How to Open Your Pool in Spring: A Step-By-Step Guide

For pool owners, the arrival of spring means it’s time to open your pool for the season! But just because the sun is shining doesn't mean the pool is ready for swimmers quite yet. With just a little effort, these steps will help you on your way to a clean, safe, and swim-ready pool.

When Should You Open Your Pool?

If you’re wondering when is the right time to open an above ground pool or an inground pool, it all comes down to the weather. No matter what type of pool you have, we recommend opening the pool when daily high temperatures are consistently above 65–70ºF.

The steps to open your pool are listed below. Highlights include:

DIY TIP: Looking to simplify your pool opening process this year? Just purchase a Leslie's Pool Opening Kit! Each kit comes with all the essentials you'll need to treat your water when it's time to open the pool.

1. Clean, Remove, and Store the Pool Cover

Whether you have a winter cover or solid safety cover, it's best to remove the extra water from the top of the cover before taking it off.  If there is substantial water, you may want to use a cover pump or some type of siphon to do the work for you. While the water is draining off, sweep off or scoop away all leaves and other debris on the cover.

Then, without letting any remaining debris or water fall into the pool, carefully remove the cover from your pool. Once the cover is off, lay it out flat, brush off and rinse away any remaining debris, and let it dry completely. When the cover is completely dry, lightly sprinkle the cover with Leslie’s Alkalinity Up to prevent mold and mildew, then fold and store the cover in a cool, dry place.

NOTE: If you did NOT winterize your pool for freezing conditions, skip ahead to Step 5.

2. Reconnect Pool Equipment

Reinstall drain plugs and reconnect any equipment, plumbing, valves, eyeballs, ladders, or handrails that were removed for winterizing. For above ground pools, you will need to reconnect the flexible plumbing lines to the pool equipment and skimmer.

Now is also a great time to reinstall any ladders or handrails you removed at pool closing time.

3. Remove Winterizing Plugs

Take out all winterizing plugs from your skimmer and return lines, and reconnect any return valves or eyeball fittings you removed at closing. If you used pool antifreeze, remove it by backwashing to waste or vacuuming it out through the skimmer.

4. Raise the Water Level and Turn the System On

Use a garden hose to fill the pool back to its normal water level around the middle of the skimmer opening or halfway up the tile. Then, prime the pump so you can turn on the circulation and filtration system, open the filter air relief valve to bleed the air from the system, then close the valve when water sprays out. Check around the equipment pad for leaks or unusual noises and turn the system back off if you notice anything unusual.

During the pool opening process, you'll want to leave your pump running continuously on high speed until you're all done, which could take a couple days in total. With the pump running, it's time to start adding chemicals!

BONUS TIP: Pump won't prime? You may have a leak. It's not uncommon for pool plumbing to spring a leak during the winter months, especially if water got into the suction or return lines during freezing weather. Check out our article on how to prime a pool pump to learn more.

5. Add Stain and Scale Prevention Chemicals

With the pump running, add a stain and scale product like Leslie's noMetal or Spring Stain Away included in the Leslie's Pool Opening Kit, to prevent metals from causing stains or discoloration in your pool during the next steps. Allow the water to circulate for at least 2–4 hours before moving to the next step.

6. Test and Balance the Water

Once the circulation system has been running for a few hours, test your pool water for pH and Total Alkalinity with a test kit or test strips. Since pH and Total Alkalinity (TA) are closely tied together and use many of the same adjustment chemicals, it's important to balance TA levels first before addressing pH. Balance the levels to within the following ranges:

• Total Alkalinity: 80–120 ppm
• pH: 7.4–7.6

To balance Total Alkalinity use Leslie’s Dry Acid to lower the levels and Leslie’s Alkalinity Up or Leslie's Soda Ash to raise. Once the Alkalinity is balanced, use Leslie’s Dry Acid to lower pH or Leslie’s Soda Ash to bring it up.

7. Brush and Vacuum the Pool

After adjusting your pool chemistry, thoroughly brush and vacuum your pool to remove any remaining dirt and debris. Pay special attention to places like pool steps, the waterline, and tight areas like corners and crevices.

8. Shock the Pool

Shocking the pool with chlorine will address any germs, algae, or other contaminants lurking in your water. If you purchased an Opening Kit, use the included bags of Chlor Brite. Let the water circulate for at least 2 hours, then test the Free Available Chlorine level to make sure it's at least up to 1–4 ppm. If the level is still too low, continue adding more shock as needed to get the levels up. Leave the pump running on high, and let it run overnight.

BONUS TIP: If you have an automatic pool cleaner, you can reinstall the cleaner 24 hours after shocking the pool, or whenever chlorine levels are back within the ideal range of 1–4 ppm.

9. Add Specialty Chemicals

This is a good time for a reminder! It's extremely important to read and follow all pool chemical label instructions, and NEVER mix chemicals together or add multiple chemicals to the pool at the same time!

To wrap up getting your pool ready for swimming season, we recommend adding some specialty chemicals to give your pool that final boost.

• Clarifier: If you're having issues with cloudy water, use Leslie's Ultra Bright Advanced to trap and remove small particles.
• Algae Control: The day after you shock the pool, add Leslie's Algae Control, and allow the circulation system to run for at least 2 hours.
• Enzymes: To break down non-living organic contaminants, boost sanitizer efficiency, and help you filter run better, use an enzyme product like Pool Magic + Phosfree Spring and Fall. Once the pool is open, add a maintenance dose of Leslie's Perfect Weekly each week to help keep your pool water crystal clear all summer.

10. Test and Balance the Water (again!)

Making sure your water is healthy, sanitized, and ready for swimming is the last step in opening your pool. Once you've finished all the steps above, bring a water sample to your local Leslie's to take advantage of our free 10-point digital AccuBlue® water test and customized care plan to help you keep your pool in perfect shape.

Got Questions? Leslie's Has Answers.

Leslie’s is the one-stop shop for all your spring pool needs, including pool opening supplies and Opening Kits. If you are a new pool owner, or if you'd prefer someone else to open the pool for you, it's easy to schedule a pool opening service online or in store. Our service techs can answer any pool care questions you might have, as well as provide tips to help get your pool in swim-ready condition. To learn more about Leslie's pool opening services, check out our blog article or visit your local Leslie's.

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