Opening Salt Water Swimming Pools

2May

Tips to Ensure Salt Water Swimming Pools are Opened Successfully

Spring is here, which means you should be opening your swimming pool soon. If you have a salt water swimming pool, there are steps to ensure your pool will be opened successfully and be ready for use in the summer. Contact the salt water swimming pool experts if you’re unsure about any of these steps, or you would prefer a professional to open your pool for you.

Clean the Cover

Swimming pool covers should be cleaned of debris and water to avoid contaminating the pool with bacteria and dirt. This can be done with a leaf net and a pump.

Clean the Pool

Use a leaf net to remove any debris from the water and a brush to scrub the sides of the pool. A pool vacuum can remove debris from the pool floor. It’s also likely the water level dropped over the winter, so now is the time to refill it with a hose.

Hook Up Equipment

Inspect, clean, hook up, and turn on the pool equipment, like the pump and filter. For salt water swimming pools, the electrolyte chlorine generator (ECG) should also be hooked up. Don’t turn it on yet, though! Run the pump for 24 hours to circulate and clear the water while filtering out any remaining debris.

Shock the Pool

Most pool experts recommend a chlorine shock treatment to remove any bacteria, algae, and contaminants in pool water. These tend to build up during the winter.

Treat the Pool

To prevent pool water from corroding, scaling, or staining the pool, add pool treatment products that are specifically used for salt water swimming pools.

Test and Balance the Water

Take a sample of your pool water from about elbow depth and away from the pool’s return lines. Bring the sample to your local pool experts to be tested. The test results will tell you what you need to adjust to balance the water, including:

Use Pure Salt

If the salt level in your pool’s water is lower than the ECG’s recommended range, add high-quality pure salt for salt water swimming pools. Using pure salt will avoid issues caused by contaminants and impurities.

Turn on ECG

Once the water levels are balanced, turn on the ECG at its highest chlorine output level for at least 24 hours until the free chlorine level is between 1 ppm and 4 ppm. You can then decrease the chlorine output level according to the ECG manufacturer’s instructions.

Maintenance

Test your pool water weekly for pH and chlorine levels, and monthly for total alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, metals, and salt (salinity) levels. If any of these levels are unbalanced, add the recommended products to maintain balanced water levels and refer to the ECG manufacturer’s instructions.

After a successful pool opening, you can start enjoying your salt water swimming pool all summer long. If you need a hand with opening, though, don’t hesitate to call the experts!