Summer is fast approaching, meaning it’s time to break out the pool! Unfortunately, commercial pool maintenance takes time. Many home and business owners scramble at the last minute to prepare their pools for the summer season.

Luckily, pool maintenance doesn’t have to be a hassle if you know the steps to take to get a pool pristine and prepared for a season of fun. Here are some essential components of getting a pool ready for the summer!

Storing the Pool Cover

Before moving on to pool cleaning, you must remove and store the pool cover. If standing water or debris is on the pool cover, remove these particles before storing it in a dry place for the summer pool season.

Filling a Pool and Monitoring Water Levels

Once the cover is removed, it’s time to fill the pool with water for the summer. The water surface level should be filled midway up the skimmer openings. Monitor the water level over the upcoming weeks to ensure the pool stays at the correct level.

Cleaning the Pool Filter

Next, thoroughly clean the pool filter to promote health and safety for everyone who enters the water. Start by assessing the grids or media cartridges to discover cracks and holes that could cause problems. Once you’ve performed the backwashing step but before filter startup, add a new D.E. to the filter.

Beyond these steps, inspect the O-rings on the filter to check for leaks and ensure they’re completely sealed. Check the filter gauge to guarantee it’s working properly. If you’re working with a sand filter, the sand might need to be changed depending on when it was last changed.

Skimming the Surface

An important step in cleaning a pool for the summer is skimming the surface to remove any surface-level debris that accumulates during the off-season. Whether you are working on a standard or saltwater pool, use a skimmer basket to collect and dispose of debris.

Vacuuming the Pool

An essential step in cleaning swimming pools is vacuuming them to ensure they are clean and prepared for swimming. A pool vacuum can remove lingering particles that have built up during the off-season, preventing health hazards that could arise from an unclean pool.

Reinstalling Seals and Plugs

During the winter, a pool is protected by winterizing plugs that will require replacement for the summer season. As you prepare a pool, reinstall drain plugs for the pool’s heater, filter, and pool pump.

Filter drips and leaks will require underwater sealant for pools, such as pool putty, standard caulking guns, or an underwater silicone sealant for pools. An adhesive and sealant material will fix leaks, cracks, and tears in fiberglass, vinyl, and other materials commonly used in pools. If you need help finding the right sealant for pool pumps and other swimming pool maintenance, call Silicone Depot at 812-824-8000 for expert assistance.

Balancing the Pool Water

Once you’ve used an underwater magic sealant or caulking gun, the next step in a pool’s maintenance is balancing and testing the pool water for safety. Completing this step requires a pool test kit, such as a digital tester, test strips, or liquid reagent kit.

These kits assess the water to guarantee the proper alkalinity, calcium, chloride, and pH levels. Depending on the results, you might need to balance and adjust the pool water to ensure it’s safe for swimming and has the required chlorine level.

Below is an overview of where pool levels should be before swimming:

• Calcium hardness: 150-250 parts per million (PPM)
• pH levels: 7.2-7.4
• Chlorine levels: 1-3 PPM
• Total alkalinity: 80-120

Shocking Pool Water

Before diving in, you must shock the pool to eliminate algae and bacteria that accumulate during the off-season. Shocking a pool requires a chlorine or non-chlorine shock. The best way to complete this process is to follow the instructions outlined in your shock product. After shocking the pool, ensure everyone knows to wait the recommended time before swimming.

Preparing Pool Chemicals

Certain chemicals are required to maintain the proper water chemistry for a pool during the summer. The right chemicals will keep the pool clean, balanced, and disinfected to ensure it’s safe.

Among the main chemicals you should have on hand before opening the pool for summer include:

• Sodium bisulfate
• Sodium bicarbonate
• Sodium chloride shock
• Calcium chloride
• Soda ash
• Algaecide
• Muriatic acid

Maintaining a Pool

Your work isn’t finished even after you’ve prepared a pool for the summer season. Maintaining the pool throughout the summer is paramount to ensuring a safe and healthy environment everyone can enjoy.

Tell your clients to vacuum the pool weekly and test its chemical levels daily. They should also regularly check their pool filter to guarantee it’s free of debris accumulating over the season. Beyond routine testing, tell them to consider investing in monthly professional testing to ensure the pool is safe for use.

Some maintenance tools your clients will need to monitor and take care of their pool throughout summer include:

• Skimmer basket
• Telescopic pole
• Nylon and wire brush
• Pool vacuum hose and head
• Pool vacuum plate
• Leaf vacuum

Protect Pools With Silicone Depot

Keeping a pool sealed is vital to guaranteeing pool safety during the summer. As you look forward to preparing your clients’ pools for the summer, protect them with high-quality sealants from Silicone Depot.

Silicone Depot provides essential sealants for all your maintenance needs, no matter how big or small the leak. Explore our sealants and accessories today!