Has anyone already opened their pool this season? How’d it go?

K

Katherine Morgan

Member
Thinking about opening mine soon, but not totally sure if it’s the right time. Water temps are still kinda low, and I don’t wanna waste chemicals if it’s gonna stay cold another few weeks.

Also not looking forward to pulling that cover off and seeing what’s underneath lol. For those of you who’ve done it already, did you shock right away or wait? Anything you wish you had done differently?
 
I usually open mine when water temps hit around 50 to 60°F, even if we aren’t swimming yet. If you leave it too long, algae can bloom under the cover when the sun warms things up. I remove the cover, clean out the debris, and get the pump running first. I shock after the water has circulated for a few hours so the chemicals mix properly. Waiting to shock until the pump is running saves you from wasting product.
 
I opened mine a little early this year to avoid a green mess. The water was cold but clear under the cover. I ran the pump for a full day before adding shock, and that helped balance everything better. One thing I wish I did differently: I should’ve cleaned my filter before starting everything. I had to stop mid-cleaning to backwash. I say open earlier and take it slow. You'll use fewer chemicals in the long run.
 
I get the cover-uncover anxiety! 😅 One trick I picked up was to run the jets for 10 minutes with the cover off before skimming blows off any fallen leaves and warms the water surface slightly for shock to work better. I also keep a pool thermometer handy to peek at how the temp is rising so I don’t shock too cold. Hope that helps you dodge any green-water surprises!
 
Just opened mine a few days ago. Wasn’t sure if it was too soon either, but I figured I’d rather deal with cool water than a surprise science experiment under the cover later on. Water was still in the 50s, but the cover had a bit of sag and some murky puddles, so I decided not to wait.

Instead of shocking right away, I let the system run most of the day, scooped out whatever was floating, and gave the floor a quick vacuum. I held off on chemicals until the next morning, so I wasn’t rushing the process.

Looking back, I wish I’d double-checked my test kit ahead of time, and it turns out the reagents had gone bad over the winter, which gave me a bit of a false reading. So maybe add that to your checklist if you haven’t already.
 
Honestly, I just wait until the frogs stop trying to move in — that’s my unofficial signal that pool season is near. 🐸😄 I figure if they’re packing up, it’s warm enough to start dealing with the green stuff. Anyone else have weird personal signs for “go time”?
 
I call it my ‘spring wake-up call’ I pop the cover off, let the sun warm the water for an hour, then do a gentle shock. Feels like I’m giving my pool a cup of coffee before it fully wakes up!
 
Love the tips, everyone! I’ve had the same thoughts about opening up too early, so I’ve been playing it safe with a thermometer under the cover to check the water temp before I even consider taking it off. It helps me feel more confident that I’m not rushing it. Has anyone else used a thermometer under the cover as a routine before unveiling it?
 
For me, the first thing I usually do when opening the pool is check the water temperature. If it's still a bit cold, I let it sit for a while while I check all the equipment. Then, I clean the pool of any leaves and turn the pump on for a few hours. After that, I add the shock and other chemicals. I don’t rush it because from my experience, adding too many chemicals at once doesn’t work well. Anyone have a faster or more efficient way to do it?
 
Same here, I get the cover-uncover anxiety too! 😅 One thing that helped me last time was running the jets for a few minutes before uncovering, just to get the water moving a little bit and avoid any surprises. I also like checking the water temperature before jumping in to avoid it being too cold. Anyone else have tips for making the process easier?
 
I just got mine open last weekend! Honestly, it wasn’t as scary as I built it up in my head. I started by removing the cover and scooping out all the surface debris first, then ran the pump for several hours to get circulation going. I waited until the water had warmed a little from the sun before adding any chemicals, gave me a better idea of what the pool actually needed.

One thing I didn’t plan for was a little extra gunk at the bottom, so I spent some extra time vacuuming before shocking. Next time, I’d probably do a quick vacuum right after uncovering to save myself some back-and-forth. Overall, taking it slow made the whole process way less stressful!
 
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