Water level high before opening in spring

[Bargus]

Hi all,
First time poster here. I’m planning on opening my pool myself for the first time this spring; the past 5 years I’ve had a company do it. I’ve been reading up on what to do, and checking out my equipment in preparation. I noticed my water level is really high...should I pump it down, or is it fine to have high water when opening? I understand about freezing and damage, but I’m crossing my fingers the closers did it properly (haven’t had issues in past years). My cover is old, so I’m sure that’s the “root cause;” they warned me about it at closing last fall. Right now, I’m more wondering if there’s a reason I’d want to pump down before I fire up the pump. All the opening articles I’ve read only talk about *adding* water to the pool in spring. Any help is appreciated. I’m new at this!
Thanks!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hello there Bargus Good morning and welcome to TFP!

Many folks who close their pool drop the water level below their skimmer/return fitting. Having the water raised back up ensures that the skimmer level is correct and air won't get into the system when they restart things.

That your pool level has risen is not a worry- that damaged cover allowed your water level to go up on its own with rain and such.

Just remember to check for all the plugs and gizmos that were used to drain your filter and block off your pipes.

Maddie

 

[Bargus]

Thanks, Maddie! I bet it’ll be cold reaching into the pool to undo the plugs, etc.! That’s good to know high water isn’t necessarily an issue. Wish me luck! Thanks again

 

[l1ltaral1l]

Glad you asked - we are in the same boat with opening ourselves and our level is high. We have a mesh safety cover and it's been a wet winter and spring!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Now perhaps I need to include an addendum that if your water is toooooo high, you need to drain a bit down. You want the water level to be at about the half way point of your skimmer box.

Maddie

 

[Bargus]

Ooh good point! I know I’ll want to get the water level close to correct before I start adjusting chemical levels, too. Thanks for the help, and the addendum!

 

[JodieM]

If you see yourself needing to vacuum to waste or backwash after a thorough vacuum of the bottom, I’d leave it a little high.

 

[Newdude]

+1 brush as much sediment as you can to one corner of the deep end first. Then vac to waste and kill 2 birds with one stone. It takes a couple attempts to get most of the crud. The brush disturbs about as much as it sweeps the first time.

 

[Bargus]

Thanks for the tips, Jodie and Newdude!

 

[drsmitty74]

I like the level a little high when I start filtering out in the spring. Might as well use what Mother Nature gave us rather than pay for more water. Obviously, before I start dialing in chemicals, I getteh water to the correct level, but having extra in the spring to help filter and flush out is handy.