How to Do Your Spring Pool Opening

In many parts of the world, including North America and the United Kingdom, pool owners must close their swimming pools during the fall and then “open” them again in spring.

The implications of this pool opening and closing, obviously leads to us having closed our pools. This, in turn, means that we need to get them back into shape so that we can start swimming again.That’s what we mean when we talk about a pool opening!

And if we don’t do it right, we can find ourselves faced with a really nasty phenomenon known as swimming pool pH bounce. The problem is that pH bounce is very common in newly opened pools.

But don’t stress, the pools professor is on hand to give you the best advice you need when it comes to pool opening.

Do Tests in Winter

Even though we generally close our pools in the winter months, and therefore prevent all that muck and debris getting into the water while we ignore our pools, the water isn’t going to look after itself. If you can, it’s a good idea to test your swimming pool water every now and then during winter. It’s also a good idea to both circulate and chlorinate it even though you aren’t swimming.

Of course many people prefer to get a swimming pool service company to help them. Then if swimming pool pH bounce happens, you can rest assured that they will take care of it without any lasting ill effects.

What is Swimming Pool pH bounce?

Swimming pool pH bounce has all got to do with proper water balance.

First off, the pH of the water needs to be right. This is what tells you how alkaline or acid your water is.

Ideally the pH needs to be neutral (not acid or alkaline). Then you need to be sure that the TA (total alkalinity) is right. This is basically the measure of how water can stand up to a change in pH. If the TA is too low, that’s when you get swimming pool pH bounce and the pH readings will literally “bounce” in and out of the correct range whenever you try to balance your water. If TA is too low, you’ll also find it difficult to adjust the pH of the water to neutral.

It Costs More To Rectify Than Maintain

If your water was properly balanced when you shut down for winter, your spring swimming pool opening shouldn’t present any unusual problems. But if you gave your pool the cold shoulder when winter arrived last time around, you might have a bit of a problem now.

So, if you think ignoring your pool in winter is cool, don’t  forget that it’s going to cost more to rectify problems in your neglected pool than it would have done to maintain it.

There is no getting away from the fact that when you open up your pool after winter, there are a going to be whole lot of issues that you are going to have to face. These start with murky water and more often than not end up with pool owners spending a whole lot of money getting equipment fixed to make sure their water doesn’t stay murky.

pH Bounce

Unfortunately, it is also true that because we have to go the route of winter swimming pool closing, swimming pool pH bounce is one of those eternal issues that come back to haunt us whenever it comes to pool opening the following spring.

This gets back to the importance of having properly balanced water to prevent the possibility of swimming pool pH bounce.

We are sure you’ll agree that pool opening done the right way is really an open and closed case!

Be Aware Of Animals and Bugs in Your Pool

Here is an extract from an article on the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance website:

“Because residential swimming pools are seldom completely enclosed, it is not uncommon for both domesticated and wild animals to enter the pool.

“Animals carry a large number of microbes, a few of which can cause disease. If an animal enters the pool, some of those germs may spread to humans and animals through the water. Diseases spread in this way are called zoonotic diseases.

“According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, zoonotic diseases (also known as zoonoses) are caused by infections that spread between animals and people. It is not surprising that wild animals are occasional pool and spa visitors — these are reliable sources of the water animals seek.

“Depending on the region, raccoons, opossums, frogs, toads, snakes, birds, earthworms, slugs, insects of many varieties, alligators and iguanas are just a few of the animals that are encountered. Many of these animals naturally carry germs that might, given the correct dose and portal of entry, cause disease in humans.

“Since the 1970’s, the CDC has been recording and reporting diseases in recreational water. A review of the CDC reports does not indicate that animals are the source of diseases in disinfected swimming pools or spas except for roundworm from raccoon feces.”

You can read more here “Wild Animals In The Water”