1. The first step you take in opening your pool depends on what kind of winter cover your pool has. For those with a “safety cover” style winter cover, please proceed to step 1B. For those with a winter cover that collects water through the winter season (these may include a tarp & waterbags, or a lock-in cover made of vinyl or tarp material), you must pump the water from on top of the cover. The pumping of the cover surface water can be done with a submersible style pump, or with a gas powered “trash pump”. As the water is pumping off from on top of the cover, use this time to clean off the winter cover by scrubbing it, using a standard pool pole with a brush-head attachment. For those with waterbags, drain and clean the waterbags when the pool cover has been pumped off. For those with a lock-in style cover, unclip the cover from the track it is locked-in to, the entire perimeter of the pool. You can now fold up and remove the winter cover (this is a task more easily accomplished with 2 people). For those with a cover made of vinyl, it is reccomended that you submerge the folded-up cover in water for the summer so as to help avoid the cover shrinking when it dries out. Proceed to step 2.

1B. Before removing your safety cover, brush and scrub any debris off of it with a pool pole and brush head first. In order to remove the safety cover, you will require a safety cover tool, which is a metal bar with a notched-end. Use this tool to “un-clip” the metal springs from each of the lag bolts around the perimeter of the pool. You can now fold up and remove the safety cover from the pool. Now lower the safety cover lag bolts into the pool deck with the provided allen-key tool. It is reccomended that these bolts have grease applied to their threads at this time, to help avoid seizing.

2. With the winter cover now removed, you can begin re-assembling various pieces of pool equipment:

a- remove any plugs in return lines (jets), vacuum lines, and inside the skimmer.

b- re-install jet fittings in appropriate locations, place skimmer basket back in skimmer.

c- re-fasten any lights in the pool, place and tighten any ladders, handrails or diving boards.

d- replace any missing plugs into the pool pump and place pump basket back inside.

e- replace the drain cap on the filter, make sure any pressure gauges or sightglasses are threaded back in as well and in the case of a cartridge filter, reinstall the clean filters.

f- replace drain plugs or close drain cocks in heater and reconnect the pressure switch.

g- reconnect any other piece of equipment attached the pool plumbing.

3. If the pool’s water level is not at least halfway up the skimmer mouth, add water to the pool until it reaches this level.

4. With the pool water level now up, fill a bucket with water and pour it into the pump where the basket sits. You may want to repeat this step once or twice. Close the pump lid and turn on the pool pump. For those with a sand filter make sure the filter is on the “FILTER” setting at this point. For those with a cartridge filter, opening the air relief valve on top of the filter will help prime the system faster.

5. When the pump comes to full prime (no air is visible inside), check for any leaks from pool equipment. You should now add opening chemicals to the water and allow them to circulate for a day or two before bringing in a water sample for analyzing.