5360 NE 14th St Des Moines, Iowa / 50313 (515) 263-6900
 

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What YOU Need to Know to Buy an Above Ground Pool.

Posted on by CIPS

Before you go to visit pool stores or showrooms, it’s a great idea to know what you’re looking for and what you want!  There are a lot of different kinds of above ground pools, and different ways to install them.  I’m going to give you a few things to think about–answer all of these questions before you go shopping and you’ll be ready to tell your pool store exactly what you want, which will save both you AND their employees a lot of time!

Yes–THIS is an above ground pool!

Location & Company–Make sure you’re picking a quality company that is in your area.  While purchasing a pool online or from the “cheapest” dealer may seem like a good idea, you’ll quickly learn otherwise if your equipment has problems or you just need general help with your pool.  Often times the only ones who can do warranty work are the people who you actually bought your pool from, and some online companies don’t offer replacement parts, etc.  Find quality, find local.  It is worth the extra money you may spend.

Visit showrooms & meet the owners! THIS is Mario!

Now let’s think about YOUR PROPERTY.  How big is your yard?  Are there many trees?  Grab some graph paper and map it out–you’ll never regret it.  Is your yard pretty flat or is there a slope to it?  If there is a slope, think about putting the pool right into it–many pools can be buried up to 2′ in the ground, making that easy.  Think about where you imagine your pool going–is there space there?  How much?  How big of a pool would you LIKE to have?  Do you imagine it with a deep end?  Many above ground pools can have a deep end of up to six feet!   Is there ACCESS to your yard for equipment like a Bobcat for excavation and a truck with sand for the bottom of your pool?

Leveling ground, checking level, digging to level, Des Moines Iowa installation

{Pool size basics–pools generally come in round or oval shapes.  Round: 18′, 21′, 24′, 27′, 30′.  Oval:  15×30′, 18×33′, 18×36′, 18×39′.  Round pools are generally less expensive to purchase and install.}

At this point it’s not a bad idea to call your city hall and ask what kind of permits are needed to build a pool and what their requirements are, too.  Some places require a 4′ fence, some a 6′ fence, and some no fence at all!  How far does your pool need to be from the fence?  These are GREAT things to take into consideration before trying to pick out a pool!

Budget.  Think about what you would LIKE to spend on a pool, and what you CAN spend on a pool.  It’s important to have a number in mind, and don’t be afraid to be upfront with the salesperson about it.  If you have a $7,000 budget, let’s not waste your time OR my time having me try to sell you a $12,000 pool.  Instead, I can tell you your options for $7,000!  There are plenty of them.

Use your imagination to dream up your pool design, or contact us and we’ll be glad to help!

That said, if you ARE looking to install a larger, fancier pool–let us know!  We are consultants–we’re going to educate you on what is available for purchase, and what would work best for you and your situation.  It’s much easier if you let us know what you WANT so that we can focus on that.  Let’s not beat around the bush–if you come into our pool store, we can all assume that YOU are there to purchase a pool, and the employees are there to sell you one. 

The more honest we all are, the smoother and happier all of our interactions will be!

So….think about all of these questions, and ANSWER them! Sit down with your family and work through them, maybe come up with a couple different options of what you want.  THEN you are ready to give a pool company a call, or better yet–visit their showroom–and pick out the pool that fits your wants and needs, as well as pick out a company that is going to be able to support you through the installation and the coming years of service, water testing, supplies, and general advice!

I would LOVE to hear what you come up with!  Please let me know if this article was helpful to you!

Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com <—– WRITE ME!
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
515-263-6900

I am a Pool Geek.

Posted on by CIPS

I am a Pool Geek.

There.  I’ve said it.

And it’s true!  When I see a pool, or a water sample, I immerse myself in the world of that pool!  I want to know its history, the set-up, I want to explore all the individual properties of that water and discover why it’s so beautifully clear…or why it is NOT.

When you can look at a pool of water and see it not as an object, but as a living environment, because it really is!  Your water changes with the weather, with heat and cold, rain and dry-spells.  Every change that happens NEAR your water can affect the water itself!  Do you use fertilizers or pesticides in your yard?  Undoubtedly–those end up in your water.  If it’s been very hot, or more people have been swimming than usual, or it has rained a lot, or any number of other things…your normal routine may need adjusted!

During this hot year we’ve been having, a lot of the pools I have been taking care of have needed shocked twice a week to keep them happy.  It’s not what would normally be needed, but I’ve been watching and reading the water, and I know that if I shock it twice a week, our chlorine levels stay steady and our water stays safe and happy.  If I shock it only once, we may get haziness pretty quickly, or even slip into a demand situation.

