How to Open your Above Ground Pool*

  1. Remove cover.  Try to minimize the amount of water and/or debris that gets into the pool water. 
  2. Lay out pool cover and sweep or brush off any remaining debris. Wash with mild detergent. Let cover completely dry before storing. 
  3. Re-attach any deck equipment you have such as ladders, rails, diving boards. 
  4. Re-install the skimmer baskets and any return jet eyeball fittings.  You may have to re-attach the actual skimmer and return fittings onto the pool (depending on how the pool was closed).  Next, connect the hoses from the skimmer and return jets to the pump and filter.
  5. Fill pool to acceptable level, usually 1inch from the top of skimmer.
  6. Turn on the power to the pool system. 
  7. Add your chlorine packs or tablet  
  8. Shock the pool with any chlorine shock product.   You want to add enough to raise the chlorine level of the pool to at least 3.0 ppm. 
  9. Check the pool every hour. The chlorine level will usually drop. Continue to add shock until your chlorine stabilizes at 1.0 ppm consistently. This means that the pool is stable enough for your chlorine tablets or pack to take over. This may take several bags of shock and several hours; therefore, make sure you open your pool when you have the time to attend to it.  
  10. Add PH plus or minus depending on what your test strip indicates.
  11. Add algaecide
  12. Let pool run for at least 24 hours. Vacuum any debris out of the bottom.  Retest water.  As long as the water remains normal range…jump in.