With the arrival of warmer weather, getting your pool back into service is an essential step if you want to enjoy your second home to the full.
After several months of wintering, a few essential checks are in order, to ensure that the water is healthy, the equipment intact and the season free of unpleasant surprises.
Why not neglect the restart of your pool?
A pool left unused over winter can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria, algae and organic deposits. If the pool is put back into service too late or too hastily, this can lead to :
- Cloudy or green water that is difficult to treat
- Over-consumption of chemicals
- Damage to the filtration system
- High repair costs in peak season
Anticipating this restart will preserve your installation and avoid urgent interventions at the height of the season.
When is the right time to start your pool?
The ideal timing depends above all on the water temperature. In Charente and Charente-Maritime, spring conditions are generally favorable from April onwards.
- Golden rule: restart your pool when the water temperature reaches 12 to 15°C.
Waiting for temperatures to rise too high encourages algae proliferation and considerably complicates treatment. It's better to plan ahead by one or two weeks.
6 key steps to a successful start-up
1. Cleaning the basin
Before re-circulating the water, remove all winter debris: leaves, insects, deposits from the bottom of the pond. Brush the sides and bottom to remove accumulated organic residues.
2. Check equipment
Inspect each component methodically:
- Filtration system: check filter condition and clean if necessary
- Pump: check for proper operation before starting up
- Skimmers: clean baskets and check seals
- Discharge nozzles: check for obstructions
Equipment failure detected now avoids a midsummer breakdown.
3. Return water level to normal
After wintering, the water level is often below the optimum level. Fill the pool up to the level recommended by your installer, generally halfway up the skimmers, to ensure proper filtration.
4. Restart continuous filtration
Run the filtration system continuously for 24 to 48 hours. This prolonged stirring is essential to homogenize the water and prepare it for chemical treatment.
5. Analyze and balance water
This is the most technical stage.
Use a water tester to analyze essential parameters:
- pH: between 7.2 and 7.4
- Free chlorine: 1 to 3 mg/L
- Alkalinity (TAC): 80 to 120 mg/L
- Hardness (TH): 100 to 250 mg/L
Adjust each parameter in the following order: TAC → pH → disinfectant.
6. Shock treatment
A shock treatment is strongly recommended after winter to eliminate bacteria and micro-organisms that have developed during the closed season. Follow the manufacturer's recommended doses according to the volume of your pool.
Why not neglect the restart of your pool?
- Wait for the water to turn green before reacting
- Neglect initial cleaning of walls and bottom
- Restart filtration without checking equipment condition
- Add chemicals without first analyzing the water
- Don't underestimate the time required: allow a full day for a serious overhaul.
Why not neglect the restart of your pool?
For many owners of second homes in the Charente and Charente-Maritime regions of France, getting the pool up and running again represents a real logistical constraint. Distance, lack of available time at the right moment, or simply not being on site in the spring... all situations that can delay this essential step.
That's precisely why we have our stewardship department.
We intervene on your behalf, at the right time, with the right professionals: cleaning the pool, checking equipment, restarting filtration, checking parameters and treating the water. Everything is taken care of and documented, with an intervention report.
You've arrived. Your pool is ready. You dive in.
Let us get your pool up and running again?
We support owners of second homes in the Charente region in the care, maintenance and preparation of their property, so that they can enjoy it immediately, without constraints, even from a distance.
