Opening an Above-Ground Pool in Pike County's Spring

Spring in Pike County doesn't ask permission. One week it's cold enough for a jacket, the next it's warm and the pine pollen is coating everything yellow. Opening an above-ground pool in that kind of weather rewards patience and a good order of steps. Do them in sequence and you'll have clear water faster, with fewer surprises.

Pick your weekend and gather supplies

Pick a day when the weather is steady, not the first warm afternoon after a cold snap. Georgia springs swing back and forth, and there's no rush to pull a cover before you're ready to take care of the water. Before you start, lay out what you need: a cover pump or a submersible pump, a brush, a net, a hose, a test kit or a clean sample bottle, shock and a few basic repair supplies. A liner patch kit in the garage is cheap insurance.

Clear the cover before you lift it

Winter covers collect rainwater, leaves, pine needles and a surprising amount of muck. Pump off standing water with a cover pump rather than dumping it into the pool, then sweep or net off the debris. Lift the cover from the edges and fold it so the dirty side stays inside. Let it dry on a clean patch of lawn if you can, brush it off, and store it clean and dry. A cover put away damp will mildew by next fall.

If the cover has slid into the pool or the water underneath looks dark, don't panic. It's common. Net out what you can, and plan a longer cleanup before you worry about balance.

Check the pool itself

Walk the whole thing before you add water. Look at the liner for tears, wrinkles and thin spots, particularly around the skimmer, the return fitting and the bottom rail where the wall meets the floor. Check the wall for rust or bent sections, and look at the ladder and its footing. Red clay shifts with the seasons, so check that the ground around the pool is level and nothing has settled or washed out.

Small tears can be patched, and a repair kit is a simple fix when you catch a tear early. Do it now, before the pool is full, and you won't be fighting a leak while you're also fighting algae.

Bring the water level up and wake up the equipment

Top off the water to about the middle of the skimmer opening. Too low and the pump can suck air, too high and the skimmer door won't work right. Reinstall the skimmer baskets, return fittings and any plugs you removed in the fall. Inspect the hoses and clamps, then reconnect the pump and filter, checking each O-ring and gasket. A cracked O-ring is a ten-minute fix now and a headache later.

Prime the pump, open the valves, and look for leaks at every connection before you walk away. If the pump is noisy, drips at the seal or won't prime, that's a good time to check on parts. We carry pumps, motors and seal kits, plus parts for Hayward, Polaris, Pentair and Jandy equipment.

Clean up, test and balance

Skim, brush and vacuum what you can. Then test the water. Fill a clean bottle at elbow depth, away from the returns, and get it checked before you add any chemical. A spring pool can have low sanitizer, off pH, or a stabilizer level that carried over from last year. Balancing comes first, because shock and clarifier work better when pH and alkalinity are in line.

Elite Pool Store at 6337 US-19 in Zebulon will test your water for free. That saves you buying the wrong thing at the start of the season, and it gives you a baseline for the rest of the summer.

Shock, run the filter and be patient

Once the water is balanced, shock the pool in the evening according to the label for your pool size, and run the pump around the clock until the water clears. A pool that sat all winter often goes green or cloudy for a few days, and that's normal. Brush the walls, clean the filter if it clogs, and retest in a day or two. If the water stays hazy, clarifier can help the filter catch what's left, and if it turned green, a second round of shock and some algaecide may be needed.

• Clear and fold the cover, and store it clean and dry
• Inspect the liner, wall, rails and ladder, and patch tears
• Set the water level to the middle of the skimmer
• Reassemble and reconnect the pump, filter, hoses and fittings
• Test the water and balance before shocking
• Shock in the evening, brush, and run the filter continuously
• Retest and adjust until the water is clear and balanced

Thinking about a new above-ground pool?

If you're planning a new pool instead of waking up an old one, Elite Pool Store takes questions about above-ground installs. Call (470) 945-4340 and ask. The store is open Monday through Friday 9 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4, closed Sunday, and hours can change in winter, so a quick call is smart in the off-season.