Opening your pool in spring

You should open your pool as early as possible in the spring (and close it as late as possible in the fall!). It’s best to start getting your pool ready before the water reaches 21 °C (70 °F), which can be as early as mid-April, depending on where you live and whether all the snow has melted. Warmer water will allow bacteria to proliferate and make it harder to clean. Obviously, before you even think about opening your pool, you should walk around and check it for structural issues.

Your pool needs a spring shock treatment to properly disinfect the water. You can find a variety of pool opening kits at big box stores, hardware stores, or your local pool store. Be sure to check how many litres the kit will treat. Some manufacturers offer different opening kits for aboveground pools, inground pools (inground pools require more product), and salt pools. Prices range from as little as $17 to as much as $50. Watch for sales and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully (especially on how long to wait before adding new products).

Make sure you have these accessories on hand:

• Garden hose

• Submersible pump (to remove excess water on the winter cover)

• Skimmer net

• Winter cover cleaner and another cleaner for the liner and steps

• Silicone-based pool lubricant

• Seam tape

• Pool brush

• Test strips or test kit

Whether you have an aboveground, inground, or semi-inground pool, the steps are basically the same, though there may be some differences depending on the equipment you have. Always consult the owner’s manual.

You can hire a specialized pool service company to open your pool in the spring and close it in the fall. Technicians will reconnect everything and add the right products—you’ll just have the cleaning to do. Or you can get a turnkey package that includes the final cleaning. Packages range from $175 to over $400 (with cleaning).

Taking good care of your pool over the summer is the key to making sure it lasts for many years to come.