Are you ready to open up your in-ground pool by yourself this year?

 

First remove all water, leaves, and debris from your cover.

As soon as the water is off the cover, you can use a broom to sweep off any debris. Never use anything sharp or harsh on your cover.

You can also wait a day or two for the cover to dry and blow the debris off with a leaf blower, this is a very gently way to get it done.

Remove the cover without getting any debris, into the pool which may been left on the cover.

If dirty water or debris fall in the water, it’s not a big deal, you just have to remove it from the water later.

Lay the cover out on your lawn or a nearby area. Use water, soap, and a soft brush to wash your cover carefully.

You can also use cover washing liquid. Remove all the winter plugs from the openings in your pool, including return jets and step jets.

Than replace your return lines with proper eyeball or jet fittings.

Remove the ice compensator(s) from your skimmer bucket(s) (Gizmo) as well as  the winter plugs from the bottom. Then, replace the skimmer baskets

if needed. Now you are ready to re-Install your deck Equipment after inspecting of it got damaged in the winter storage, remember to lubricate all bolts  rusting throughout the summer months

can be prevented during the summer. Your pool might have lost or drained water during winterization. . If the water level in your pool is below the midway point of the skimmer opening, fill it up with your garden hose.

Replace the drain plugs and other parts, including your pressure gauge, on your filter and pump. Your filter should have one major drain plug and your pump may have one or two.

If you have a multiport valve, make sure you replace the air bleeder, sight glass, and pressure gauge. Remember to turn the multiport valve handle to “Filter.”

Check the lid o-ring on the pump housing. Bend it with your fingers to check for cracks in the rubber. A defective o-ring will cause a filter to pull air, which is not good at all. If this is the case, you should replace it. If the o-ring looks good, I suggest applying a Teflon-based o-ring lubricant (I recommend using Magic Lube) to create a good seal and making it easy to remove the pump lid when needed.

Re-install the additional equipment, including a booster pump, heater and or the chlorine dispenser and make sure all drain plugs are securely in place.

Turn on the power to your pump and filter. Make sure the system starts up properly. Check for any leaks or drips.

If your pump is not pulling the water, you’ll need to help to prime the pump. Shut off the filter system, remove the pump lid and then fill the housing with water. Use a garden hose or a bucket of pool water for this.

Replace the lid and turn the filter back on. This usually helps the pump to pull water in from the skimmers) and main drains.

Backwash your sand filter if the pressure is over 15 psi. Now clean up the pool from all leafs etc. Turn on the valves to pull water in from the bottom drains. This helps the filter to get the dirt and debris of the floor of the pool.

Important: Take a sample of the pool water to a l pool supply store and get it professionally analyzed. Then you follow their instructions to get your pool back into balance. Take a second sample to the shop following their advice to make sure it is well balanced now.