Using a Pool Opening Kit: Are They Necessary to a Pool Opening?
When it comes time to open the pool for the season, you might notice a pool start-up kit at your local pool store or wherever you buy pool chemicals.
The thought behind these kits is a good idea: a convenient one-stop shop for all the chemicals needed during an opening.
However, most of these kits contain unnecessary chemicals, potentially wasting money.
Let’s go through a typical start-up kit.
What Is Included in a Pool Opening Kit?
Most pool kits typically contain various products, such as pool shock, algaecides, clarifiers, metal sequestrants, stain removers, and test strips.
Pool shock is just a fancy name for adding chlorine to the pool. Typically, shock in these kits is a type of chlorine called calcium hypochlorite, or cal hypo.
While chlorine is the most important chemical you need, chances are you already have some on hand, and it will most likely be cheaper to buy it in bulk rather than in a kit.
Algaecides are a waste of money, in my opinion. An algaecide will not kill algae, just prevent it. However, the best algae-preventative treatment is chlorine!
Most algaecides also contain small amounts of copper, so you might even introduce another issue in your water!
Pool clarifiers are mostly used when you notice cloudy water. It essentially binds smaller particles (both organic and inorganic) into larger “balls” that can be caught by your filter.
Keep in mind that you aren’t killing any contaminants when using clarifiers.
Metal sequestrants hold onto certain metals (iron, copper, manganese, etc.) to prevent them from staining pool surfaces. They are unnecessary for day-to-day use and should only be needed if metals are known to be in the pool.
One of the more common ways to have metal in the water is if the fill source is a well.
On the same track, stain removers are only necessary when you have stains. However, different kinds of pool stains require different treatments!
You need to understand what kind of stain you have, whether organic or metal, before performing any stain removal treatment.
Lastly, while test strips are a quick and easy way to test your pool’s water, they are largely inaccurate and unreliable.
You are better off getting a proper testing kit for accurate readings!
If you maintain your pool properly, including correctly closing it for the season, an opening kit is not needed.
What Chemicals Are Needed to Open a Pool?
Whether opening your pool or performing routine maintenance, the list of recommended chemicals for a pool isn’t that long.
If your pool has a good water balance, you shouldn’t need anything more than the following:
- Chlorine – Choose the type of chlorine that is best for your pool
- Muriatic Acid to lower pH
- Borax to raise pH
- Calcium chloride to raise calcium hardness (CH)
- Baking soda to raise total alkalinity (TA)
- CYA stabilizer to raise cyanuric acid (CYA)
Don’t Overcomplicate Your Opening!
The general idea of manufacturers designing a start-up kit is a good faith effort to make pool opening easier.
However, most of the items included are unnecessary for your opening.
It’s not saying that stain removers and sequestrants don’t have their place in pool maintenance.
But, they are only needed for special circumstances and it is better to purchase the specific kind of sequestrant or stain remover needed for your problem.