Your Checklist for Opening Up Your Pool for the Season [infographic]

Here at Cayman Pool & Spa, we want to help you get the most out of every pool season! Opening up your pool in the spring is a great opportunity to check and repair your equipment in addition to addressing chemical balance and water levels. Here’s a checklist to help you take care of every task associated with opening your pool, and if you need advice, don’t hesitate to give us a call!

• Remove the pool cover—Start by taking off your pool’s cover to reveal the water underneath. Spray off the cover if it’s dusty, let it dry, and then find a good place to store it in a covered area, like a storage shed or your garage.
• Put the pool ladder back in—Reinstall your pool ladder and any other accessories you took off when you closed your pool for winter, like the slide, diving board, and step rails.
• Clean out any debris that accumulated during the winter—Get out your handheld pool net and clear away any leaves or gunk hanging out in your pool water. Then, take your pool brush and thoroughly sweep down the sides and steps of your pool.
• Check the water levels—It’s natural for your pool to lose some water when it isn’t used for several months. Check your pool’s water level and add some more to get it back up to a normal level.
• Balance the water—Although you probably use test strips to test your pool water throughout the summer season, opening up your pool is a good time to run a pool water sample over to our store. Once you know what needs to be adjusted, get started balancing your water to achieve proper alkalinity, pH, and calcium hardness levels.
• Shock the pool—Kill algae and any bacteria in your pool water by shocking it with chlorine. Take special care when doing this by wearing chemical-resistant gloves and safety goggles.
• Turn on the vacuum—Turn on your pool vacuum to make sure it works, and let it run for a while to eliminate dirt and other debris from the bottom of your pool.
• Get the filter system up and running—Once you’ve completed the above steps, leave your pool’s filtration system running for up to 24 hours to filter any other debris out of your pool.
• Plan your next pool party—Now that your pool is ready for the season, invite some friends over for a pool party and get ready for a great summer of swimming!