Spring is in full swing, so if you haven’t started preparing your pool for the hotter months, now is the time. Carrying out a proper pool start-up is crucial to ensuring your pool chemistry is balanced correctly before the swimming season, so get it done soon!
Our spring start-up tips will help get your pool ready for summer fun. We highly recommend, however, that you first get a thorough water analysis done at our Memphis Pool free Water Care Lab before tackling the job of balancing your water and preparing it for the upcoming swim season.
If, upon removing your pool cover, you discover your water is cloudy or green, please visit our How to Remedy Green and Cloudy Water instructions to clear up your problem. Only after following the procedures on that pamphlet should you then proceed to the instructions below. If the problem is severe, we also provide a variety of pool maintenance work.
What products to use when opening a pool?
Before we get to the instructions, here’s a quick list of the products that you will need get your pool start-up done properly:
- TurboShock shock treatment
- Rescue Algaecide
- Pool Baron’s Natural Clarifier
If you have any questions about why we recommend certain products over others, don’t hesitate to get in touch and a member of our team would be happy to talk chemicals with you!
The perfect pool start-up in 10 steps
In this section, we will lay out the steps you need to go through when opening your pool in spring. Remember, if you have any questions about any of the steps below, our team is always here to help.
- Start your system and begin filtration.
- Remove any and all debris from the pool. Leaves and debris consume chlorine and chemicals.
- Clean your pump and skimmer baskets and backwash/clean the filter.
- Adjust pH to 7.2-7.5. (If pH is between 7.0 and 7.2, do not raise it now. Retest pH again after following directions for step 9 below).
- Add one pound of TurboShock for each 10,000 gallons of water. NOTE: If your water turns green after the shock, it’s generally an indication of high levels of organics that have built up during the winter and early spring. If the water retains a green or hazy cast after 24 hours, shock your pool again.
- Begin normal chlorination by feeding Pool Baron’s 3in Chlorine Tabs through the feeder or skimmer.
- Begin algae prevention by adding 2 ounces of Pool Baron’s Rescue algaecide per 10,000 gallons, each week.
- Begin filter enhancement and improve water quality by adding 2 ounces of Pool Baron’s Natural Clarifier per 10,000 gallons each week.
- Adjust total alkalinity to 80-130 parts per million after the water has remained clear for two days.
- Bring another sample of water into our free Water Care Lab to verify the following elements are in balance:
- Free chlorine level
- pH
- Total alkalinity
- Calcium hardness
- Chlorine stabilizer
- Metal levels
- Total dissolved solids
If there appears to be any problem with your filtration system or automatic cleaner, or if you’d rather have us open your pool, contact the Memphis Pool Service Department at 901-795-8950.