I’ve also got to mention, with this heat, that algae has been though the ROOF from what I’ve seen!  Optimizer has been my pal this year–it’s really helped to keep the algae growth at a minimum, and it’s keeping the water softer, prettier, and more stable, too.  If you’ve been battling algae, whether it be green or mustard or any other variety, BioGuard’s Optimizer may really help your situation.  I’ve also used an extra dose of algaecide every now and again, deciding when to do so by just keeping an eye on the water.

One good thing to keep in mind–if what you’re doing isn’t working…try something different!  Sometimes we’ve got to think outside the box and try some new things.  Using Optimizer is new for me this year, though others have been using it for a long time.  Another new thing I’ve been working with is Natural Result, which is an enzyme based solution–I LOVE it!  Cuts down on scum lines, gets rid of a lot of the organic waste in your water that normally eats up your chlorine, and just feels good to use.

So, yeah….I’m Jen, and I’m a Pool Geek.  A lot of us are.   If you’re having an issue with your pool water, feel free to bring some in and ask us to geek out on it for you.  Feel free to EMAIL me any direct questions, or set up a time when I can be in the store to talk with you about your water.  Feel free to bring photos and water samples and whatever you think may help us understand your pool the best.  Also–please tell us what you normally do to take care of your pool–it helps us a lot to know those things!

So…I CHALLENGE you!  Email me some questions!  I’ll reward you if you do!  You won’t regret it.  Thanks for reading, check out the links below, and I look forward to your emails!

 

 

 

Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com  <—- USE IT!
515-263-6900

Check out these links!

How Do I Clear Up my Pool Water?
How, Why, and When to Clean your Pool Filter!
How Do I Get Balance, Safe, Clear Pool Water?
BioGuard Water Care: Pool Chemicals

How Do I Clear Up my Pool Water?

Posted on by CIPS

“Oh, no….  Really?”

That’s almost always the thought that runs through my head when I see a pool looking a little hazy…or downright cloudy.  Instantly I’m grabbing all of my testing supplies and checking to see what the problem could be.

First thought:  How’s my filter system?  Is there plenty of water flow?  When did I backwash last?  Are my skimmer baskets clean, pump running, and everything looking good?  Always start there and make sure that isn’t the issue.  Often, it is.  Go ahead and backwash.  Check that your returns aren’t sending air bubbles out into your water, too.

Des Moines, IA how to fix clear clean

Next thought: my chlorine got too low somehow and now we have an issue….  If that’s the problem, a heavy shock might fix it.  If the chlorine levels are just fine, though, the search is on.  Make sure you’re testing for FREE chlorine and not just TOTAL chlorine.  (Check here for more information on that.)

Check through the rest of your water balance.  Is your water’s alkalinity at a good level?  What about the PH?  Not too high, right?  Make sure you’ve got it in the 7.4-7.6 range and carry on.

If everything seems pretty okay with your water chemistry, and you’ve backwashed your filter, likely your water will clear up on its own in a day or two or three.  If you’re like me, you’re not necessarily that patient.  I’d like my pretty water back NOW! 

Here’s what I do:

First up is a Filter Aid.  It’s in the Soft Swim line of products by BioGuard but can be used with chlorine programs as well.  Pre-mix it in some water, pour slowly into your skimmer.  It will make your sand filter a LOT more efficient, allowing it to catch the very tiny particles that may be floating in your water and causing the haze.  (Sidenote–it ALSO helps remove phosphates!)

Next is a good clarifier.  I have two favorites right now….  I can’t help it, I like them both!  The first is an old standby, Polysheen Blue.  It clumps all of those tiny particles together to make them even easier for your filter to capture.  Be careful to follow the correct dosing, though.  If you use too much, you may end up with an even cloudier pool, temporarily.  My NEW favorite is called Natural Clarifier.  It has no artificial dyes or other ingredients, and uses Chitosan, produced from the exoskeletons of crustaceans (such as crab and shrimp).  It’s completely safe to use, and you can’t overdose your pool, so if it’s VERY cloudy you can double or triple the dose for faster results.

how to clear up a hazy cloudy swimming pool

Do those two things and give your pool a little time.  24-48 hours later you should have some sparkling, clear water.  At that point, you’ll want to backwash, and stand around being impressed at all the gunk that your amazingly efficient filter system took out of your water.  Be proud of yourself.  (I always feel like super-woman when I clear a pool’s water up, even if I’ve done it a million times.)

