Getting your Pool Ready for Spring

It’s February – do you think it’s too early to think about getting your pool ready for spring? Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow this year, so that means six more weeks of winter. With the relatively mild winter we have had this year, some may look forward to the chance for some real winter weather. However, if you own a pool, you may want to use and but you may be confused about when you should get your pool ready for spring. Here are some instructions.

Check your plumbing.

One of the most important things you will do when you open your pool is check your plumbing. It is really important to make sure everything is working properly. Is your filter working and cycling properly? If it does not seem to be working properly, is it a repair or a replacement that is necessary? Sometimes water can freeze in the pipes and cause problems, even if you are careful to make sure this does not happen when you close your pool for winter. Are your inlets cycling water evenly through the pool or are they leaving dead spots where algae can grow? Proper plumbing is the key to a well-run pool. If anything is wrong with your plumbing it can throw off the rest of your pool.

Run your pump and filter often.

As long as there is no chance of your water freezing, you are fine to start running your pump and filter the required eight to ten hours a day as soon as possible. If you run your pump often now, you will have fewer problems in the summer when it is going pretty much all day. If you are going to have very cold temperatures, you can hold off on running the pump or filter for a day or so without harming anything.

Clean all of your pool accessories.

If you have a solar pool cover, now is the time to switch that out with your winter cover. Remove your winter pool cover and all bags carefully, and store them in a cool, dry place. If you are afraid of too much water evaporation, remember that a cover that is too dark like a winter cover can cause too much algae to grow. You want the solar pool cover to start doing it’s work and keeping your pool water warm and clean. Do not let your pool go without a cover because you will get a lot of debris when spring months come. Rain and things blooming are a nightmare for your pool, especially if you have trees, which will shed leaves and flower buds through April or May.

Clean your pool.

This directs you to clean your pool inside and out. You want a chemically clean pool as well as a pool with sparkling walls. You want to scrub the walls of your pool and get out all debris. If you have any algae growth, you really want to get this out. If you do this before you put in chemicals, they will work a lot better because they will just treat the clean water instead of fighting against dirt and debris you have in your pool. Make sure you change the chemicals to your normal chemicals and not your winter chemicals.

Count down the days until summer!

If you are like most pool owners with a solar pool cover, you will be able to enjoy your pool much earlier in the year than many of your friends. Remember that a solar pool cover can keep the water about 10 degrees warmer than having a pool with no solar pool cover. If you employ a solar pool heater as well then you could potentially use your pool now, especially in sunny states such as Arizona and Florida.

Do not forget that algae is a plant. With warmer temperatures in the spring months, algae will bloom just like anything else. If you do not stay on top of keeping your pool clean, you will have a big surprise when you take off your winter cover to a pool filled with algae. Take initiative now and get your pool ready for spring. Then you can relax and enjoy what you have worked so hard for.