In East Tennessee, the right time to open is typically mid-March to early April, once daytime temperatures stay reliably above 60°F. Open too early and you fight algae before swim season; open too late and you’ve already lost weeks of clear water.
Step by step
- Clear and remove the cover. Pump off standing water first; rinse and store the cover dry.
- Reattach equipment. Skimmer baskets, return jets, ladder, drain plugs, pump and filter components.
- Top off the water. Fill to mid-skimmer level.
- Run the filter for 24 hours. Circulation does half the chemistry work for you.
- Test the water. Bring a sample to our store — we’ll run a SpinTouch and hand you a custom plan.
- Balance and shock. pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, stabilizer, sanitizer. In that order.
- Wait for sparkle. 24–72 hours of filtration after balancing usually does it.
Or, just call us. We open hundreds of pools across Blount and Knox counties every spring. Book early — our schedule fills up by mid-April. Call or text (865) 567-6284.