You open your pool every summer and expect to see sparkling clean water under that cover. Wait a second… that just doesn’t happen. Well, technically, if you live in a place that doesn’t require you to close the pool, then you’ll never have to use a cover that you can set up, but for the rest of us, what happens to pool water during the winter is not pretty
Even the best cover taker deals in the world will carry some of the debris and dirty water from the cover into the pool water below, it’s just part of the job of opening the pool. You can’t swim with the cover on, so you have to deal with the consequences!
To clean the water, you need to start by removing all the leaves, debris, and general dirt from the water. Sadly most vacuums only work once the water level has been reached for the year as they use the pump but you can still get some of the bigger stuff out when the level is low. It’s also a good idea at this point (as long as the water isn’t too deep) to go in and brush the pool walls. It is recommended that you do this when you are closing a pool, but if a lot of stuff has built up over the winter, you may want to do it again.
Once all the debris and grime is out of the pool, experts say a shock dose is a great way to boost the chemical level and get rid of any bacteria that may be left behind. The best way to use the damper is to use it when the water level returns to normal for the season, so wait until the hose works and you can reconnect the skimmer and pump hoses to the pool.
The water in a pool may look clean and clear, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy to swim in. This is where a pool water test kit comes in handy. You should test the water weekly (daily if there is an obvious problem) and change the chemical settings when necessary. Too much chlorine, for example, will irritate the skin and eyes when swimming. Too little and you risk bacterial infections and no one wants that to spoil the fun.