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Here's an overview on pool care in general with step-by-step guidelines.
This once-a-year task can be easy with the right products and procedures. Here are the basic steps to starting a new pool or to open one for the season. If you live in a climate where you completely close and cover your pool for winter, start with step 1. If you live in a milder climate where you just slow down your cleaning and sanitation maintenance, jump to step 7. The steps here apply to both chlorinated and brominated pools. 1. Fill the pool so the water level is at the middle of the skimmer opening. This makes it easier for you to remove the cover. 2. Remove pool cover. Do not allow any water sitting on the pool cover to enter the pool. Clean and dry the cover thoroughly before storing to prevent mildew and deterioration. 3. Remove all plugs and fittings from return lines. Re-install all equipment and accessories you dismantled for the winter. Check the diving board, slide and stairs for wear, looseness and corrosion. Make sure the pump, skimmer and heater are working properly. 4. Check your filter for proper operation and clean the filter element (if it was not cleaned at pool closing) as listed below: • Sand filters should be backwashed first. Then clean the filter sand using Pool Time® Filter & Cartridge Cleaner as follows. Turn off the pump. Close the valves into and out of the filter and add the product full strength to the filter top through the inspection port, anode port, sand fill port or pressure gauge hole, whichever is applicable. After 1 hour, open valves, turn on the pump and backwash the filter thoroughly. Resume normal operation. • D.E. filters should be backwashed, the pump turned off, and filter drained. Remove the element and clean thoroughly with Pool Time Filter & Cartridge Cleaner to remove build-up of grease, oil and scale. Inspect the septa for tears or stretching and repair or replace if needed. Clean the inside of the filter tank, reinstall the element and reassemble the filter. Turn pump on, recharge the filter with fresh diatomaceous earth and resume normal operation. • Cartridge filters should be removed from the filter housing, rinsed with a strong spray of water and then soaked in Pool Time Filter & Cartridge Cleaner, according to label instructions. For more information on filters, go to Taking Care of Your Filter. It is recommended that pool filters be cleaned at least two times during the pool season – mid-summer and in the fall – and more often if needed. 5. Clean up. Skim the top of the water for debris. Brush your pool thoroughly and vacuum. (If your pool is newly plastered, wait several weeks before brushing and vacuuming.) 6. Run the pump for 24 hours to recirculate the water. Testing and Adjusting For each of the following tests, take a fresh water sample from "elbow" depth. Test kits or test strips may be used. If using a kit, be sure to rinse the test vial thoroughly after each test. Replace your test reagents or test strips with fresh product at the beginning of each pool season. Older reagents and test strips can provide inaccurate readings due to conditions such as age, heat, high humidity, etc. For information on water testing, go to water testing. 7. Test for total alkalinity and adjust if needed. It should be 80 - 125 ppm (parts per million) for plaster/gunite pools and 125 - 150 ppm for all other pool types. Run the filter during any product application and for several hours afterwards. Wait 2 hours before proceeding to the next step. 8. Check pH and adjust to 7.2 - 7.6 if needed. Run the filter during any product application and for several hours afterwards. Wait 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. 9. Check the water hardness for proper level of calcium and adjust if needed. Run the filter during any product application and for several hours afterwards. It should be 200 - 250 ppm for plaster/gunite pools and 175 - 225 ppm for all other pool types. If the calcium hardness level is above 250 ppm, add Pool Time Metal Stain & Scale Out to prevent possible scaling. If the calcium hardness level is above 500 ppm, drain off some of the water and dilute with fresh fill water to lower the level. 10. Check the chlorine stabilizer level and adjust to at least 40 ppm if necessary. 11. Apply Pool Time Shock with Clarifier according to label directions for pool opening. Apply product at night with the filter running continuously. 12. In the morning, test a fresh water sample for the chlorine level and adjust to 1.0 - 3.0 ppm using your preferred sanitizer (granular, 1" or 3" tablets, floater, etc. For detailed information, go to Sanitizers.) That’s it ... The entire pool opening procedure! Now the fun begins ... (For maintenance information, go to Pool Care/A-B-C Maintenance Program.)
This analysis is designed for use only with the Pool Time® brand products named in this computerized water analysis printout, and is correct to the best of RWP, Inc.'s knowledge. RWP is not responsible for any use of this printout with products other than the Pool Time ® brand products named in this printout, and use of this printout with other products could result in improper or incorrect treatment of the pool water. |
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