opening pool

[chris]

i would like to open my pool by myself and would like some advice from anyone on how to do it properly ido have a heater.The snow is stsrting to melt,time to get ready

[Larry]

In a nutshell:

1. remove the cover
2. top up the pool water
3. remove plugs and make sure the pipes are full of water
4. prime the pump and run it to filter the water
5. skim the pool, then brush and vacuum
6. test the water and adjust pH, alkalinity, hardness
7. shock treat with chlorine or other sanitizer
8. replenish alternative sanitizer (Pool Wizard, Nature2, ...) or add algaecide
9. run the pool round the clock for a couple of days and test again, adding chemicals where necessary

Good luck

Larry

[Guest]

thanks for you reply ,will give it a go,one question where are the plugs and how will i know the pipes are full?

[Larry]

The pipes may have been plugged at the ends, where they enter the pool. If you cannot see any plugs, ask the people who closed the pool if they used any. It is quite possible that they didn't plug the pipes.

Usually the pipes will automatically fill up when the pool is full. When you turn on the pump watch it to see that it is "sucking" water and not air. If it pulls air through the pipes, stop the pump and prime it again before running it, or you run the risk of burning the motor. If the pump fills with air again, repeat the priming process until it runs normally.

[Guest]

me again,i have the tarp off,filled the pool,connected the pump and heater,what do i do next?do i fill the pump with water and what about the filter do i have to fill that to or will it fill when i switch everthing on?can you use javex bleach to clorinate ?
read your site today found it very informative ,can you buy the wizard in canada i live in ontario

[Michelle]

I have an in ground pool, this winter i did not cover it up, so it got pretty nasty,well i have got all the leaves and trash out. I have put chlorinating granules and chlorinating tabs, the pool has been running for 3 days and now the water went from green to now a red-orange color and has stained the lining. please tell me what to do

[armchi]

Not sure about the color, but I suspect rust or a lot of tanins from the leaves. Try doing a backwash to purge the algae and waste. Also keep an eye on the chemicals and replenish them.

It may be too late to do this, but here is something I've been doing for the past few years. It may vary from location, but I'm in Ontario, Canada and we get quite a bit of snow over the winter, which fill up the pool cover to the top by the time it melts. I either take a small electric pump or the actual pool pump, after removing the plugs to pump the water from above the cover back into the pool itself. I do this when the weather is still cool, but not cold enough to re-freeze it, and the water is still clear. As the water rises, it also props up the cover and makes things a bit easier to remove. Besides, why drain and waste the water above the liner when you have to fill it up again. It saves quite a bit off the water bill. Shocking and balancing water chemicals will have to be done anyways.

[Larry]

can you use javex bleach to clorinate ?

You can use any bleach to chlorinate, though bleach has a very low chlorine content (typically <5%). Consider other chlorine options that your local pool store has.

read your site today found it very informative ,can you buy the wizard in canada i live in ontario

The Pool Wizard is available online for shipping to the US, Canada and worldwide from Pool Wizard Sales.