Anglia Hot Tubs

Opening and Closing your pool

Help & Support > A Guide to Opening & Closing your Pool

Opening a Pool

If you have not opened up your own pool before, and you are in any doubt as to your ability to do so, you would be well advised to call in you local pool centre or service engineer to do the job for you. If you want to undertake the work yourself, the guidelines provided on this page should be of some assistance:

Remove surface water and debris from the winter cover before taking it off. Clean and dry it ready for storage.
Using a leaf net, remove as much rubbish and debris from the pool as possible and clean any tide marks on the pool walls using Fi-Clor Tile & Liner Cleaner.
Reconnect the pump if you removed it over the winter.
Make sure all electrical connections are free from dampness - call in an electrician if you are in any doubt about what you are doing.
Open any valves beneath the water line which may have been closed or plugged when winterising. Check there are no obstructions to drains, outlets and the pump strainer basket.
If necessary, top up the water level so that it can be drawn in through the skimmer.
Prime the pump, turn it on and check that the filter, skimmers and drains are all working. Do not be too concerned if the water from the circulation is discoloured initially. If the water level was too high because of rain over winter, pump to waste.
Run the filter for several hours, vacuuming out any remaining debris.
Backwash the filter and top up with fresh water.
Prepare the heat retention cover for use, cleaning off any patches of algae or mould.
Check the pH and get it as near as possible to 7.2.
Shock dose with Fi-Clor Superfast Shock to kill any algae and harmful organisms that may be present. Allow the water to circulate for 3 - 4 hours to ensure thorough mixing.
If you are going to sanitise your pool with an unstabilised chlorine such as Superfast Granules, add Fi-Clor Stabiliser (cyanuric acid) to prevent loss of chlorine to sunlight.
Help protect your pool from algae for the months ahead with Fi-Clor Spring Open-Up. This will give your pool water protection from algae and fungi following the winter shut-down. It can also help prevent the formation of scale and staining from dissolved minerals so as to keep the water and pool surfaces in good order.

Closing a Pool

If you have not closed down your pool before, and you are in any doubt as to your ability to do so, you would be well advised to call in you local pool centre or service engineer to do the job for you. If you want to undertake the work yourself, the guidelines provided on this page should be of some assistance:

Thoroughly backwash the filter. Remove any debris from the pump strainer, skimmers and pool water surface.
Check the pH and get it as near as possible to 7.2
Shock dose with a stabiliser-free chlorine such as Fi-Clor Superfast Shock to kill any algae and harmful organisms that may be present. (If your pool is treated with a non-chlorine sanitiser - PHMB, treat with Baquacil Winteriser). Allow the water to circulate for 3 - 4 hours to ensure thorough mixing.
Close the valve/s from the skimmer/s and lower the water to 5 - 7cm below the skimmer level. (Do not lower the water level too much).
With the water still circulating via the bottom drain, add Fi-Clor Winteriser, leaving the circulation running long enough to ensure thorough mixing.
Remove ladders, diving boards and summer covers and store them away from extremes of temperature.
Switch off and isolate the electricity supply.
Drain the water from the pump, filter and heater taking care to retain any 'O' rings from unions.
Disconnect the pump and store in a dry place away from extremes of temperature
Leave valves above water level open, those below should be closed and protected against frost damage.
Using strong cord or thin rope, float several weighted and sealed polythene bottles (perhaps used 5kg chemical containers). Space these evenly down the length of the pool to absorb expansion of ice.
Cover the pool with a heavy duty winter pool cover.
Check the appearance of the water, and the pH and free chlorine occasionally while the pool is shut down. If the winter is mild, add another dose of Winteriser in February.