool clean
  • Disconnect pump/filter unit if possible and store where they will not freeze. If not possible, then securely cover unit
  • Drag out and inpsect water bags, sand bags or milk jugs, and fill them.
  • For vinyl lined pools, reduce the chance of ice damage to your liner by floating several LARGE pieces of styrofoam in the pool
  • Roll the cover out over the pool and weight it down securely. During the fall season and before the winter hits, it is a REALLY good idea to pump off excess water from the cover. The cover will collect leaves and water and generally be a mess in the spring regardless, but you will reduce the time spent opening the pool and extend the life of the cover by keeping the junk off of it.

Products    -   Maintenance   -    Contact Us  -  Above Ground Pools & Spa's