A swimming pool is a large draw for your business or organization, or it may be all your organization does. No matter which category you fall into, you want to make sure that your pool is up to the task of hosting visitors and leaves them with a good impression so that you continue to have visitors to your facility. Not having a pleasant pool can deeply hurt your bottom line. Protect that bottom line through proper maintenance of your pool, especially at the start of swimming season. This maintenance is manageable and breaks down into a few categories of examination: removing, inspecting, repairing and replacing, and final preparations and/or tweaking to make sure your pool is in tiptop shape.

Remove

 Removing items that will get in your way later is your first step.

• Debris around the pool. Check for debris in the vicinity of the pool. Loose leaves, branches, etc. should be removed so that they don’t blow in or get pushed in your pool later, cause you more work removing them, or cause problems with your filtration system.
• Pool cover. Remove the cover from your pool. This includes removing the water, leaves, and debris from the top of the cover so that these items do not fall into your water. Removing the cover is a job that is best handled by two people, as having help will make the process infinitely easier. Hose the cover off, let it dry, and store. Do not store it on top of grass or other vegetation, as it will kill these items if left on top of them.
• Algae and pool debris. Fill pool to 2/3 the length of your skimmer. Then clean out any debris from the pool using a skimmer, floor brush, and/or pool vacuum. At this point, be very sure to remove any algae that may have built up over the cooler months.
• Plugs. Remove any winter plugs from your pool. Start by loosening the wing-nuts and then pull out plugs. The winter plugs are located in the return ports on the sides of the pool usually about 2 feet (0.6 m) below the skimmers. There may also be plugs in the skimmer ports that need removed depending on your pool.
• Water or rust spots. Remove any water or rust spots that may have occurred during the cooler season. A product like Stain Away is very helpful in removing these. Use proper protection, such as gloves and goggles, if you are using a chemical option to treat these spots.

Inspect

Inspecting your pool is imperative. By doing so, you make sure that everything is operating correctly.

• Filter and pump. Check your filter and pump. Make sure that these are working to the best of their abilities. Replace the filter if needed or clean the filter media. Also make sure the motor on the pump is working properly and isn’t making a noise that may indicate that it needs serviced or replaced.
• Concrete and tile. Inspect the condition of your concrete or tile surfaces around the pool. Check for any cracks in the sides of your pool.
• Paint. If your pool has painted surfaces, either under water or not, make sure these surfaces are not peeling.

Repair and Replace

There is inevitable repairs or replacements that you must perform on your pool. These are important to a good experience for those using the pool.

• Repair concrete. Repair or replace any cracked or broken concrete or tile. Doing so removes potential hazards and liabilities for accidents common to pool surfaces. Trojan Masonry Sealer is an excellent product to use to seal small cracks, but large breaks may require replacement of part of your surface.
• Repaint. Repaint any surface that might have been peeling, especially in areas of no-slip surfaces.
• Replace equipment you removed. Replace any ladders or handrails that you might have removed to store for the winter. Lubricate bolts holding these into place as needed to make them easy to remove at the end of the season and prevent rusting while they are heavily exposed to water during pool season.
• Replace plugs. Replace any plugs that might need to go into the bottom of your filter, pump, or basket. Also, replace any gauges or valves you may have removed to prepare the pool for winter.

Final Preparation

Once all of your repairs and replacements are done in order to return your pool to working shape, fill your pool and get your water balanced. To do that, you need to test your water and balance the pH, alkalinity, and chlorine levels. All of this need to be in certain ranges and remain consistent for a week before you can allow anyone to use the pool. A good gauge is that pH should be between 7.2 and 7.4, alkalinity should be between 80 and 120, calcium hardness levels should be between 150 and 250 ppm (parts per million), and chlorine should be between 1 ppm and 3 ppm. Use more or less chemicals to get these into the proper levels.

Another important preparation is that you need to purchase new supplies and replacement materials for the season. These supplies include products like algaecide and chlorine, as well as any replacement filters that you might need later. It is best to be prepared than to scramble to purchase a filter or chemical later. No one carries higher quality wholesale pool maintenance than World Wide Janitor. Check our selection of pool maintenance here.

Conclusions

This article is in in no way comprehensive and your pool may have unique needs. However, if you consider each of these elements apply them in your situation, your pool will be open for visitors in no time. With attention to the detail and with proper care, your pool will be a fantastic draw for your organization.