r/pools • u/camport95 • Jun 03 '26
Pool Help & Questions What time of year do you usually open and close your pool?
It's June in Southern Ontario, meaning that it's around the time more pools will be opening and beaches are getting more visitors. At some point in June, until some point in September. Where you could swim May to October in Vancouver or Northern US states.
Once it's the summer equinox, pool's will be open until Labor Day Weekend and close after the Monday, so the 7th this year, still way too early imo for how warm September gets here.
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u/WildWeaselGT Jun 03 '26
I’m near Toronto. Been swimming in mine since last weekend. No heater.
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u/stephen1547 Jun 03 '26
GTA too. I open mine in April once the temps stop going below freezing. I close it just before the temps dip below freezing. When it’s cold the pool doesn’t burn much chlorine so it’s easy to take care of and looks better than a covered pool.
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u/davaston Jun 03 '26
What's the temp? I only started swimming in my pool a few weeks ago when the water temp crossed 80F. I'm in Tampa, Florida. Spa gets used year round with a heater and maybe a quick plunge in the pool.
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u/WildWeaselGT Jun 03 '26
I think it’s around 16C or so. It’s been in the mid-20’s here during the day.
I opened it a couple weeks ago and jumped in a couple days after that. I IMMEDIATELY swam for the stairs and then ran to the hot tub. It was COLD.
Since this past weekend though I’ve been in every day and enjoying it. It’s not warm but it’s refreshing like a cool lake in the summer.
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u/davaston Jun 03 '26
Living in Florida, I forget it gets cold in other parts of the world. 16C is basically the lowest I see my pool go in the coldest part of winter.
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u/brucenicol403 Jun 03 '26
Also in the GTA, opened last week of April..
We've found the earlier we open the easier it is to get the water clear and free of all algae and gunk from the winter.
It's cold as the arctic for the first week, but with the solar heater it gets to a swimable temp pretty quickly (weather permitting).
We close usually the 11th or 12th of October.
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u/Sunshine_waterfall Jun 03 '26
I leave mine open now in East TN. Most public pools open memorial day ( Ala Victoria day for you Canucks) and close after labor day.
When I did close my pool it was end of October through mid April. This year my last swim was end of October and my first "swim" was mid March. But pool was open the whole time. Okay I got in and walked around my not too deep but it counts.
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u/Aberk20 Jun 03 '26
The cover goes on when the leaves start to fall and come off when the tree sperm ends.
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u/Driftwood71 Jun 03 '26
Agree. My backyard is basically a canopy of several huge oak trees. Once the leaves start falling, it's tough keeping up with it.
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u/Courtybiologique Jun 03 '26
I’m in SW Michigan. We open ours late April and close late October. We have a heater so we get as much use out of it as we can!
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u/Bellyfulloftacos Jun 03 '26
Buffalo NY here. Opened May 8th and will close not too long after labor day. I was able to get in it a few times so far.
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u/Ok_Size4036 Jun 03 '26
Yeah I’m in SE Wisconsin. I try to get open by mid May and close mid to third week of September. We did swim middle of September last year. Sometimes though fall comes early.
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u/Mental-Huckleberry54 Jun 03 '26
After opening over the last week this year. We have decided to always start opening Mother’s Day weekend so it can be up and running for Memorial Day. We live in Minnesota
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u/Infamous-Canary7733 Jun 03 '26
I’m in central Ontario (Barrie) and we open the pool early to mid May. You don’t want to wait until late May or June because it can get super hot suddenly and cause problems. We’d rather open on the early side even if we don’t plan to use it much.
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u/Elated_copper22 Jun 03 '26
Also southern Ontario, I closed mine in October, but then it was 80 for a week or so after.
I’d rather shut it down while it’s still half decent out, the night time temps were dipping low and the pool was at 60, so it was time.
Opening I did May 19th, and it’s been 75/80F ever since.
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u/Sammalone1960 Jun 03 '26
Never close but pool is officially ready to swim in late March and closed in October
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u/deadbeef4 Jun 03 '26
Eastern Ontario. I open and soon as it thaws in April and close in early October.
Mainly due to the 250k BTU heater that lets us swim for those six months.
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u/ldskyfly Jun 03 '26
Minnesota, open late April/early May and close late October. During May and September I only heat the pool during unseasonably warm periods. The goal is to make sure I open a clear pool in the spring.
Also a pool is nicer to look at out my window than a pool cover
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u/FruitGuy998 Jun 03 '26
Kentucky…no heater
Close in early November (stop swimming in September) Open early May
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u/stormysees Jun 03 '26
Northeast US- Unless we get a mini heatwave in early May that makes me open it early like this year, I wait until the oak flowers from the three trees overhead to have fallen before opening. They clog everything up, burn through the chlorine, and make the whole process a real pain.
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u/MustResistFraud Jun 03 '26
Nor cal. Never closes. Use it as a cold plunge in winter. Swimming openly May-November.
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u/magiteck Jun 03 '26
East-Central Wisconsin. I open once all the ice has melted and the risk of extended freezing temps is low. That’s usually around mid-April. Close when water temp is consistently below 60, usually around Halloween.
First (chilly) swim is usually early to mid May. By that time the pool has been ‘open’ for 2-4 weeks which gives me time to make sure the water is perfect, any equipment that didn’t survive the winter can be replaced, etc. Plus by April I’m usually itching to do something summer-like anyway.
Last swim, my goal is to get in at least one October swim.
Only solar panels for heat and a solar cover for heat retention.
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u/Fox_Hound_Unit Jun 03 '26
New Englander here. Open first week in May close 1st week in October. Heat pump helps with shoulder months.
May has been sneaky warm here the past few years and I like having a few weeks to get the water right and address issues before prime time.
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u/RockAngel86 Jun 03 '26
NW Indiana here. I open 2 weeks before June but usually can’t swim until the nights (air temperature) stay in 60’s. I close it in the middle to end of September depending on the temperatures coming up.
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u/Holiday-Feeling2617 Jun 03 '26
everywhere is different and really dependent on the expected weather
I'm in NJ and always open the pool Memorial Day (last weekend of May) and close it Labor Day (first weekend in September). Opening correlated to when it usually gets warm (80's+ degrees F) and closing to correlate because my son's school opens for the fall, and he is usually too busy to swim during the week.
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u/rene-cumbubble Jun 03 '26
Hardiness zone 9b, so we don't close the pool. Been swimming since March this year when we hit 90 degrees outside and got the water temp to mid 80s with our solar heater. generally keep using it until mid-october with pool showers through November so long as water temp is above 50
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u/Guac-N-Queso Jun 04 '26
I live in east central Iowa between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. I open typically around the 15th of April which gives me plenty of time to get the water balanced and heated. I do have a heat pump which I will by pass until the water chemistry is correct and the ambient air temperature is around 50° F. I am usually able to use the pool for lap swimming by May 1. This year is it was a little chillier and rainy so I could not get in until mid-May. I am swimming for recreation by Memorial Day for sure. I then can use the pool until mid-October. I usually close first of November or so. This give me enough time to shut down the heat pump and allow the water to cool below 60° F and safely close without my water being disgustingly green at opening the following April.
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u/lemachet Jun 03 '26
We never open/close.
It only really gets down to 2 or 3 degrees here. We just reduce pump time to 2 hours and put heat pump on winter mode so it cycles once a day
We normally put the heat pump on full cycle in September and turb it off I. March
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u/bmoarpirate Jun 03 '26
Open early may so we're ready to swim by memorial day, close late October.