Make sure your family can enjoy clean, healthy water all season long by following these steps:

1. Clean off all leaves and debris from the pool cover before removing it.
2. Empty your skimmer baskets frequently. This reduces the number of leaves on the bottom of your pool.
3. When cleaning your pool with a leaf net, start at the sides and work your way around. Then clean from the middle to the sides.
4. Make sure to empty your leaf net regularly when cleaning. Otherwise, you may accidentally dump the net’s contents back in the pool.
5. Trim the trees and bushes around your pool to minimize the number of leaves that fall in.
6. If you’re opening your pool, run the filter around the clock until the water is totally clear.
7. If your pool water is green or smells bad, you likely have an algae problem. Balance your chlorine/sanitizer levels, and talk to a professional if you need more help.
8. Ensure that your filter, pump, lint trap, and skimmer baskets are clean.
9. Adjust your pool inlets so that the water moves in a circular direction.
10. Check and empty your skimmer and pump baskets regularly.

Backwashing is necessary when your pump pressure is 10-20 psi above the regular pressure rate. You will also have to backwash after vacuuming.

Backwashing steps:

1. Turn off the pool pump
2. Turn filter handle to “BACKWASH”
3. Turn on the pool pump
4. Run two to three minutes or until water runs clear
5. Turn off the pool pump
6. Turn filter handle to “RINSE”
7. Turn on the pool pump
8. Run for 10 seconds or until water runs clear
9. Turn off the pool pump
10. Turn filter handle to “FILTER”
11. Turn on the pool pump
12. Note lower pressure and resume normal use of pool

Don’t backwash too often, or your filter won’t reach its cleaning potential!

Make sure to deep clean your filter at least two to three times per season, along with regular backwashing.

To Deep Clean A Cartridge and DE Filter:

1. Remove filter element(s) and rinse with water to wash away loose dirt
2. Soak element(s) overnight in a cartridge cleaner
3. Rinse element(s) thoroughly with clean water and replace

To Deep Clean A Sand Filter:

1. Pour recommended amount of filter cleaner into pump strainer basket
2. Turn pump on and backwash into the filter
3. When you see water in the sight glass, turn the pump off and close all valves leading to and from the filter, isolating the cleaner in the filter overnight
4. Next day, reopen valves and backwash until water is clear and no foam is visible
5. Run the rinse cycle and then return filter to normal operation

Phosphates are a key factor in algae growth, and they can enter your pool water from dust, rain, leaves, runoff from the lawn, and more. They’re dangerous for your pool sanitization because they can destroy chlorine.

To avoid high levels of phosphates, follow these steps:

• Eliminate lawn or landscaping runoff from entering the pool
• Remove leaves from your pool regularly
• Use a phosphate removal treatment
• Use a lifelong algaecide year-round
• Get your water tested professionally

The Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) measures your water’s ability to scale or corrode your pool. You want to keep your LSI between +0.3 and -0.3.

Low LSI means that the water is corrosive. High LSI means your pool might suffer from scaling, calcium deposits, and mineral/metal precipitation.

Calcium hardness indicates that your water is prone to scaling. Pool owners must balance their calcium hardness to ensure that their pool runs well.

If your pool water is too hard, drain the water and add in water of a lower pH. If it’s too low, then add some calcium hardness increaser.

In addition, pool owners should test their water for metals. Red, green, or blue stains in your pool indicate metallic contamination in your water. Take a water sample to a pool professional, and they can prescribe a treatment for your water.

pH measures the acidity or basicity of your water. Maintaining the pH level is just as important as keeping your pool chlorinated. Without the proper pH levels, your pool chlorine will not work as well.

Your pool’s pH should be within 7.2 to 7.8. Lower pH is corrosive and will damage your vinyl liners, fiberglass finishes, plaster finishes, and more. When pH is too high, it will form calcium carbonate scale and damage your pool’s surfaces, plumbing, and heaters.

Total alkalinity measures your pool’s ability to resist changes in pH. It helps regulate your pH level and keep it in the right range. If the TA is too low, the pH can "bounce" and negatively affect pool chemistry.

Your pool’s TA should be at 80-120 ppm. If your pool water is out of balance, you should adjust your TA first with an alkalinity increaser or pH decreaser, then adjust the pH. High TA can be hard to reduce, and you may have to add more decreaser over time.

Low TA can lead to:

• pH bounce
• Staining/etching of pool surfaces
• Corrosion in your pool’s mechanical system
• Liner wrinkles
• High TA can lead to:
• Cloudy water
• Scale formation
• pH resistance

There are two kinds of chlorine: free chlorine and chloramine. Chlorine acts as a sanitizing agent by killing bacteria and oxidizing contaminants. Once chlorine combines with these contaminants, it turns into chloramines, which have no sanitizing ability. Chloramines are a waste product that needs to be removed. 

Pool owners should know the total chlorine in their pool. They can calculate the total chlorine value with this formula:

(total chlorine) = (free chlorine) + (combined chlorine)

If your total chlorine level is higher than the free chlorine level, you need to shock your pool. That involves adding an extra-large dose of free chlorine compound to your pool. This helps destroy the combined chlorine. Make sure to use an organic or stabilized chlorine stabilizer, as an inorganic/unstabilized chlorine stabilizer will cause your pH to spike.

1. Remove any plant debris and water from the deck and pool cover.
2. Remove the pool cover, clean it, let it dry, and store it.
3. Add water up to the middle of the skimmer or the normal operating level.
4. Remove any freeze plugs or other items installed to protect against freezing.
5. Clean your filter (if this was not done when you closed the pool).
6. Start the system up, making sure to prime the pump before starting the motor and purge all air from the system.
7. Check for any cracks, holes, and/or tears in the liner or surface of the pool and repair them.
8. Remove large debris with a net and vacuum all small debris.
9. DO NOT add any chemicals. First, bring a water sample to a water lab to check your water chemistry. In certain circumstances, adding chlorine and other chemicals can damage or stain your pool.