I’ll go ahead and tell you:  Good job!

Here are some other articles you may enjoy:
How, Why, and When to Clean Your Pool Filter
How Do I Get Balanced, Safe, Clear Pool Water?
Does it Matter Where I Buy my Chemicals?
Thanks, as always.  Any questions, comments, trials and errors?  I would LOVE to hear about them!  Seriously.  We’re here to help.

des Moines, IA

 

 

 

Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900

 

Mineral Springs Pool vs Salt Pool: Pros and Cons

Posted on by CIPS

First off, to eliminate any confusion, a salt pool is still a chlorine pool.

One more time:  salt pools are still chlorine pools.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about this, as if salt were a chlorine alternative.  Such is NOT the case.  Any pool using salt or minerals is also using a chlorine generator of some sort, turning Sodium Chloride (salt) into Chlorine.  When the chlorine is used up, it converts back to salt, then back to chlorine in the generator, etc. This conversion typically causes the PH to RISE in a pool, so you have to account for that.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’d like to discuss the differences between a plain salt pool and a Mineral Springs pool.

Des Moines IowaThere are typically two reasons that people use for changing from a normal chlorine pool that uses sticks or tabs into a salt or Mineral Springs pool.  The first is that they want lower maintenance and more reliability from their pool.  The second is that they want to lower expenses overall.  We’ll talk about both of these things, as they’re closely related.

With a Mineral Springs pool, you have just a couple of products.  Typically, you’ll add Beginnings in the…well…beginning.  This will get you salt and mineral content where it needs to be, but it also does a lot of other things.  In a bag of Beginnings you have minerals, but you also have Optimizer (keeps algae from growing), scale inhibitors, water softeners, clarifiers, Back-Up(algaecide), and Sunshield, which protects your chlorine from the sun, and it has a very pleasant scent.  As a weekly treatment, to replace anything lost in splash out, you’ll add one bag of Renewal, which has the same assortment of ingredients, and also helps to maintain and balance your PH and alkalinity.  (Remember how we said that the salt conversion into chlorine will cause your PH to rise?  This knows, and takes care of it for you.)  You should still test your water to make sure that everything is level, but most of our Mineral Springs customers don’t add anything extra unless we have a big rain storm.

Mineral Springs:  Maintenance-add one bag of Renewal weekly, test water for peace of mind.  Cost:  After start-up, about $17/week.

Now let’s talk salt pools.  With a salt pool you’ll need to add bags of salt to get it started up.  You’ll also need to purchase separately and add stabilizers, clarifiers, alkalinity increaser, PH up and down, Algaecide.  Your generator will take care of your chlorine levels, but you’ll need to test and add products every week to make sure that your alkalinity and PH stay in line (Remember that your PH will always be rising from salt conversion.).  You’ll also want to add a weekly algae treatment and a clarifier.

Salt Pools:  Maintenance:  test weekly and add salt if needed.  Test and add products for alkalinity, lowering PH, algae, and clarifier.  Cost:  After start-up, you’ll have monthly costs for algae treatments, PH maintenance, and clarifiers.  Spending around $75 wouldn’t be rare.

So….what have we learned here?  If you’re getting into a salt or mineral system for lower maintenance and lower cost, you’re better off with Mineral Springs.  The costs even out between the two systems, and the Mineral Springs is MUCH easier to maintain.

Thank you for reading, as always!  Any questions, comments, or discussion is welcomed!

Other articles you may enjoy:
How do I get Balanced, Safe, Clear Pool Water?
BioGuard Pool Chemicals
How Do I Finance my Pool or Spa Project?

 

 

Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900

We’re the Best Pool Company in Des Moines, Iowa.

Posted on by CIPS

We are the best pool company in Des Moines, Iowa.  Aw, heck, we’ll go so far as to say all of Central Iowa.  Big claim?  Sure, but let me tell you why we think so, by listing:

Top 5 Things to Know about YOUR Pool Company!

1.  We are Licensed & Insured.  Why is this important?  One–it protects YOU if there are any accidents or mistakes on the job site, and to be realistic, we must understand that things like that DO happen sometimes.  On the other hand, it also means that this company is SAFE enough and EXPERIENCED enough to be able to qualify for and keep our licenses and our insurance.  Make sure your pool company is trying to keep you safe.

