Here in Massachusetts I don’t recommend opening your pool until June! It’s so common for people to open memorial week end and close labor day weekend.
Pool Opening Service Massachusetts: (978) 710-8667
Why June? Because the nights are still cold, and the trees are dropping seed and pollen like crazy. It is hard for filter systems to keep up even if you are emptying the skimmer basket like you should, but you don’t.
If you have a pool heater, and few to no trees, you can open your pool by mid May. Cold plunges are all the rage right now, so there is that!
When You Should Open Your Swimming Pool
It’s march 20th, 2013 as I write this. We just came through another snow storm. However it won’t be long before it starts warming up. This is really the most important factor when deciding when to open your pool. Temperatures will vary from state to state here in the northeast. But as soon as it starts to reach 60 degrees or higher on a regular basis you should open your pool.
Not because you love to swim in terribly cold water, but because with temps in the 60’s your pool will begin to fill with algae. Cleaning a pool once the algae has bloomed can be a daunting task. If you treat your pool with the proper chemicals, and close your pool properly, and want to open a pool that will be easy to clean up and maintain, than you need to open it early.
Special Gunite / Plaster or Cement Pools
If you have a cement / gunite type pool, you will want to get it open to start balancing the alkalinity as soon as possible. When the ph and alkalinity are to high, your pool water will leave deposits on the pool wall. When your ph and alkalinity are to low, the water will pull what it needs from the cement, plaster or grout, causing tile to fall off and porous plaster.
Delaying Your Pool Opening
If you want to delay opening your pool you will need to treat it with chemicals. If you have a mesh cover you can pour cover-safe algaecide right through the cover. Read the directions and add appropriate amount for your size pool.
You don’t want to mix high doses of chlorine and algaecide so I would wait on adding any chlorine at this time, but be liberal with algaecide adding a bit each week till you open the pool. If you pour through the cover you might want to hose it down just to be safe. You may see some soapy looking bubbles, but that’s normal.
Opening A Pool That Has Been Closed A Few Years
If your a religious person I would begin with a prayer. If you have a solid pool cover it may not be all that bad. Just be sure to get any debris of the cover before removing it. In either case you will want to start adding algaecide weeks before you plan to open the pool. If you discover a lot of algae, I suggest you vacuum the floor and walls with your filter set to waste.
The quicker you open the pool once temperatures begin to rise, the easier it will be for you. Many people want their pools open for Memorial day weekend here in Massachusetts. If this is the case you may want to prepare a few weeks earlier to make sure your pool is clean and clear by then, and to make sure chlorine levels have fallen to safe levels.
But like I said in the opening paragraph, The water will be cold and the trees dumping pollen and seed like crazzzzzzzy.
