It’s time to open the pool when the daytime temperature is consistently above 70 degrees. Especially if you use a mesh pool cover and the water is exposed to sunlight as the weather warms up, algae can begin to grow in your pool’s water.

When Should I Open My Pool?

Generally speaking, you ought to open your pool as soon as the daytime high outside stays above 70 degrees.

1. Algae

In a swimming pool, warmer conditions encourage the growth of algae. Too much sunlight can make it difficult to get a swimming pool up to the proper temperature, which can take days for pools with mesh winter covers (which let sunlight through).

Personally, I’d much rather open up the pool sooner to find a cleaner pool than wait an extra month to be greeted by a mountain of algae. If your pool has algae growth when you open it, a pool shock treatment can bring the water back to its “normal” state.

2. Mother Nature

Mother Nature is a witty gal. She enjoys pulling pranks on all of us.

When I opened my pool over the weekend, this was unquestionably the situation. I opened the pool so early in April, and my neighbors thought it was ridiculous. Of course, when they saw my kids in the pool yesterday, they stopped considering it to be such a strange choice. Even without a pool heater, this is the case.

That my kids are actually in our pool as I write this article in the early months of April is pretty satisfying.

3. Pollen

In Virginia, the month of April is a real pain in the rear for everyone due to pollen. Another problem, though, is that pollen wreaks havoc on non-circulating water.

For instance, all the pools that are currently closed (at least in the Virginia/Maryland region) are allowing pollen to enter the water and remain there. As a result, opening and maintaining the pool will be more challenging.

However, in open, circulating pools, the pollen will simply be drawn into the skimmer and captured by the filter. That will prevent it from turning your pool into a lagoon of yellow.

4. Expense

Because they believe it will be too expensive, many people are hesitant to open their pools early. 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.

If a pool owner uses a salt system and keeps their pump running at a low speed for a month, they can expect to spend, on average, less than $50 overall.

And doesn’t an early opening make more sense when you contrast that with the extra chemicals and cleaning needed with a late opening?

5. Beauty

I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me, nothing beats lighting the grill in April and enjoying delicious food and good times with friends and neighbors. And nothing says ‘Summer is here!‘ like having a beautiful swimming pool running and open to complete such a scene.

Keeping in mind that the average pool owner spends more time on their patio than in the pool itself, the sooner the pool is open, the sooner one can take advantage of the beauty of their backyard investment.

What Month Should I Open My Pool?

The majority of pool owners open their pools between May 1 and May 15.

There are many factors to take into account, so we will break them all down for you to help you make a decision.

Consequently, you’ll know precisely when to open your pool, regardless of whether you have a basic above-ground pool that you leveled and installed yourself, a sizable custom inground pool, or just a small plunge pool in the backyard.

In order to prepare for the imminent opening of your pool, clean up that concrete deck and gather your patio furniture.

Why It Matters What Month You Open Your Pool

It’s crucial to consider the season when you open your pool. Opening too early or too soon causes problems on both sides.

There are many factors to consider:

• Your home’s location in the nation as well as the range of daily temperatures experienced during a particular month.
• whether or not you have a heater, its type—gas, electric, or solar—and how long you want to pay for it to run.
• No matter if your cover is solid or mesh, the latter of which will prevent the rapid growth of algae underneath from being caused by the abundant spring sunlight.
• the length of time required to clean and sanitize the pool after it is opened. (The later you open it, the more algae growth you will likely have to deal with)

Weather

The decision to open your pool is always influenced by the weather. Nobody wants to go to the trouble of opening the pool for a couple of warm days one week only to be slammed by bad weather the next. In the coming weeks, while swimming in your pool, be sure to consider the water temperature and the weather to help determine when to open it. The ideal time to uncover your pool might not be now if you don’t intend to use the clear, freshly balanced water.

When deciding on the best time and date, the weather might not be as important if your pool is heated. The general rule is to open your pool when the temperature is consistently above 70 degrees, but that doesn’t mean freezing temperatures won’t occasionally occur.

Water Temperature

Water temperature is another piece of the “pool opening puzzle.” Before the water temperature reaches 60 degrees, it is best to open your pool. You run the risk of fostering the ideal environment for algae growth if you let the water temperature rise above that threshold.

Your pool cover serves as a simple passive solar heater, which accounts for the temperature reading of 60°F. The pool cover enables the solar energy from the sun to be captured and used to warm the water in your pool. Your pool cover will warm the water as the temperature rises. You can get excessive algae growth if you combine rising water temperatures with a lack of sanitizer.

Other Things to Consider before Opening Your Pool

Cost of proper pool maintenance should be taken into account. Consider the expenses you’ll incur if you open your pool too late and have more cleaning and maintenance issues.

Use: Ask yourself, when do I plan to actually swim in the pool? A pool should ideally be opened three weeks before it will be used so that it has time to be properly cleaned and prepared.

Aesthetics: Although this is not a major consideration when opening your pool, consider how you want your yard to look in the spring. When it comes to enhancing the ambiance of a yard and landscaping, a clean, open pool is frequently the cherry on top.

Conclusion

When it is consistently warmer than 70 degrees during the day, you should open your pool. With little additional expense compared to opening later in the spring, this helps prevent algae growth and pollen from accumulating in the water.