Cleaning up is never fun but Vantage Pools and Spas is going to make opening your swimming pool as simple as possible. In fact if you closed or winterized your pool last fall all you have to do is the reverse this spring and you'll avoid a green algae filled pool.Or if you really want to make your life simple, have Vantage open your pool for you In any case here are the basic directions for starting up your pool now. Follow this process and remember these opening tips:
The Cover: Hopefully you kept most of the water off of the winter cover over the last few months. Now it's time to pump off the rest using a submersible pump and a garden hose. Run the hose away from the pool to an appropriate area such as the front lawn or drainage system. Begin filling the pool with as many garden hoses as possible. Remove any leaves from the cover and dispose of. Empty water bags while checking for any leaks or holes. Clean the water bags using Bioguard Stow Away and a soft broom. Find a large flat area such as the drive way, lay out the bags and scrub off algae and debris. Hose off and repeat for the other side. Leave bags to dry and then fold up for storage. The same procedure will be followed for the cover when all the water is pumped off.
Equipment: Tighten any unions while checking that the O rings are there in good conditon. Replace any plugs or caps (they may need to be wrapped with teflon tape), put the pump basket in the pump, return the sight glass and pressure gauge to the appropriate place in the filter. Tighten any cocks or drains on heater. Set the filter on backwash, fill the pump with water, ensure the ball valves are in the right position. Do not start the pump yet.
Skimmer and Returns: Remove all plugs from the returns and skimmer and replace the return eyeballs pointing them down to get proper circulation. Also replace the skimmer basket. If there are any water features these should be reconnected or unplugged.
Start Up: Once the water has reached the proper level (half way up the skimmer opening) and the pump is primed and ready, turn on your main breaker to start up the pump. The pump should begin pumping and the pressure on the gauge should increase. After doing an initial backwash you can return to filter mode and begin vacuuming. This is also a good time to check for any leaks.Your pool should now be running normally.
Gas Heater: Now that the pool is running open the gas valve and follow the directions inside the heater to ignite the heater and begin heating.
Chemicals: Bring us a 1L sample of your pool water so we can do a full test for you here at Vantage Pools and Spas with our water analysis system. Before you come down take inventory of any chemicals you already have and how much is left. We'll tell you exactly what you need for your start up to get that pool sparkling in no time. And make sure to use the BioGuard Opening Kit to have an algae free pool.
Prepare for the season with the BioGuard Opening Kit and start the season right.
