Restarting a pool after winterizing

Restoring your above-ground pool after a winterizing period is a crucial step. This will allow your pool to be ready for the summer season in ideal conditions.
The restart process will unfold differently depending on the type of winterizing performed and the care taken to maintain water quality.

The importance of a proper restart for your above-ground pool

Taking your pool out of winterizing is not a task to be taken lightly. The restart must be done at the right time and in a progressive manner to prevent bacteria from proliferating in the water, which would lead to costly treatments. Effective management in the spring will thus allow you to quickly enjoy your pool on sunny days, simplify pool maintenance and, in the long term, space out the maintenance interventions for your equipment.

When to take the pool out of winterizing?

To successfully exit winterizing, it is essential to choose the right moment. The ideal is to wait until temperatures reach about 12 degrees (15°C for a pool using salt chlorination treatment). This is the moment when bacteria begin to develop, and the pool that was protected by the cold could fill with algae. You will need to anticipate and adapt your approach according to weather conditions and your region. On average, the ideal period is between March and April, although spring can arrive early, which requires your vigilance.

It is crucial to be ready, because any delay can lead to the proliferation of bacteria and subsequently require heavy treatments to “clear” the water. This could result in significant expenses for sanitation products and even delay the start of the swimming season.

What to do after active winterizing?

If you chose active winterizing, the effort required for restarting will be less. By keeping the pool filtration running at a low speed while monitoring regularly, you have generally preserved the water quality and the steps to follow in the spring are simplified. You will then simply need to carefully clean the pool, perform a water analysis to adjust the necessary treatments and restart the filtration system according to the temperature.

Recommissioning your pool after passive or total winterizing

If you opted for passive winterizing by covering the pool and stopping the filtration, restarting it will be slightly more complex. You must first remove the cover, clean the pool surroundings, and use a net to remove any debris floating on the water surface. The steps to restore operation must then be carried out as follows:

• Put the skimmer baskets back in place
• Treat the walls above the water line with an algaecide and let them dry
• Increase the water level
• Clean the pool manually and with a robot, and carefully brush the water line
• Reinstall and clean if necessary all technical components (filter, pump)
• Power on the pump and restart the filtration. If the pump bearings seem seized, they will need to be replaced.
• Perform a water analysis (calcium, alkalinity, etc.) and verify that the pH is between 7 and 7.2. Apply the necessary treatments to restore balance and sanitize the water.
• Run the filtration continuously for at least 24 hours. Once the water is clear again, adjust the usual filtration schedule based on the temperature.