It’s the best time of the year! The sun is shining, the weather is beautiful, and it’s finally time to take the cover off the pool. While everyone loves pool season, the task of opening your pool can be a little overwhelming, frustrating, or mundane to say the least. You have to balance your chemicals, clean out the debris, and work to turn the water from green to crystal clear. It’s a lot…but we’re here to help! We have your Pool Opening Checklist up and ready to go to ensure that this year’s opening is as smooth, simple, and quick as can be. Plus, with this checklist on hand, you’ll only have to stop at your local Discounter’s Pool and Spa Warehouse once, rather than making multiple trips. So, are you ready? Let’s do this! Here is your fool-proof Pool Opening Checklist: 1. Pool Opening Kit We heard your prayers for a simple and easy kit that had all the chemicals you needed to open your pool, and so, we delivered! This season, stop by any of our locations to pick up our Pool Opening Kit. Complete with Liquid Algaecide Concentrate, Stain and Scale Control, and Multi-Purpose Shock, it has everything you need for your pool opening (and closing) activities. 2. Pool Magic and Phos Free No one wants or enjoys a green pool, which is why it is essential to have the right chemicals to keep your water crystal clear! The Pool Magic and Phos Free works exceptionally well (only using half the time and effort compared to other products) to get rid of and prevent algae, keeping your water looking inviting all season long. This is a must-have, especially if you own and use a safety cover. 3. Clean and Perfect Your water chemistry isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when opening your pool. It’s also essential to give your stairs, cover, and the waterline a good clean during this time too. Clean and Perfect is one of the best cleaners on the market! Not only is it strong and effective, but it helps combat any odors and removes grease, grime, soot, and residue. 4. Skimmer Weir This item is essential in ensuring you have optimum water quality all season long! A Skimmer Weir is the door flap that goes inside the skimmer and with it, your pull can pull up to 12” of surface water during the skimming process. This is ideal, given that without the Weir, your skimmer is only pulling the top 1-2”. Huge difference, don’t you agree? 5. Deep Leaf Net It can be hard to get rid of any leaves or debris that fall into your pool over the fall and winter seasons. That’s why it is essential to use a Deep Leaf Net to get rid of any and all leaves stuck at the bottom. While this item is not essential, it is incredibly helpful! 6. Skimmer Basket Every pool needs a Skimmer Basket and at the time of your pool opening, it is important to check and ensure that your basket doesn’t have any cracks. If so, now would be the optimal time to replace it. 7. Pump Basket Just like with your Skimmer Basket, now would be the optimal time to check and ensure that your Pump Basket is in good condition and ready for the season. If not, feel free to visit us to pick up a brand new one at a great price! 8. Return Jets You may already have Return Jets in great working condition. Perfect! This is just your friendly reminder to reinstall them into your pool and point them downwards on a 45-degree angle away from the skimmer. This will ensure proper water circulation of your pool, all season long. 9. O-Ring Lubricant All of your gaskets for your pool, pump, and heater need to be protected and properly set to keep your O-Rings strong and secure. An O-Ring Lubricant helps protect all O-Rings, preventing them from breaking down over time. Note: We’ve seen some people recommend using Vaseline instead of a proper lubricant. Please note that this is not recommended and can do more home, leaving your O-Rings exposed and able to easily break down over time. 10. Teflon Tape Teflon Tape is a great product that can be used to improve the water tightness of the joints of your pipes. It also helps to ensure there are no leaks in any plugs or fittings that have been removed for the Summer season. 11. Filter Cleaner You’ll want to ensure your filter is clean, clear, and ready to go for the season, so it can work efficiently and effectively, to filter out any debris or dirt. This is essential if you did not clean your filter prior to closing your pool! It may seem like a lot, but these chemicals and products are essential to ensuring a smooth opening that will keep your pool clean, clear, and inviting all season long! Plus, the more you do at the opening, the less work you’ll need all throughout the summer months. Which leads to more time for enjoying it! If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to stop by and pay us a visit. Our in-store staff and experts are ready and able to help provide solutions to all of your pool problems. So, let’s get to it, shall we? It’s time to start enjoying pool season!