Ready to bring your pool back to life after months of cold weather? Whether you're dealing with a little bit of grime or a lot of green, opening your pool for the season is easier than it sounds — and we’ll walk you through it.
If you’ve been wondering how to open a pool or how to open a pool after winter, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into it step-by-step.
Here’s a good rule of thumb:
Open your pool when daytime temperatures stay consistently above 65°F.
Waiting too long risks algae blooms, even under the winter cover.
If you're asking how to open a pool for the season, the sooner you get started when spring hits, the easier (and cheaper) it’ll be.
Before you start, round up the basics:
A good pool opening kit (includes shock, algaecide, clarifiers, and balancers)
Pool vacuum or automatic cleaner
Start-up chlorine or pool opening chemicals
Your pool pump, filter, and any plugs you removed last fall
1. Remove the Cover
Use a leaf blower or soft broom to clear off debris. Carefully pull back the cover, cleaning it as you go to avoid dumping gunk into the pool.
Pro Tip: Let the cover dry fully before storing it to prevent mold and mildew.
2. Clean and Inspect the Pool
Scoop out any leaves or debris from the water using a skimmer net. Scrub the walls if needed.
If your water level is low, top it off so it's halfway up the skimmer.
3. Reinstall Pool Equipment
Reconnect the pump, filter, heater, and any other equipment. Reinstall the drain plugs you removed for winterization. Remove any winterizing plugs from the skimmer and return lines.
Make sure all valves are open and ready to move water.
4. Prime and Start the System
Turn on the pump and let it run to circulate the water. It might spit a little air at first — that’s normal.
Check for leaks and make sure everything is running smoothly.
5. Shock and Treat the Water
Now it’s time to balance your water and kill off anything leftover from winter:
Use test strips to check chlorine, pH, alkalinity, and stabilizer levels.
Add your pool opening chemicals: shock, algaecide, and balancers as needed.
If you have a salt water pool, wait until the chlorine generator can safely operate after balancing pH and salt levels.
Wondering how to open a salt water pool? Good news — it’s basically the same process as opening a traditional chlorine pool, with just a few extra checks:
Inspect and clean your salt cell:
Over the winter, your salt cell may have built up calcium deposits or debris. Remove the cell and clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions before turning your system back on.
(A dirty salt cell can cause low chlorine production right when you need it most.)
Balance your water chemistry first:
Before you power up your salt chlorine generator, test and adjust your pH, alkalinity, and stabilizer levels. The generator works best when your pool chemistry is already in the right range.
Check your salt levels:
After balancing everything else, test the salt level using strips or a digital tester. Add pool-grade salt if needed to bring it back into the recommended range (usually around 2,500–3,500 ppm, depending on your system).
Restart your salt chlorine generator:
Once your salt level is good and your cell is clean, you can turn the system on and start producing chlorine naturally again.
Bottom line:
Opening a saltwater pool is almost identical to opening any other pool — it just takes a little extra attention to the salt system before you’re ready to dive in.
The average DIY pool opening costs between $50 and $150, depending on what chemicals and parts you need.
If you hire a professional service, you might pay anywhere from $200 to $400 (or more), depending on where you live and how much cleaning your pool needs.
Bottom line:
DIY-ing with a good pool opening kit can save you serious cash and isn't hard if you follow the steps.
Waiting too long — Warm weather breeds algae fast.
Skipping testing — Even if water looks clear, chemistry could be way off.
Ignoring equipment checks — A small leak or clog now could mean a big repair bill later.
Not shocking hard enough — Early season algae needs a serious blast, not a weak treatment.
Want to make opening your pool as simple as possible?
Check out our selection of Pool Opening Chemical Kits — they’re designed to match your pool size and make the process easy.
A little prep now means a full season of clear, sparkling water ahead.
