Spring is without a doubt the best time for a pool owner. With the first rays of sun comes the long-awaited process of opening your pool and diving right back in. After months of cold winter, it’s finally warm enough to finally take a swim. But even though the weather is ideal, your pool is not ready for a dive just yet. 



But don’t worry, it only takes a little time and a couple of pool maintenance tasks to de-winterize your pool and make it ready to use again. If the winter was particularly harsh in the area you live in, you might want to consider hiring a professional pool service to inspect the pool for any serious issues.

Here’s a checklist of things you need to do before you start swimming. 

Drain and Clean the Cover 

If you used a pool cover during the winter, which we strongly recommend, you need to drain as much water from the cover as possible. Then you can proceed to remove the cover. You can drain the excess water using a cover pump. Also, make sure to clear any debris like leaves or dirt before removing the cover.  

Remove the Cover 

Make sure to have someone help you when removing the pool cover. The cover can be heavy depending on the size of your pool, so any help you can get can’t hurt. Don’t worry if some of the debris or water goes into the pool, as you’ll still have to clean it up before use either way. 

Clean and Put Away the Cover 

After you’ve removed the cover, lay it on the ground and use a brush to remove any leftover debris. Once you’ve cleaned and dried it, use a special product or talcum to protect the cover from the mold. Fold it and store it away in a cool and dry place.

Readjust the Water Level and Reconnect the Equipment 

Using a garden hose, get the pool water level back to normal. If you properly winterized your pool, you’ll need to reconnect the pool equipment like the pump, filter, heater and any other additional equipment. If you have an above ground pool, you also need to reconnect the plumbing. 

De-Winterize the Pool 

Take out the winterizing plugs you used during the previous season for the filter, heater, pump and other equipment and replace them with normal plugs. After you’ve discharged the antifreeze remove the plugs from the skimmer and return lines and reconnect them. 

Turn the System On 

Once everything is connected, turn all the systems on to check if everything is working as it should. Prime the pump and switch the filtration and circulation systems back on. Open the air relief valve on the filter if you have one to bleed the air. 

Test the Pool Chemistry 

Once you’ve taken care of all of the steps above and when the pool has been running for a couple of hours, test the water chemistry. This includes the pH, Alkalinity and Chlorine levels.

The ideal pool chemistry levels are: 

  • Chlorine Levels: 2.0 to 4.0 ppm
  • Total Alkalinity: From 80 to 120 ppm
  • pH value: 7.4 – 7.6 

If you don’t know how to test the pool chemistry, check with a local pool service company. They will perform this for you and give you recommendations on how to balance the chemicals if there’s need for it.