When Is the Best Time to Open My Swimming Pool?

Well it’s that time of year again. With the warmer weather, the ‘swimming bug’ will soon be affecting all of us.

But during this time of year, many pool owners debate about when they should open their pools. When is too early? When is too late? This is a legitimate concern, and this article will discuss my thoughts on the matter. Keep in mind though, the answer to such a question can vary drastically depending on the region, which is why I’ve tried to come up with a general, all-encompassing rule of thumb, which is as follows:

When the temperature is consistently above 70 degrees during the day, it’s time to open the pool.

Why so early you ask? Well let me give you 5 main reasons.

1.       Warmer temperatures breed algae in a swimming pool: For those swimming pools with mesh winter covers (allowing sunlight through), too much sunlight can spell days of work to get the pool up to ideal swimming conditions. Personally, I’d much rather open up the pool earlier to find a cleaner pool than wait an additional month to be welcomed by a mountain of algae.

2.       Pollen: In New York, pollen is a major pain in everyone’s tail during the month of April. The problem with pollen though is that it wreaks havoc on un-circulating water. For example, all the pools that are closed right now are allowing pollen to get in the water and just sit there. This will make it even more difficult to open and clean the pool later. But for the pools that are open and circulating, the pollen will be simply sucked into the skimmer, caught by the filter, and will in-turn keep it from turning your pool into a yellow lagoon.

3.       Expense: Many people hesitate to open their pool early because they feel it’s too expensive. But considering that most swimming pool owners now have salt water pools and two-speed motors on their filter systems, the chemical and electrical cost is almost nominal. On average, if a pool owner runs their pump on low speed for a month and has a salt system, they’ll likely spend less than $50 in total expenses. And when you compare that to the extra chemicals and cleaning required with a late-opening, doesn’t an early opening make more sense?

4.       Beauty: I don’t know about you all, but to me there is nothing better than firing up the grill in April and having great food and fun with friends and neighbors. And nothing says ‘Summer is Here!‘ like having a beautiful swimming pool running and open to complete such a scene. Remember, the average pool owner spends more time on their pool’s patio than they do in the actual pool, so the sooner the pool is open, the sooner one can enjoy the beauties of their backyard investment.

4.       Mother Nature: She always surprises us here in New York. One day is 45 degrees, and the next day its 85. You want to be ready when she decides that Summer is here to stay (at least for a few months).

So there are my top five reasons not to wait on your swimming pool opening. For those of you who have an inground swimming pool.

As always, we at Crystal Clear Pool Service hope everyone has a wonderful summer in their swimming pool. If you have any questions or comments regarding pool openings and timeframes, please don’t hesitate to call us — we’d be happy to help you!