Winter is finally over!  The kids are pestering you to get the pool open, right? Spring weather in Atlanta means you really can start the pool opening process. Here are four tips to help prepare for opening day of the swimming season.

Don’t Empty Your Pool

This tip is really one you should have followed when you closed your pool in the fall. Just in case you did empty it, don’t do that again! The only time a pool should be completely emptied is when the pool needs structural work done. There is one other situation that warrants draining the pool, but since you have a pool cover, this won’t pertain to you. Pools that aren’t covered at the end of the season, usually end up full of leaves in the spring. It’s easier to drain the pool for a thorough cleaning in that case. Otherwise, emptying your pool at the end of the season sets you up for potential problems.

Remove the Cover

It goes without saying that the first thing you do is remove the cover. This is not a mystery, however, you may find a few mysterious items underneath. Hopefully you’ve invested in a safety cover. If so, this first step will be simple. If not, you’ll be wrangling with your vinyl cover, which may have puddles of water on it. You must blow off, or vacuum any leaves and debris that accumulated on the cover over the winter. If you lift the cover before taking this step, all the trash will dump into the water. Don’t let the kids distract you into ripping off the cover too quickly! They can’t swim just yet anyway. The next step is to conduct an inspection.

Inspection Time

Inspecting the pool before the new season begins is a critical step. You may find repair items you can take care of yourself, but there may also be a few things that require help from a swimming pool builder in Atlanta. Start the inspection by examining the filter and pump for damaged or worn parts. Expansion or freeze plugs should be removed skimmers and wall returns. Afterwards, re-set the nozzles. If you removed underwater lights from their housings, go ahead and reattach them. During your inspection, watch for chips and cracks in the pool and also on the pool deck. Finally, grab some baking soda and a tile brush or pumice stone. Get rid of calcium scale and any stains from the tile.

Spring Cleaning

Many items can be taken care of by you, but there are others better left to a company that knows about opening pools in Atlanta. Spring cleaning of the area around your pool is something you and the kids can do together. Unless you spent a lot of time sweeping during the winter, you probably have leaves and debris you can discard. Trim bushes and remove decay from planting areas around the pool. Gather lawn and pool furniture and make sure nothing is broken. Make any necessary repairs so you’re ready to entertain once the pool is ready. This is also a great time to inspect the diving board and slide if you have those. If you complete these tasks, you’ve made great progress toward getting ready for swimming pool fun.