How to Open Your In-Ground Swimming Pool

It’s finally time! Over the next month or so, daytime temperatures should begin to consistently reach 70 degrees, which means it’s a great time to open your pool.

Many pool owners in our region choose to open their pools for Memorial Day weekend. That’s coming up fast, so it can’t hurt to start getting things ready now. You’ll want to be sure you have all the supplies you need and can easily locate the equipment you stored away when you closed your pool in the fall.

Remember, properly opening your pool will ensure that you can enjoy a clean, safe and crystal-clear pool all summer long. So take your time and do it right.

Below, we’ve included some of the most crucial steps to opening your pool, but be sure to check out our Complete In-Ground Pool Opening Guide, which outlines everything more thoroughly.

And if you need help? We’re here for you! Our skilled technicians can open your pool for you. Simply fill out a pool service request form or contact us today to schedule your service.

21 steps to opening your pool

1. Drain all water off the pool cover with a pool cover pump or by siphoning.
2. Before removing the cover, refill pool to proper level with garden hose.
3. Remove pool cover.
4. Use a liner cleaner to remove any surface stains around top of liner.
5. For heaters only: tighten heater petcocks, reconnect unions if you have a heat pump. Reinstall heat exchanger plug.
6. Reassemble DE filter for summer operation.
7. Reassemble pump for summer operation:
   Replace both drain plugs; one in the front of the strainer housing and one on the side of the strainer housing. If the plug does not have a gasket, put Teflon tape on threads before replacing plugs.Reinstall strainer basket.
8. Install chlorinator and Visions drain plugs. Install a new Visions cartridge.
9. Tighten any loose unions especially at heat pump and chlorine generator.
10. Remove gizzmos from skimmers.
11. Place skimmer baskets in skimmers.
12. Screw directional fittings into return.
13. To prime pump: remove clear strainer lid, fill strainer housing with water, put strainer lid back on housing securely & start pump.
14. When the air bubbles have cleared away in the strainer housing, and you have a constant pressure reading on the pressure gauge, charge the filter with the proper amount of DE Powder through the nearest skimmer.
15. Check all filter, filter pump and heater connections for any leaks and repair.
16. Wash deck and coping.
17. Vacuum pool.
18. Install lifeline and floats; ladder and step handrails; diving board; sliding board; pool fountains.
19. Double shock the pool, and add a Crystal Spring Start Up Kit.
20. Add correct number of chlorine tablets to the Automatic Chlorinator.
21. We recommend that a water sample be brought to us after the filter has been running one week, for proper water balancing.