2. We are EXPERIENCEDCentral Iowa Pool & Spa has been in business over 15 years, locally owned and operated.  We make sure our staff is well-trained and certified in their work, whether it be our sales consultants, our technicians, our water testers and consultants, or our building crew.  Our experience means we are confident we can give you great, expected results time after time, and that we can educate you best on how to take care of and enjoy your new pool that was expertly installed.

Mario Alba, Owner.

3.  We LOVE Customer Service.  If you Google this, it’ll pull up many images of smiling people talking on the phone.  While we will answer the phone when you call, THAT is not the kind of customer service I’m talking about.  I’m talking about truly caring for our customers, offering the most reliable products and service, and being willing to GO THE EXTRA MILE.  Maybe that means a consultation after hours.  Maybe it means stopping by your house to grab a water sample to help you trouble-shoot and issue.  Maybe it means spending hours writing and putting educational articles on our blog.  That’s okay–we’re here for YOU!

Katelin Eaton, Store Manager

4. We are BBB approved and APSP Certified.  We’re all familiar with the Better Business Bureau–and we’re a member in top standing!  You can check the internet for information on that anytime.  We’re proud of our A+ rating and ZERO complaints on our record.  We’re also proudly APSP Certified, which is the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals.  They set the standards and expectations for the industry, not only in education but also in ethics.  It takes a lot of work and proof to become a certified member in good standing, and we’re very happy to be one of those companies.

5. We are not the CHEAPEST.  If you’ve ever been shopping for a big ticket item, perhaps a new car, you know that the cheapest one available is likely NOT the car you’re going to be happy with.  That said, you can also tell when something is simply over priced.  Here at Central Iowa Pool & Spa we strive to give you a fair price on the pools that we sell and build, but we do not offer bad products.  This means if you’re looking for the cheapest option possible, you’ll want to look elsewhere.  We want to work with you to get you the best QUALITY and FUNCTION for your money.  This means we won’t be pushy about all the bells and whistles, but that we WILL make sure you have a pool that you will be happy with for many, many years to come.  (And of course, if you WANT the bells and whistles, we’ll be happy to oblige!)

Just like a car, you get what you pay for.  If you want quality, and something you can be proud of, please contact us for a consultation and we’ll talk about what YOU want to see in your backyard!

 

–The Central Iowa Pool & Spa Team
Meet the Staff
!

PLEASE browse through the many topics and articles that we have available, and check out our website.  We put a TON of information here so that YOU can find out what you need to know!  Any questions?  Just ask!  We’ll get back to you quickly, and if it’s a topic that should be on the website, we’ll write it up!

How, Why, and When to Clean your Pool Filter

Posted on by CIPS

Your filter system is the heart and soul of your pool.  When it’s working well, it’s much easier to have the beautiful clean, clear, and safe pool water that we all desire.  When your filter is dirty, you may find yourself constantly battling to keep the water balanced, adding many extra chemicals, and fighting cloudy water.  So, how do you know when to clean your filter?  Why do you need to clean it?  And just how should you clean it, anyway?

Central Iowa Pool & Spa Des Moines IowaFirst things first.  Hopefully, you’re keeping an eye on the pressure gauge of your filter and backwashing when it goes 10-20 psi above where it sets when it’s clean.  If not, you’re at least backwashing weekly…right?  (Oh, golly….if you’re not, PLEASE DO!)  Backwashing your filter takes all the layers of dust, bugs, algae, oils, who-knows-what off the top layers of your sand and washes it OUT of your filter.  This needs done on a regular basis so that your filter can run efficiently.  If it’s too dirty, the water flow will be slowed greatly.  Circulation is the #1 key to keeping you pool water healthy!

Even if you are backwashing regularly, I recommend you do a chemical cleaning of your filter at least once a year.  WHEN?  This can be done in the fall when you close you pool, or in the spring when you open it. 

WHY?!  The chemical clean is going to strip any oils off your sand and pull out anything that might be stuck in those oils.  I’ve seen the backwash water, afterwards, run nearly black before.  Ew.  Get that stuff out of your filter!  If you know, logically, that you may get quite a bit of oils and the like in your filter, (for instance, if you use tanning oils, body oils, etc, or your family members do) feel free to clean it again mid-season.

Central Iowa Pool & Spa Filter Cleaning

{HOW to Chemically Clean Your Filter:  Purchase your cleaner–we recommend Quik Strip by BioGuard.  With your filter system running normally, pour the bottle down the skimmer closest to your sand filter.  Give it a moment for the water with the cleaner in it to reach your filter, then shut your system off.  Let it sit for about an hour, then switch to backwash and let it run until you’ve got clear water showing in your site glass.  This may take a few minutes–let it run!  After that, make sure you rinse your filter before putting it back on it’s normal setting.}

I hope all of this helps! Feel free, PLEASE, to ask any questions or voice any thoughts that come to mind!

