DIY guidePool
Open the pool for the season
Take the cover off clean, put the equipment back together, fill to the skimmer, start the pump and filter, then balance the water before anyone swims.
- 2 hr to 5 hr
- 9 steps
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9 steps
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Pump the water off the top of the cover and sweep off the leaves, so none of it falls into the pool.
Never walk on a cover with water on it.With a helper, pull the cover off and fold it. Hose it clean, let it dry and store it where mice can't get at it.
Take the plugs out of the return jets and the skimmer, and lift out any float or foam piece left in the skimmer.
Put the drain plugs back in the pump and the filter, set both baskets back, and close the lids hand-tight.
Top the pool up with a hose until the water sits halfway up the skimmer's mouth.
Open the valves, fill the pump's pot with water and switch it on. Open the filter's air bleed until water spits out, then close it.
Test the water with strips and adjust it in order, as the water balance guide shows. Run the filter day and night until it's clear.
Brush the walls and floor, vacuum up what settles, and empty the baskets again.
A cracked pump or filter, a leak you can't stop, or a heater that won't come on: leave it off and ask Handyman for a pool pro.
What you need
- A cover pump, or a submersible pump
- A soft broom and a garden hose
- Pool test strips
- A pool brush and vacuum on a pole
Call a pro if
- The pump or filter is cracked
- A leak you can't stop
- The pump won't fill with water
- The heater won't come on
Handyman says: Cracked? I'll find a pool pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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