When it comes time to open your above-ground pool for the season there are certain swimming pool chemicals you’ll need to properly do the job. Once the pool is opened and the floor and walls have been brushed the first chemical you should add is chlorine to shock it. It’s recommended you add a gallon of liquid chlorine or pound of granular chlorine for every 5,000 gallons of water in the pool. You can also add more chlorine at the end of the opening process. The quickest and easiest way to test pool water is with a pool water test kit or test strips and it should be done before you start adding chemicals. This will let you know if any of the levels you’re checking for need to be raised or lowered. Things you’ll be testing for include chlorine, PH, total alkalinity, Cyanuric acid (stabilizer), and calcium hardness. The levels need to be properly balanced for safe and clean water before swimming in it. The free chlorine level should be between 2.0 and 4.0 ppm. The PH level should be between 7.2 and 7.8. The total alkalinity should be between 80 and 120 ppm. The calcium hardness should be between 200 and 400 ppm and the Cyanuric acid (stabilizer) should be between 30 and 50 ppm. When you’re balancing the water it’s best to begin with the total alkalinity since this will help to bring the other pool chemicals closer to the normal range. This will make the task of creating a clean and safe pool quicker and easier. If the alkalinity needs to be lowered it can be achieved with dry acid or muriatic acid which can be found at your local pool supply shop. If the alkalinity needs to be lowered it can be done with borax or soda ash. When the total alkalinity is between 80 and 120 ppm the other chemicals can then be adjusted. Soda ash and dry acid can also be used to raise and lower the PH levels respectively. If the calcium hardness in the water is too low it can be increased with calcium chloride or products such as Hardness Plus. Once these chemicals are within the proper range you can then test the chlorine level again to see if it needs to be adjusted before diving in the pool. Shocking the water with chlorine will help rid it of algae, dirt, debris, contaminants and bacteria etc. Once the chlorine has been added, the pool pump should be kept going for an hour or two so it can be circulated throughout the water. At this point you can then add algaecide to the water to keep it as clean as possible. You should have no problem finding a selection of algaecides and all of the other chemicals needed for opening your above-ground pool and your local pool supply store. Below is a list of common pool chemicals which you can choose to use for your above-ground pool and they can all be found at Discount Pool Supply. Sanitizers: liquid chlorine and chlorine tablets/sticks to disinfect the water. These can be added to an automatic chlorinator or chlorine floater. Cyanuric Acid: Dry or liquid chlorine stabilizer to protect chlorine from the sun. Oxidizers/ Calcium Hypochlorite/ Chlorine-Fee Shock: These are also sanitizers used to kill bacteria and algae. PH Increaser/Soda Ash: this increases the PH level. PH Reducer/Dry Acid: This will reduce the PH level. Alkalinity Increaser/ Sodium Bicarbonate: This will increase the total alkalinity. Calcium Hardness Increaser/Calcium Chloride: This will increase the calcium hardness level. Chlorine Neutralizer/ Sodium Thiosulfate: This will lower the level of chlorine concentration in the water. Algaecides: These are used to help fight off algae in the water and pool. Clarifiers: A clarifier is designed to coagulate small dirt particles in the water into larger particles so they can easily be caught by the filter system. Flocculants: These attract small dirt particles and turn them into large clumps which sink down to the floor of the pool, making them easy to vacuum out. Enzymes: These are designed to break down non-living contamination and oils from the water and remove odours. Phosphate Removers: These will break down the phosphates found in the water and will help rid it of algae. Stain Removers: These will help to prevent and/or remove stains and scaling caused by metals and minerals in the water. Vinyl and Tile Vinyl Cleaner: This can help remove grease and oil that has built up on pool equipment and the water line. Have questions about using the right pool chemicals for your swimming pool?  Discount Pool Supply is Canada's online leader when it comes to buying pool supplies and pool chemicals online.  We affer fast and free shipping on most ofers in Canada.