The weather is finally warming up here in Macomb Michigan and you’ve got summer pool time on the brain. Getting ready to open your pool for the summer defines the change in season for pool owners. Most people in Livonia and Westland want to have their pool open for Memorial Day, but others may open theirs sooner, or even a little later. Regardless of when you decide to open your pool for your family to enjoy, there are still proper ways of going about it. But do you know all the necessary steps to summerize your pool? You may be asking yourself “How do I open my pool for Summer?”. Whether you’re a new pool owner or someone who would just like some refreshing, Sunny’s Pools & More is here to help!
Properly cleaning your pool allows for a clean and safe swimming environment for you and your family. We have broken down for you, how to open your pool this spring.
– You may have noticed that over the winter your pool cover has 
accumulated debris water from melting snow or rain. First, clean off any debris that may be on the top of your pool cover then we recommend checking for any holes or damage to your cover. If you have a hole in your cover don’t drain your pool. You can either use a submersible pump or, if you have an above-ground pool, use a siphon to get as much water off of the cover as possible. After all, the water is drained, and you can remove the pool cover. Be sure to clean and dry it before you store it so mold does not accumulate.
– when you winterized your pool; you should have drained some water from it. Using a hose, bring the water levels back up to their normal level. You will want to make sure to remove winterizing equipment or plugs and reconnect your pool equipment. If you used antifreeze to protect the plumbing you will want to make sure you drain it. Turn on your filtration system.
– You may notice some ugly stains have built up on your pool liner. Add Metal Free to the water and allow 2 hours of circulation. After several hours, check the chemical levels of your pool. If you need to get your water tested come to your local Sunny’s Pools & More. We are currently running a special on our water tests. The levels should be at
If you need help balancing your pool’s levels, let us help. We’ll make sure to give you the best pool chemicals you’ll need for de-winterizing your pool. Our team of experts can point you in the right direction!
– Once you have added and allowed the chemicals to activate, you will want to vacuum and brush the algae that has accumulated. You will want to pay close attention to the details to ensure that you are getting your pool as clean as possible.
– After allowing the filtration system to work overnight; you will want to shock your pool to remove the remaining bacteria.
If at any point you would like to make sure your water is at its proper levels, bring a water sample to your nearest Sunny’s Pools & More location. We will assist you in finding pool chemicals that you need to ensure your water is safe and ready to be enjoyed! We have been serving the Macomb, Flatrock, and Monroe long enough to know the best way to service your pool needs. For all your pool and spa needs, choose Sunny’s Pools!
Do you ever wonder what’s inside of your pool water? Have you ever considered going somewhere for a water test? Well, Sunny’s Pools & More is doing Water Testing all summer long and the process is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Now, some of you may be wondering, “What’s the purpose of testing swimming pool water?” or “What are you testing for?” We are happy to answer any and all questions you’re eager to ask us!
Let’s start by answering your question. What’s the purpose? When it comes to pool maintenance, the chemical balance is important. More or fewer chemicals can cause a variety of results that can damage your pool and risk your health. Also, it leads to a disgusting swimming experience.
At the Rio Olympics, the pools turned bright green. Due to the wrong chemicals being added, algae was able to grow overnight. There are signs when your pool is out of balance. Your water will become cloudy and discolored. Pink slime will begin to grow. Finally, the poor chemistry can cause the pump to break. Also, this imbalance of water can cause stains on pool surfaces and corroding ladders, handrails, and other integral parts of your pool. These damages can lead to costly repairs. However, the health risks can be just as severe.
In a water test, including the ones at Sunny’s, they test for PH levels, alkalinity, calcium hardness, free chlorine (good chlorine), combined chlorine (dead or bad chlorine), total chlorine (average of both free chlorine and combined chlorine together), total dissolved solids, stabilizer/conditioner, and metals (mainly iron, copper, and manganese). All of these factors contribute to your pool’s sanitary condition. To make it digestible, let’s just focus on pH levels. Particularly, how high and low levels cause different risks. Because pH levels are the most dynamic factor when it comes to your pool’s balance.
High pH levels can be a risk to your chlorine, causing disinfection to be less effective. In addition, there are physical consequences to the swimmers. Swimmers can develop red, irritable eyes and dry skin for high pH levels. Also, goggles and swimwear will show advanced wear and tear. However, low pH levels have equal risk. No, maybe more. If your pool has low pH levels, it can grow a variety of bacteria. Low chlorine levels invite E.Coli, crypto, and giardia, which can make swimmers sick. These bacteria can cause diarrhea, weight loss, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and stomach cramps. Not exactly fun, right? In addition to the bacteria risks, swimmers suffer from stinging eyes and nasal passages. Along with the irritation, the water will dry out skin and hair.
Although there are testing kits that will test for proper chlorine and other levels, Sunny’s offering free water testing for pool owners. Our company does computerized water testing. Just come to one of our Michigan pool store locations. By bringing in a small sample of your pool water, we will test the water. This will help to understand what you need to do to get your water at the proper levels for swimming. We commonly find that PH, Alkaline, or Chlorine levels need to be adjusted as they are often too high or too low. Before coming, fill out one of our water testing forums. This informations will allow us to figure out how many chemicals you need! Also for a limited time, we are offering an extra 10% off chemicals at the time of your testing!
Contact us today, or stop into one of our Michigan pool store locations to get your water tested. Finally, is time to make sure your swimming pool is good to go.
When you own a pool or hot tub, you need to make sure that it’s a safe place to swim. That is why pool owners need to do water tests and maintenance to make sure that the water is healthy. Furthermore, these tests need to be done weekly.
For pools and hot tubs, water maintenance is essential. Without proper care, your swimming pool is just a hole in the ground. Over time, the water will become become dirty and unclear. Untreated water can also lead to water-borne illness, spreading infectious diseases. In addition, it can lead to damage to your pool and equipment. Water test looks at:
Testing your water can help prevent maintenance on your hot tub and keep the hot tub sanitary for its users. Also, correct water management starts by analyzing and balancing the hot tub water. Water tests such as pH and sanitizer need to be performed regularly.
If Chlorine is used, it should be tested by a method that will measure Free Chlorine. Free Chlorine refers to the hypochlorite ion and the hypochlorous acid usually added to water systems for disinfection. Tests for total calcium hardness and alkalinity are performed less often. Keeping the proper water chemistry for your hot tub is important, to help keep the water quality high so all who use the hot tub will enjoy it.
A great way to test your water is to bring it to Sunny’s Pools & More. We offer computerized water testing and will test your water levels so you know what you need to do to maintain proper water chemistry. The process is simple, fill out this form here, then fill a bottle with your hot tub or pool water, and bring it to one of your convenient Sunny’s Pools & More locations. We use the LaMotte WaterLink Spin system to test your water. You can also buy your pool and spa chemicals at our stores or online!