Pool opening & closing in Pakenham & Cardinia Shire.
Spring opening (cover off, shock, balance, equipment commission) and autumn winterise (water down, lines drained, winterising dose, cover on). Two visits a year that save you a small fortune on winter electricity and a big headache come spring.
Autumn winterise (May–June).
- Final balance + heavy shock: water leaves winter with strong chlorine residual, balanced pH, full stabiliser. Stops algae taking hold in cold dormant water.
- Drop water below skimmer: standard winter level. Stops cold water freezing into the skimmer throat on the rare cold-snap nights, and reduces evaporation losses.
- Drain pump & chlorinator lines: any water sitting in pipework over winter risks rare-but-real freeze damage in Cardinia Shire’s coldest pockets (Upper Beaconsfield, Bunyip). Compressed-air blow-out is a 10-minute job.
- Winterising dose: long-acting algaecide + clarifier so the water sits clear all winter even without circulation.
- Cover on: roll-up, rigid, or solar bubble — whatever you have. Cleaned, fitted, secured.
- Equipment shutdown: pump off at the breaker, chlorinator off, heater shut down. Power back on in spring.
Cost: $220–$320 standard fibreglass family pool. $300–$450 larger / tiled / heated pools.
Spring opening (September–October).
- Cover off & clean: remove, clean, dry, fold and store the winter cover.
- Water top-up: bring water back to skimmer line.
- Equipment commission: re-prime pump, reconnect chlorinator, check for any winter cracks or leaks in plumbing and seals.
- Heavy shock: there’s always some algae lurking, even in well-winterised pools. A spring shock burns it off before it gets a head start.
- Run filter 24h, retest, rebalance: pH, chlorine, alkalinity, calcium, stabiliser, salt all back to spec.
- Handover visit: 48–72 hours after opening, confirm water is clear and chemistry is settled. Pool ready for the season.
Cost: $250–$320 standard family pool. $320–$450 larger / heated pools (heater commissioning is the extra step).
Combined annual deal.
Book both opening and closing in advance and we knock $50 off the combined cost. Most clients on regular fortnightly servicing fold these visits into their year — one less thing to remember in May and September.
When NOT to winterise.
If you actually swim through winter (heated pool, hardy kids, year-round entertaining), there’s no point. Keep the pool running with fortnightly servicing through winter — chemistry moves slower in cold water, the cost works out about the same as a winterise + open in any case, and you keep the option to swim. About 40% of our Pakenham regulars stay on all-year service.
Where we work.
Book a seasonal pool visit.
Spring open or autumn winterise. $50 off when you book both in advance.