How to Open Your Pool Without Looking Like an Amateur<

It’s that time. The cover’s coming off, the sun’s out, and suddenly everyone’s a pool expert again. But before you dive in with a skimmer and a dream, slow down. There’s a right way to open a pool, and doing it wrong sets you up for months of frustration and algae therapy.

First rule of pool openings: don't assume it’s fine under the cover. Just because you closed it “pretty well” doesn’t mean your water didn’t turn into a swamp while you were hibernating.

Start here, not with a cannonball

• Remove the cover gently. Don’t dump all the sludge on top back into the pool. That’s self-sabotage.
• Top off the water level. It’s been sitting. It’s probably low. Fill it up before testing anything.
• Test, balance, repeat. Get your pH, chlorine, alkalinity, and stabilizer dialed in. Guessing is not a strategy.
• Vacuum and brush everything. The pool version of spring cleaning. Skip it and you’ll regret it.

A proper pool opening isn’t dramatic. It’s measured, thorough, and just a little smug. The kind where your neighbors peek over the fence and say, “Wow, already swimming?”