Summer is a welcome treat, especially if you live anywhere that gets a lot snow over the winter! So when summer arrives, getting the pool open and ready is probably your highest priority, and your family and friends are likely already lined up with their swimsuits on!

Starting your pool up for the season

When starting up the pool for the first time in the season, you'll need to drain any water in the pool along with any antifreeze you used to keep the equipment free of ice. Then you can refill it, adding the chemicals necessary to continue keeping it clean for the summer.

Keeping your pool clean throughout the season

Throughout the swimming season you should be brushing the sides of your pool to loosen debris that collects there, you should be reversing your pumping system to help clean out any build up, and you should be vacuuming the water and skimming the surface. This will keep your pool in tip top shape through out the season and it will make your pool an enjoyable place to be near.

Preparing your pool for winter

As winter approaches, and after everyone reluctantly takes that one final swim, you need to prepare it to sit dormant for the few months that you won't be able to use it. Drain the water below the freezing line, drain the water out of the plumbing, and filling the pump and pipes with antifreeze. Finally, cover it for the winter. And, if you get a lot of snow where you live, be sure to mark out where your pool is in case snow builds up and hides your pool, which creates a potential hazard that someone could fall in.

Working on your pool can be a lot of work, but the time and expense involved in maintaining it is much less than the cost associated with repairing it if it does fall into disrepair. And, the squeals of delight from the children as they show off to their friends will make the few moments of work in the spring and autumn not seem so bad.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Pool Resources a website providing information on Pools