OPENING YOUR POOL
Opening your pool the right way is the first step to a season of carefree maintenance and swimming fun. The steps below are basic guidelines.
1 REMOVE YOUR POOL COVER (Skip this step for new pools)
If you use a solid cover, drain off the water - but not into the pool. Sweep the cover and clean it with BioGuard Stow way® to prevent sticking and unpleasant odors. Store it in a dry place that's free of debris and protected from the sun and weather.
2 FILL YOUR POOL
Your pool must be filled to the middle of the skimmer opening to properly circulate.
3 CHECK YOUR PUMP, SKIMMER BASKET & FILTER
Make sure all equipment is clean and in working order. Start the circulation system and remove debris from the pool. Your filter is a very important part of your pool's maintenance program. If it's not working properly, the products you add won't do their job either. If the filter (sand, D.E. or cartridge) is dirty or wasn't cleaned before your pool was closed, remove grease and oil with BioGuard Strip Kwik®. For scale build-up (white or gray flaky mineral deposits), use BioGuard Kleen It®.
4 BRING IN A WATER SAMPLE FOR FREE TESTING
Circulate the water 24 to 48 hours before taking a water sample. Using a clean plastic container (or even better, one provided by your dealer), scoop about a quart of water at elbow-depth from the pool. Seal the container to avoid leaks and take it to your BioGuard Authorized Dealer for testing and analysis.
5 TEST SANITIZER & pH LEVELS
If you test the pool water yourself, use the BioGuard 1200V Test Kit or BioGuard test strips to check the free chlorine or total bromine residuals and pH levels. The chart below provides the proper levels you need to keep pool water in balance.
 |
Free chlorine residual |
1.0 to 3.0 ppm |
Total Bromine residual |
1.0 to 3.0 ppm |
pH |
7.4 to 7.6 is ideal range
(7.2 - 7.6 is acceptable) |
Total Alkalinity |
125 to 150 ppm |
Calcium Hardness:
Plaster & SoftSwim® pools
All other types |
200 to 275 ppm
175 to 225 ppm |
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6 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
Now that you're into the swim of things, we recommend routine maintenance with a BioGuard 3-Step Program. If you prefer a non-chlorinating system, we have that too! It's the SoftSwim® Program, a complete line of non-chlorinating products that is very gentle on your skin, eyes and hair.
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