Opening and Closing Your Pool in Maryland

The most common worry we hear from people thinking about a pool is how much work it will be. It's a fair concern. Plenty of owners will tell you a pool is a large undertaking. We see it differently: it isn't, as long as you keep up with preventative care ahead of time.

In our climate, that care follows the seasons. A pool gets opened in spring, used all summer, and closed in fall. How well you handle those two transitions, and how steady you keep the water in between, decides most of what kind of year you'll have.

Why preventative care beats repair

A pool that's looked after in small ways stays clear and comfortable. A pool that's ignored for a few weeks in July can turn into a weekend project, and an unhappy surprise on a hot day. The good news is that the routine is simple. It's mostly a matter of doing the same few things regularly.

• Keep the skimmer baskets and pump basket clear so water keeps moving
• Brush the walls and steps so buildup doesn't get a foothold
• Test the water on a schedule and adjust, instead of waiting until it looks wrong
• Watch the water level, since a level that keeps dropping is worth a closer look
• Listen to the equipment, because unusual noises from a pump or filter are an early warning

Water balance is the heart of it

When people say water balance, they mean keeping the chemistry of the pool in a healthy range so the water stays clear, comfortable and gentle on the pool itself. Sanitizer, pH, alkalinity and hardness all work together, and when one drifts it tends to drag the others along.

We're not going to hand out numbers in an article, because the right targets depend on your type of pool, your surface and your equipment. The easier path is to have your water tested by a professional and follow the advice for your pool. Bringing a water sample to a pool store is a normal part of owning one, and it's something we're happy to help with, both in the store and online.

Opening in spring

Opening a pool is more than pulling the cover and adding chemicals. The equipment gets reconnected and checked, the water is brought back into balance, and any problems that crept in over winter get caught before the first swim.

Timing matters here. Open too early and you may be fighting cold weather and debris that keeps falling. Open too late and you lose good weekends. Many owners pick a date in late spring when the weather has settled, and a professional opening makes that transition easier.

One of our customers, Cynthia Martinez, wrote that the team has been opening and closing her pool for the past three to four years, and that once they open it, her pool is up and running within 72 hours. She also mentioned that a pool specialist has helped her balance her water every year. That's the kind of steady routine that keeps a pool from becoming a headache.

Closing in fall

Closing is where people sometimes cut corners, and it's where a bit of care pays back the most. The goal is to leave the pool clean, balanced and protected so it comes through winter in good shape and opens easily in spring.

A pool that goes into winter dirty or out of balance tends to come out the same way, with more work waiting. Timing is again part of the equation. Close once the water has cooled and the leaves have mostly come down, so the cover isn't buried under debris on day one. Equipment needs to be handled correctly for freezing weather, which is a good reason to rely on someone who does it routinely.

Building a routine that sticks

The simplest approach is to set the year up in advance. Know when you'll open, know who is handling the water testing, and know what you do if something looks off. A few small habits in July save a lot of trouble in August.

Admiral Pools offers cleaning, maintenance, maintenance packages and inspections, and our team can repair pumps and filters when something goes wrong. If you'd like help with an opening or closing, or you simply want to talk through a plan for the season, call us at (667) 364-8868 or visit 4305 Pulaski Hwy in Abingdon. We'll give you a free quote and a straight answer.