Here are a few other articles you may be interested in:
100 Reasons for Cloudy Pool Water
Cleaning with Enzymes:  Natural Result
How Do I get Balanced, Safe Pool Water?

Thanks, as always!

Central Iowa Pool & Spa

 

 

Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
515-263-6900
jen@soakandswim.com

 

 

Sundance ClearRAY System – UV for your Spa!

Posted on by CIPS

Check out the full article from the Sundance Spas website here:  ClearRAY.

To learn more about the CLEARRAY advanced water purification system, download a FREE Sundance Spas brochure.

The CLEARRAY system uses UV-C technology to neutralize 99.9% of waterborne pathogens and does not introduce gases, chemicals, or other byproducts into the hot tub water. CLEARRAY will also reduce the amount of sanitizer you use in your hot tub*, which means less skin irritation and eye irritation for bathers from chlorine- or bromine-based products. No more drying out, no more red-eye.

New for 2012, the CLEARRAY™ Water Purification System is standard on all Sundance® Spa models. (If you have an older hot tub but want the newest technology in the water purification category, you’ll want to purchase the CLEARRAY aftermarket kit. Retrofittable to 2006 models.)

The healthy hot tub lifestyle includes using fewer chemicals to keep the spa’s water clean, and spending less time maintaining water purity. The exclusive CLEARRAY hot tub water purification system in all 2012 Sundance models is an innovation in hot tubs that meets the highest standards for water purity with minimal upkeep.

See the latest 2012 Sundance spa models online and visit your local dealer for more information about the new CLEARRAY hot tub water purification system.

*Our laboratory testing has shown that CLEARRAY can reduce your sanitizer usage up to 50%. Always refer to your state or local government agency standards and regulations on how to maintain your water chemistry.

How Do I Get Balanced, Safe, Clear Pool Water?

Posted on by CIPS

Clean and clear pool water is important to all of us.  Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it’s safe to swim in.  Every year, people seem to struggle with keeping their pool water the way they want it–I’m going to give you some basic guidelines as well as some trouble-shooting ideas to help you LOVE your pool this year.

If your pool is looking pretty good in the spring, and everything is fairly balanced, your weekly maintenance should be simple but MUST be followed.  We’ll use chlorine for our examples.

Des Moines, IA Pool Store
1. Sanitizer–Keep the right number of sticks or tabs in your skimmer or floater to make sure that you always have some new chlorine in the pool water.
2. Algaecide–It’s a preventative AND a killer, so make sure you use it!  Big dose when you open your pool, then a smaller dose weekly.  It can be the difference between beautiful water and green water, without question.
3.  SHOCK! –Some people forget about shock.  You really MUST shock your pool weekly.  Why?  Let me give you a run-down on what chlorine is doing in your pool.

{You’ve got chlorine and germs in your pool.  When chlorine is first added, or is in clean water, it is FREE chlorine.  Once it gets used up attacking germs and bacteria, it becomes COMBINED chlorine, which will not sanitize anymore.  What your test strips often measure is TOTAL chlorine, so sometimes that number looks just fine when it isn’t.  SHOCK is going to free up that combined chlorine so that you no longer have harmful or useless combinations in your pool.  Without it, your pool could SEEM like it has chlorine, SMELL like it has chlorine, but not ACTUALLY have any functional chlorine at all.}

combined chlorineTo break it down in one other way:  your test strips may say 5 total chlorine, but it’s possible 4 or 5 parts of that is actually combined, dead chlorine that is no longer sanitizing your pool.  You may only have one or two parts free chlorine.  (PLEASE–ask questions if this doesn’t make sense!)

Aside from those three basics, keep an eye on your PH and Alkalinity.  Those are important, and when balanced they help your added chemicals, like sanitizers, can work properly.

Good Practices!

Backwash your filter weekly, or as needed.  If your water seems to be getting a bit hazy, or recently cleared up, backwash to get the gunk out of your filter.  Chemically clean at least once a year, too.

Test Water weekly, or bring it into your pool store to have tested.   If you have a large pool, or an inground pool, I recommend you check it twice weekly.

Keep leaves, dirt, debris out of your water–use your net whenever you can, and vacuum when you need to.

