How to Open an Above Ground Pool for New Owners
Opening a pool for the first time can be like an archeological expedition. You find yourself confronted by a complex set of artifacts, built by someone else for reasons you don't understand. With a little patience and a little understanding of basic pool operating procedures, you should be able to overcome these difficulties and open your own pool. However, if you have any doubts about how to accomplish the necessary tasks, or if you cannot find any of the necessary mechanical components, or if you suspect the pool was winterized improperly, contact a pool professional. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pool filter
- Plug for the pool filter
- Pump, with strainer, lid and O-ring
- 3 connecting hoses or 3 lengths of hard pipe
- Backwash hose
- "Shock" chemical
- Nonpetroleum-based lubricant
Instructions
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Preparing the Equipment
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1
Don't take the cover off. Most people are tempted to remove the winter cover first. But as soon as sunlight reaches the water, algae begins to grow and airborne particles begin to accumulate. When you do take the cover off, if everything isn't running perfectly, the pool will turn green. With the cover on, you can take your time and make sure all the equipment is working.
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2
Install the plug on the filter tank. If there was any water trapped inside the tank during the winter, it would freeze, expand and damage the filter. The tank was designed with a plug at the base that could be removed so that the water would drain. If the pool was winterized properly, this plug was taken out and probably brought inside. The hole is left open all winter, but now that plug must be screwed in again. The pool cannot run unless the filter is airtight.
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3
Place the pump beside the filter. Usually, the pump and the filter share some sort of plastic or wooden platform. If this is not the case with your pool, put the pump on the ground as close to the filter as is convenient. The pump and filter must be on the same level. (Because a freeze/thaw cycle is damaging to the pump, it should have been brought inside for the winter.)
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4
Check the "strainer pot." On the side of the pump is a vessel. It usually looks like a flower pot. Inside this vessel should be a basket that will catch debris before it enters the pump. This is the "strainer." It fits snugly, so that it will not move while water is being pushed through it.
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5
Check the "skimmer." On the side of the pool, there is a box that protrudes from the wall. Undo the winter cover just enough so you can peek under the lid of this box. You should see another basket that catches leaves and other large objects. This is the "skimmer box," where the pump sucks water from the pool. Reattach the cover.
Reassembling the System
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6
Use one of the hoses or hard pipe to connect the skimmer to the strainer pot. Call it the "basket to basket" connection to help you remember. If the previous owners used hoses, they should also have round hose clamps to hold them in place. If they used PVC or some other hard pipe, then there will be round union fittings that screw into place.
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7
Use one of the hoses or hard pipe to connect the pump to the filter. The filter has three ports where the water comes and goes. They should be labeled "input," "output" and "waste." If there are no labels, consult the manual or the manufacturer's website. The filter "input" connects to the pump discharge, which should be on the side or the top of the pump.
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8
Attach the backwash hose. Eventually, the pool will require processes in which water is pushed out of the filter. When this happens, the water will pour out of the "waste" port. So there won't be a big puddle by the equipment, there needs to be a hose leading from the "waste" port to somewhere in your yard. The hose doesn't have to be as sturdy as the system connections, and can even have a few holes in it and still be effective.
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9
Complete the last connections. The "output" port usually connects to the return fitting on the pool. The previous owners may have had other equipment like a heater or a chemical feeder, which are not vital. If you want to use them, connect them to the "output" port and run a new line from that equipment to the return fitting.
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10
Prime the pump by filling the strainer pot with water. The pump was designed to move water. Just a little bit of air will put unnecessary strain on it. If the pump runs completely dry, it will overheat. The "Ultimate Guide to Pool Maintenance", recommends that you keep filling the pot until it is overflowing to be sure the entire system is primed. Once the pot is filled, the pump will be ready to work.
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11
Screw the lid onto the strainer pot. Make sure to lubricate the lid before you attach it, failure to lubricate will result in a broken lid the next time you take it off. Use a nonpetroleum-based lubricant like silicone or Teflon. Grease or petroleum jelly will deteriorate the rubber O-ring.
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12
Turn the valve on top of the filter tank to the "Filter" setting. If there is no visible "Filter" setting, consult the manual or the manufacturer's website.
Ready to Fill
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13
Feed your garden hose underneath the cover. Fill the pool to operating level. According to the Learn About Pools website, the water should be three-quarters of the way up the skimmer. Make sure all the hoses are reasonably taught. Any kinks or loops will cause air bubbles to get trapped, which will affect the performance of the pump and may damage it.
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14
Drain as much water as possible from the top of the cover as the pool is filling. The rain that has collected there is not healthy. The chlorine and the filter will clean it eventually, but the less work they have to do, the better. Use an electrical utility pump if there is a lot of water, or use your garden hose as a siphon if there is only a little.
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15
Switch on the pump. If the pump is truly primed, you will be able to look at the pump lid and see only a few bubbles that do not grow. If it seems like air is seeping into the line somewhere, switch off the pump. Unfasten the hoses and try to prime the system again, hopefully with some sort of blockages at the skimmer and return line so that the pool doesn't lose water.
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16
Bleed the air out of the filter using the relief valve. These vary in design from filter to filter, but most consist of a simple knob somewhere on the filter tank. Screw it open to let the air escape, then screw it closed when no air is left. According to the Pool Manual website, you will be able to hear the air escaping.
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17
Remove the cover.
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18
"Shock" the pool. This is a pool industry term for adding a a large amount of chlorine that acts in a short period of time. Shocking is the easiest way to start burning up any germs that may have grown during the winter. Shocking also gives your regular, every-day chlorine an easier job to do.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are not sure if it was done in the fall, backwash the filter to clean it of unwanted particles.
If you have the equipment for a manual vacuum, hook it up to the skimmer and stir up as much of the dirt inside the pool as you can. The pool will look murkier, but it will become clear sooner if the dirt is not clinging to the pool liner.
Leave the vacuum hooked up overnight so the filter can suck from the middle of the pool instead of from the skimmer. Tilt the vacuum head so that it is not sucking on the liner.
Do not bother with an automatic cleaner for the first day or two. Automatic cleaners are intended to maintain a clear pool, not clear up a dirty one.
Do not swim in the pool until after it has been shocked and the chlorine has had 24 hours to return to a level that is safe for humans.
Do not swim until the pool is clear enough for you to look at a coin on the bottom and tell if it is heads or tails.
Make sure the pump and all other electrical equipment is plugged into a ground fault interrupter (GFI) that will trip the circuit if water is splashed on the wrong places.
Never, never let the pump run dry. It needs water to keep it from overheating.
If there are valves on any part of the system, make sure they are open before you switch on the pump. Running against a closed valve will ruin the pump, or the lines, or both.
Take a sample of water to a pool store to get your chemistry balanced.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit colorful pool float in pool water image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
