Opening Your Pool
Avoid a summer filled with headaches by opening your pool the right way. With a well-ordered system, you can prevent future problems and lay the groundwork for a pool care plan that’s simple to maintain. We’ve outlined six important steps to help ensure a smooth, carefree opening for your pool. Of course, as your local BioGuard Dealer we are always ready to assist with information tailored to your specific pool care needs.
1. Remove the pool cover. If you use a solid cover, drain off the water — but not into the pool.Sweep the cover and clean it with BioGuard Stow Away® to prevent sticking and unpleasant odors. Store it in a dry place that’s free of debris and protected from the elements.
2. Fill the pool. Your pool must be filled to the middle of the skimmer opening to circulate properly.
3. Check your pump, skimmer basket and filter Make sure all equipment is clean and in working order. Start the circulation system and remove debris from the pool. If the filter(sand,D.E.or cartridge) is dirty, remove grease and oil with BioGuard Strip-Kwik®. For scale build-up, use BioGuard Kleen It®.
4. Bring in a water sample for testing. Circulate the water 24-48 hours before taking a water sample. Using a clean plastic container, scoop about a pint of water at elbow-depth from the pool away from skimmers and returns. Seal the container and take it to our state of the art SmartLab for testing and analysis. We’ll provide you with personalized instructions for starting up your pool.
5. Test sanitizer and pH levels. Use one of the BioGuard Test Kits or Test Strips to regularly check the sanitizer residual and pHlevels.To maintain proper balance,you should be in the following ranges
- Free chlorine residual: 1 to 4 ppm for chlorinated pools
- Total bromine residual: 1 to 3 ppm for brominated pools
- Sanitizer residual (“B” ): 30 to 50 ppm for SoftSwim® pools
- PH: 7.4 is ideal pH. (7.4–7.6 is acceptable)
- Total alkalinity: 125 to 150 ppm (80-150 ppm for Mineral Springs)
- Calcium hardness: Plaster & softswim® pools 200 to 275 ppm. All other types175 to 225 ppm