Get Your Pool Up and Running the Smart Way

It's that time of year again, the kids are already asking when can we get the pool ready? And you are already dreading the aggravation and work ahead of you. The good news is reopening the pool for summer does not have to a mountain of work and headache, nor does it have to cost a fortune. By following these tips you will have the pool up and running in no time, with a good foundation for the long run. Before beginning please remember that chemicals should NEVER be mixed outside of the pool, and that all safety instructions on the manufacturer's packaging should be followed to the letter. Pool chemicals are still chemicals and can be very dangerous and even fatal if misused.

1. Chlorine is smelly, chemical and poisonous. It is also quite unbeatable for ease of use, value and performance. Non-chlorine pool chemicals, in my experience, require a lot more maintenance and don't always deliver that crystal clear quality~ especially in places like the Southeast where torrential downpours are often an issue in summer thunderstorms. If you can handle the chlorine odor, you may save yourself a lot of time in the long run, by just going ahead and using it.

2. The first step in preparing your pool should be to arm yourself with a kit of necessary chemicals and tools. Things you cannot live without: sodium bicarbonate, chlorine,water clarifier,algaecide,shock, and a test kit. If properly maintained you shouldn't ever need more than this, and you shouldn't need to use these very often after opening the pool for use.

3. Save yourself money on chemicals! Purchase the 50lb bags of sodium bicarbonate from the hardware or feed store for conditioning well water, instead of small bags or bottles of Ph stabilizer~this is a cheap way to raise the PH of chlorinated water. A 50 lb bag of sodium bicarb costs around $10-$12, whereas 5lbs of Ph increaser starts at around $15. Another added value to using sodium bicarbonate is that it is nontoxic~ it is just baking soda, so you don't have to worry about exposure to it in the water.

4.Save money on tools! A second money saving tip is to but the small test kit instead of the larger one. All you really need to test is the chlorine level and the Ph level. Test kits that measure algaecide and alkalinity, as well, are redundant. Alkalinity can be determined by Ph. If you have proper Ph, you should have balanced pool water~ algae blooms in properly chlorinated and balanced pools are uncommon, and can be remedied when they crop up, instead of maintaining an expensive balance of algaecide in the water that exposes your family to unnecessary chemicals.

4. Remove any debris that is in the pool and begin with a dose of shock according to the manufacturer's directions. Tossing chlorine in and waiting for it to dissolve solid particles that can be removed is a timely and wasteful process.

5. It has always been my experience that it is more time and cost effective to open the pool with shock, and a measured dose of algaecide to get things up and running. Chlorine affects the balance of Ph drastically, so set your chlorine level where you need it, before you start trying to adjust the Ph. Some manufacturer's suggest doing this in reverse~ but this works especially well if you have spring water, as I do, and a naturally high Ph. To adjust the Ph first has cost me a lot of money getting the whole thing back in balance.

6. If your water is unclear from the very start try a measured dose of algaecide before using a clarifier. Algaecide is usually less expensive than clarifier because it takes less to do the job, and often goes farther in the long run. Even fresh well or spring water contains some amount of algae that can cause the water to look cloudy or slightly dinghy. Using a clarifier on algae will often cause it to clump and be removed from the water into the filter, but unless you kill it,. you will have to repeat the process in a few days time. Clarifiers often suds as well giving the pool an unpleasant look, and some require leaving the pool off while they work~ which can just result in more trouble in the end.

7.If you are reopening a pool that was previously used, flush the sand filter extensively. Bacteria and algae have had all year to grow in there! Adequate flushing can help you avoid the cost and labor of replacing the sand.Introducing chlorine directly into the pump will push it straight through the sand filter eliminating a lot of yucky stuff right from the start.

8.Scrub the walls of the pool with a washcloth very thoroughly as you are filling it. It is wasting the energy of your chlorine , filter and chemicals battling muck that you can just wipe away.

9.Use chemicals conservatively. Measure each dose and begin with a conservative figure so you don't end up correcting imbalances that were made by bad math.

10. Maintain chlorine at the highest safe level and flush your filter daily when the pool is being used, and at least 2-3 times a week when it is not. This will pay off in maintenance over the duration of the summer and help keep the water clean, clear and inviting!