first time opening pool this spring, totally lost

R

Rob

New member
hey everyone, so we bought our house last fall and it came with an inground pool. Previous owners left like zero instructions and the pool has been covered all winter. Im planning to open it up this weekend but i honestly have no idea where to start. Do i just pull the cover off and start adding chemicals? or is there more to it than that?

the water looks pretty green under the cover from what i can tell. Is that normal after winter or am i already in trouble lol
 
Ha well welcome to pool ownership! Green water after winter is about as normal as it gets, so dont panic just yet.

Here is what I would do in your shoes. First pull that cover off and clean it up before you store it. Then get your pump and filter running, let it circulate for a good 24 hours. While thats going test your water, specifically your pH, chlorine, and alkalinity. You can grab a basic test kit from any pool store.

Once you know your numbers youll have a better idea what you need. That green is almost certainly algae and youll probably need to shock it pretty good. But get the filter running first because dumping chemicals in stagnant water aint gonna do much for ya.

Dont worry, weve all been there. My first pool opening looked like a swamp and now I can do it with my eyes closed.
 
ChlorineCowboy covered the basics really well. I would just add a couple things.

When you pull the cover, try to get as much of the standing water and debris off the cover first before removing it. Otherwise all that nasty stuff goes right into the pool and makes your job harder.

Also check your equipment before you turn anything on. Look at the pump, filter, and any hoses or connections for cracks. Winter can be rough on equipment, especially if water froze in the lines. If you didnt have the lines blown out in the fall you might have some issues there.

Take it one step at a time and you will be swimming before you know it.
 
One thing I forgot to mention earlier, before you start adding chemicals make sure your filter is clean and in good shape. If youve got a sand filter thats been sitting all winter, do a good backwash before you start circulating. If its a cartridge filter, pull it out and give it a real rinse or soak it in filter cleaner overnight.

Your filter is going to be working overtime for the first few days so you want it in the best condition possible going in.
 
update - took everyones advice and got the pump running first before adding anything. water looked pretty rough but after 48 hours of filtering and a big shock treatment its already starting to clear up. testing again tomorrow. thanks everyone this forum is saving me from calling a pool company lol
 
Opening a pool for the first time can feel overwhelming but it's really just a checklist. Get the cover off, reconnect all your equipment, get the pump running, then take a water sample to the pool store or use a test kit. They'll tell you what's actually off. I made the mistake my first year of just dumping shock in without testing first and wasted a whole bag because my real problem was pH. Let the numbers guide you on what to add and in what order.
 
Take a deep breath, its not as hard as it seems. The biggest mistake I see new pool owners make is dumping a bunch of chemicals in before they even know what their water looks like. Get the cover off, clean out any debris, make sure your pump and filter are working, and then test. Once you have real numbers you can figure out what actually needs adjusting. pH and alkalinity first, then worry about chlorine. And dont trust the test results from the pool store, pick up your own test kit or strips so you can check throughout the week.
 
The basics: hook up your equipment and check for any leaks before touching chemicals. Get a water test first thing - most pool stores will do it free and it tells you exactly what is off. Then address TA and pH before anything else since those affect everything downstream.

Shock after pH is in range. Run the filter 24/7 for the first few days at least. Green water is normal and fixable, do not panic and dump random stuff in. One adjustment at a time, wait and retest. You will have it dialed in within a week.
 
Biggest tip for your first opening is dont rush the chemistry. Get the pump running, let it circulate for a full 24 hours, then test everything. People make the mistake of dumping a ton of chemicals in right away when the water hasnt even mixed yet. Also clean out the skimmer baskets and check your filter before you start. If you had a mesh cover you probably have a bunch of debris in there.
 
Take it step by step and dont rush, youll be fine. First thing is get all the debris out and the water level up. Hook up your pump and filter and get everything circulating before you worry about chemicals at all. Let it run for at least a few hours, overnight is better. Then take a water sample and test everything. Your numbers are probably gonna be all over the place after sitting all winter which is normal. Start with pH and alkalinity, get those in range, then address chlorine and CYA. If its really green you might need to shock it a few times over a couple days. Just be patient with it.
 
I was in the same spot last spring. The basic order that worked for me: pull the cover, hook up all the equipment, get the filter running first. Then test the water before you add anything so you know what you're working with.

Adjust alkalinity first, then pH to 7.2-7.6, then do a big shock treatment. Run the pump 24 hours for a few days while the water clears up. Don't dump everything in at once or you won't know what's doing what. Takes patience but it comes together.
 
Biggest mistake I see people make is shocking before they know their CYA level. If your stabilizer is through the roof from last season, all that shock is basically useless because the chlorine cant do its job.

Heres the order I tell my customers to follow: remove cover, clean debris, check equipment, fill to proper level, turn on pump and filter, test water (pH, chlorine, CYA, alkalinity), THEN start adjusting chemistry based on what the tests say. Dont just dump a bunch of shock in and hope for the best.

Also run your filter 24/7 for the first few days until the water clears up. You can back it down to your normal schedule after that.
 
I was in the exact same spot last spring. Bought a house with a pool and had zero clue what to do. Heres what worked for me in case it helps.

First thing I did was pull the cover off carefully (had my kids help lol), then I topped off the water level to about halfway up the skimmer. Hooked up the pump and filter, primed it, let it run. Then I took a water sample to the pool store and they told me what to add. Basically it was shock, some pH adjuster, and algaecide.

The biggest mistake I made was not brushing the walls first. All the gunk that settled over winter was just sitting there and the filter had to work way harder than it needed to. This year im brushing everything down before I even turn the pump on.
 
I felt the same way our first spring. It seems like so much to deal with at first but once you go through it one time you realize its not as bad as it looks, just a lot of steps in a specific order.

One thing I wish someone had told me is to not rush it. Like dont try to get it all done in one afternoon. Day one just focus on getting the cover off, hooking up equipment, and getting the pump running. Day two test the water and start balancing. It took me about a week to get everything dialed in and thats totally normal for a spring opening.
 
it gets way easier after the first year. most people overthink it the first time. get your water tested at a pool store if you're unsure about your numbers, they'll usually print out exactly what you need to add. keep the pump running and don't panic if it takes a few days to clear up. you'll figure out what your pool needs pretty quick.
 
the one thing I would add that nobody really says enough is be patient with the chemistry. Like really patient. After you balance everything and shock it, test again the next day and expect to have to adjust again. It can take a few rounds of testing and tweaking before everything stabilizes, especially when the water is cold. People panic and keep adding stuff without waiting and then everything gets out of whack. Test, adjust, wait, test again.
 
good advice in this thread. the only thing I would add as someone who has done a lot of pool openings: get a baseline water test done before you add anything. either a good home kit or take a sample to a pool store.

the reason this matters is that your water chemistry at opening depends heavily on what condition it was in when you closed, how long it sat, what kind of cover you used, and your source water. two pools in the same neighborhood can open up in completely different states. if you just follow a generic "opening checklist" without knowing your actual numbers you can end up chasing problems you created by over-correcting.

test first, then treat. everything else gets a lot easier from there.
 
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