Opening Kits: What’s in Them and How Do They Work?

A pool opening kit contains all the essential pool chemicals required to sanitize and balance your pool water for opening a pool at the start of the pool season. These kits typically include shock, algaecide, clarifier, and pH balancers, providing pool owners with a convenient solution by assembling essential chemicals into one package, eliminating the need to buy each item separately. In this article we’ll break down the components of these kits and how each item plays an important role in making sure your pool is ready for the season.

Do I Need a Pool Opening Kit?

Maybe, maybe not. If you’re starting from scratch, then it can be a very convenient tool in your pool opening arsenal. Since these start up kits gather all of the essential chemicals into one handy kit, it’s a very convenient and cost-effective one stop shop for most of your pool chemical needs. If, however, you have some of the chemicals already on hand, you can likely skip the kit and buy the individual chemicals you need.

What’s in the Kit and How Does Each Product Work?

Algae Control (Algaecide)– Kills and prevents algae growth. Algaecides work by disrupting the cellular processes of algae such as cell division, energy transport, and protein production. This breaks down the cell walls of algae, allowing chlorine to penetrate and neutralize them more effectively
Concentrated Clarifier– Binds together particles in pool water making it easier for your filter system to remove them. The concentrated clarifier suspends small particles and causes them to clump together to form larger clusters that can be easily captured by a filter, resulting in clearer water. Without clarifier, these tiny particles can pass through your filter and head right back into your pool
Metal Control (Stain Treatment)– Prevents stains and scaling when excess metal or minerals are present in pool water. The formula binds to metal ions in the water such as iron, copper, and manganese. This prevents those metals from oxidizing and forming stains on the pool surface
Shock– Eliminates algae blooms, restores water clarity, and raises chlorine levels to sanitize your pool by removing unwanted contaminants. When dissolved, the chemical reaction of the calcium hypochlorite with water rapidly releases a concentrated dose of chlorine into the pool water, effectively killing bacteria, algae, and other organic contaminants that can cloud the water

Are Opening Kits One Size Fits All?

Start-up kits, or opening kits, are usually available based on the size of your pool. The bigger your pool, the more chemicals you’ll need proportionately for your pool to get the best results. Because of this, opening kits are not completely a one-size-fits-all solution. Look for the appropriate kit for your pool size by selecting a kit for pools up to 7,500 gallons, 15,000 gallons, and 30,000 gallons. Go for the next largest size kit if your pool is more than 15% more gallons than the previous size, here is a handy chart to get you started on which kit may be the best fit for your pool opening needs.

Other Suggested Products

Many opening kits don’t include a water testing kit so it’s important to either confirm it’s included in your kit, or purchase one separately. There are three types of testing kits: liquid, digital, and strips. Pool owners can select the test that best suits their needs, as each test has its own advantages and disadvantages. Check out our helpful article on How To Choose A Pool Test Kit to learn about the different options and find the best option for you.

We asked our on-staff pool professionals and they recommended this Complete Pool and Spa Water Testing Kit, along with this Magnetic Stirrer. While pricy, our pros say this comprehensive professional swimming pool test kit is worth the price point due to it’s accuracy, since some other methods arent’s as foolproof and need to be recalibrated occasionally. It will stand the test of time and help you maintain and balance your pool chemistry for many pool seasons to come.