During the first week after you have started your pool system, run your pump and filter continuously (24 -7 ) in order to filter out the impurities that have accumulated all Winter. If you have a timer, disable it so that it will not interfere with this. After your pool is clear and blue your can reduce the filtration time to 8-10 hours a day depending on the water temperature and your usage. Your pool will need more attention just after opening it than it normally does during the swimming season. Extra vacuuming, brushing and back-washing as well as more careful attention to the chemicals will be necessary. The extra time that you spend on your pool now will make the rest of the season much easier for you.

During this period, backwash your filter often to obtain the best filtering capabilities. When your filter reaches 10psi over the "clean" reading it's time to backwash. This may be as little as once every two weeks or as often as twice a day; it will depend on how dirty your pool is and what type of filter you have. If your pool is dirty, green or cloudy, back-washing will be a frequent task. This is because the filter is doing its job of pulling out the problem-causing contaminants.

Remove any debris that is in the pool. If you cannot see the bottom, do blind-vacuuming and scooping or your pool will not clear. Keep the chlorine level high (3.0ppm+) until the pool is clear and be sure to keep your pH 7.4-7.6 so that the chlorine will work more efficiently.

Two to ten days after your pool is started, bring a water sample to your local pool store to evaluate the overall balance of your pool water. Be sure that the pool has circulated at least 2 days so that we can perform an accurate test. Bring along an inventory of any chemicals you already have so that the store staff can help you determine if you need to purchase any balancing chemicals.

Once your pool is in balance and is clear and blue, you can begin your routine Once-A-Week Program of pool care.