Trouble-shooting ideas!

Problem:  Cloudy Water.  Solution?  100 Reasons Why Your Water Might Be Cloudy.   Start there.  If you can figure out WHY it’s cloudy or hazy, you’ll have a better chance of fixing it.  Make sure you have plenty of FREE chlorine in your water, make sure your filter is clean and backwash as needed.  You may consider using a clarifier and/or filter aid to get the water to clear up faster.
Problem:  Chlorine Demand  Solution?  First, understand what a chlorine demand is and what causes it. A chlorine demand happens when there is so much bacteria/algae/ammonia/other organic matter in the pool, that it is essentially sitting negative on chlorine.  The amount of your demand is the amount of chlorine needed to get you back up to level.  Think of it as a ladder in a hole.  When you have a demand, you’re down that hole–you’ll need to climb back up to get on the ground.  Sometimes it may take 10lbs of chlorine to get you back up, sometimes it may take 100lbs.  Keeping a close eye on your pool and your FREE chlorine is very helpful in avoiding chlorine demands.

Have a problem to trouble-shoot?  Tell me about it!  :)

Thanks for reading!  Check out the rest of the blog and website, and feel free to write me!

Central Iowa Pool & Spa

 

 

 

Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900

How Do I Open my Swimming Pool?

Posted on by CIPS

We’ve had an AMAZING start to spring here in Iowa, and it has many of us thinking about opening our pools!  In fact, we opened our pools at the store a few days ago–it was so nice to get to work on them in the warm sunshine!

Swimming Pool Iowa Inground

Some of you are new pool owners, some maybe just want a refresher on what to do, and perhaps some of you are just curious as to how our service team opens your pool every year.  Remember–every pool is a little bit different.  These are general guidelines to follow, but the specifics are up to you and your pool.    Read on!

Opening a Pool

  1. First thing to do is to remove your cover.  If there is any debris or leaves, remove that first as best as possible.
  2. Pump off any standing water from your cover.  Make sure you aren’t pumping water from the pool itself by accident; this can happen if there is a hole in your cover.
  3. After removing the cover, be sure to clean it, let it dry, and store for the season.  We recommend using BioGuard Stowaway.  It cleans well, and allows you to even put your cover away still wet.
  4. Remove any freeze plugs, Gizzmo’s, and other items installed to protect against freezing, and re-connect all of your hoses with clamps.  Double check that they’re plumbed correctly!
  5. Fill up the pool with new water, back to a normal operating level or even a little bit higher.
  6. If you didn’t clean your filter chemically last fall, make sure you do it now!  We recommend BioGuard’s StripKwik if you’re on a chlorine system, and SoftSwim Filter Cleaner if you’re using a Biguanide.
  7. Now, start your filter system up, being sure to prime the pump before starting the motor. I normally backwash at the start, as well. 
  8. Check for any leaks in you hoses, plugs, and clamps.
  9. Check the pool water itself.  Hopefully it’s just as clean and clear as when you closed it.  If there IS any debris, remove with a net or similar tool of your choice as best you can.
  10. Dirt, sand, algae, and other small debris should be vacuumed to waste.
  11. Once your pool is clean, we can worry about water chemistry.
    • DON’T just throw a bunch of chlorine into the water–we don’t want to damage your liner.
    • Give your pool 24-48 hours to circulate and filter–backwash as often as needed.
    • After that, test your water thoroughly and add chemicals in the proper order to correct your water balance. We highly suggest bringing us a water sample to test forpH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, etc. Be sure to follow the procedure they describe to avoid damage to your pool’s surface.
  12. Install handrails, ladders, etc. being sure to inspect them for wear and damage. If you apply car wax to the stainless steel rails, it will help protect them from corrosion.
  13. If you have a diving board, check it over!  Make sure there are no cracks or other signs of damage, and that the surface isn’t worn smooth.

If this sounds like a lot to handle, you can ALWAYS call a pool professional to come out and open your pool for you.  There are different options available, whether you want full-service (we’ll even take care of removing the cover and pumping water off for you), or a smaller service where you can do some of the easier parts yourself.  There are always options!

Now it’s time to start enjoying your beautiful pool!

Other articles that may interest you:
WHEN Should I Open my Pool?
Does it Matter WHERE I buy my Chemicals?
Pool Service
100 Reasons for Cloudy Pool Water

As always–THANK YOU for reading!  Your questions are welcomed and loved.  Send them my way!

best above ground pool des moines

 

Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
515-263-6900
jen@soakandswim.com

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