11 steps for a summer-ready pool

1. Remove cover

• Wind up the pool cover carefully ensuring as few leaves and debris enter the pool as possible.

2. Clean the cover

• Place the cover flat side up with the bubbles facing down.
• If possible use the space available around the pool by setting the reel system back, creating a flat surface between the reel and pool. 
• Your cover can also be laid out on a lawn to be cleaned, but please take note of our ‘Top tips’ below.
• Rinse down with a hose or jet washer (ensure jet washer kept 20cm – 30cm from cover).
• Use a soft brush to remove embedded residue.

3.Clear the pool of debris

• Use deep net or skimmer net to clear leaves and debris from surface and floor of the pool.
• Open and empty skimmer baskets, clean inside of skimmer.

4. Deep clean the pool

• Use a soft pool brush to brush away algae and dirt off walls and floor of the pool.
• Remove inlet cover plates and eyeball inlet nozzles and clean.
• Vacuum the pool – Run your robotic cleaner to remove the last residue at the bottom of the pool.

5. Top up water levels

• Run hose line to the pool and bring the water level to the middle of the skimmer.

6. Set up the filter

• Ensure pump is switched off and turn off inlets, main drain, and skimmer valves to pump and filter.
• Open the lid to the pump remove the pump filter basket.
• Clean the pump filter basket and reinstall.
• Ensure the pump seal is clean and reinstall.
• Use a bucket of water to help prime pump. Replace pump lid.
• Open inlets, main drain, and skimmer valves to pump and filter.
• Switch on pump for 24 hours, ensuring the multi-port valve is set to “filtration”
• Backwash the pool filtration as required

7. Check chemical levels and balance pool

• Take water samples from the pool (ensure taken 20cm under the water level).
• Check pH, Free Chlorine (FC), Combined Chlorine (CC), (calculate Total Chlorine (TC)), Calcium Hardness (CH) and Total Alkalinity (TA).
• Take appropriate actions to balance pH, CH and TA (take time to allow chemicals to settle).
• Add stabilised chlorine to level the pool between 2-4ppm.
• Allow to settle and recheck chemical levels

8. Shock the pool (if required)

• Put on PPE and weigh out shock chlorine.
• Fill bucket with warm water.
• Add the required shock to the bucket slowly.
• Stir until dissolved.
• Add shock slowly to the pool moving around the pool and ensuring not to splash and to pay attention around the skimmer.
• Ensure all pool equipment is cleaned thoroughly.
• Leave and allow the shock to do its work.
• Repeat as needed.
• Ensure the pool cover is off the pool water until the free chlorine level has returned to 2 – 4 ppm

9. Reinstall the cover

• When the chemical levels have returned to industry standards, reattach cover to reel and install on pool.

10. Set the pump and filtration timings

• Check the inlet nozzles are set to provide the best possible circulation.
• Set the filtration time schedule ensuring enough time to completely circulate the pool.
• For best heating performance set filtration to turn during the sunlight hours between 11 and 4.