First-time Pool Owner attempting to open

[mikegtown]

Hey guys, we just bought a house with a pool last fall and closed it about a week after moving in since it was getting cold already and a million leaves come down around our pool. We just had the pool guys close it. Spring has rolled around and now it's time to open. I'd like to do this myself (and potentially close maybe in the future). I have never owned a pool in my life and know absolutely zero about pools, so please be patient with me because some of my questions will probably be stupid

I read through most of the pool school section and think I have a pretty good handle on all the basic chemistry now. I ordered an fas-dpd test kit to arrive in a few days in the mail. I've picked up liquid chlorine and a few other supplies, hoping to do the BBB method. The pool equipment looked like a spaghetti maze of pipes to me, but after doing some reading I think I have an understanding of how it all functions as a unit now. I also still need to measure the pool to get the appx volume.

I've read some articles about opening and have a basic checklist from the mailers that the local pool companies sent out, but had some silly questions still:

1. My winter cover is a held on by what look to be plastic clips which I saw the guy hammering into the track... they don't seem to pull out by hand easily, so do I just need a screwdriver or something or is there an easy way to do this? I'm sure I can get them out, but basically just don't want to break them as I notice a few are cracked already.



2. I've got a picture of the components they took out in the fall. There is also a cover plate there, and also a separate vacuum cover plate (is that just to put in the skimmer for better suction when vacuuming?) I don't know if they just threw everything in the same bin with old/new equipment. The filter gauge is not at zero either, so should I assume this is broken?



3. The plugs both look to be in the bottom of the pump, so I don't know if it was actually "drained'... but there's some green liquid in it (antifreeze?) - is that common to run the system dry and then just throw some antifreeze in rather than pull the plugs on the pump?

4. Is there anything I should check on the heater or sand filter before starting up?? Any maintenance to do? I thought I read something about checking for cobwebs etc... Our equipment is in a basic poolhouse btw, so it's not exposed to the weather as much.

5. We have a black box that looks like it might be for pool lights??? But I didn't think the pool had lights and I don't think this box was ever plugged in since we moved. Does anyone know what itis (on far right)?



I peeked under the cover and the water looks pretty clear... so once I get the system running which is my biggest concern... I assume I would do some manual cleaning, then test the water and figure out what the proper amount of chlorine would be to get it to shock level and monitor from there? Also, to prime the pump I assume I get the water up to skimmer level, add water to pump basket and then just start it up with filter on recirculate???

Below is the whole setup we're working with if that helps... I think that's it for my long list of questions... I'm probably being overcautious, but since I've never owned a pool, I want to avoid breaking anything expensive I've tried to do as much research as I could beforehand, but it's a little overwhelming at first.



Glad to have found such a helpful forum and I'm looking forward to a smooth opening! I'll post a pic of the pool once it's open.

 

[JVTrain]

Welcome to TFP!

1 - I'm not sure on these clips. If you do try to use a tool to pry or push them out, go with a wider putty knife first. The wider length and more flexible thickness won't break the plastic as easy.

2 - Are those 4 longer returns for your spa? There are likely plugs in your spa and pool returns that you can remove and screw those into place. The shallower eyeball returns look to be for the pool. There is probably a dedicated suction or pressure return in the pool that the vacuum plate fits into as well. If your filter gauge is not at zero, it's likely shot. Get a new one, preferably a glycerine filled gauge. They last longer and are more accurate. tfteskits sells those as well. Happy with mine.

3 - Usually the system is blown out completely and the suction and return lines are closed off from the pump. Sometimes antifreeze is added to the skimmer and return lines. The pump should have been left with the drain plugs out over the winter. Mine go into the pump basket all winter.

4 - On the heater, there may be a vent valve on the side of the heater. When closing, that valve is opened when blowing out the lines with air to get all the water out of the heater element. They should have closed this valve after blowing it out. If you can locate it, just make sure it's closed. Many times it's a valve that looks like this:

If you don't find it, no worries. You'll find it when the pump is running as a stream of water will come out if it's open!

Make sure the plug is in the bottom of the sand filter. On that filter it is a black cap that looks much like a gas cap that should be snug on the bottom part of the filter. Starting up with the multiport valve on recirculate is a good idea. Keep in mind that you only move the MPV handle when the pump is off. It's recommended that you always rotate the MPV valve handle in one direction when moving it to improve life of the internal spider gasket. After the pump has run for a while, turn it off, switch to Filter and run the pump again.

5 - The black box I'm not sure on, perhaps someone else has an idea. Any brand or markings on the box? Closer picture?

Once you get the pool running and circulating, brush the entire pool and manually vacuum if there are leaves or lots of dust. After an hour of circulation and brushing, run all of your tests and post the results here. We'll give you advice based on those numbers. Feel free to ask more!

 

[mikegtown]

JVTrain, thanks so much for all your answers. I did some more poking around and here's what I found.

2. I was wondering if those returns were for the spa... maybe it will become obvious once I remove the cover. We're away over the weekend so I figured I'd just get all my stuff ready and then try to open next week. I'd take the cover off now, but we have a big tree right over the deep end that's flowering, so I'm sure if I did they'd all conveniently drop over the weekend I did top up the water a bit underneath and remove most of the water from the cover already.



3. I checked the pump basket but didn't see anything. Is it just the little screw in the middle at the bottom? and another on the side? If so, looking at the pump they look like they've never come out before.



4. I didn't see a vent valve on the heater anywhere obvious, but I'll have another look. Good to know I'll find it either way haha I took the front off too and everything looks good and clean inside. Good tip on rotating the MPV one direction!

5. The black box I had another look and it says Aqua Lamp Industries... traced the wire off it right into the ground behind the filter, so it must be a light I'm guessing... maybe it's not working, because the old owner gave me a quick overview of the system last year but didn't say anything about it... basically just turned the pump on/off and showed me how to backwash the filter.

Thanks for all the extra tips, I'm sure after doing it once it will seem pretty easy!

 

[mikegtown]

If your filter gauge is not at zero, it's likely shot. Get a new one, preferably a glycerine filled gauge. They last longer and are more accurate. tfteskits sells those as well. Happy with mine.

I was going to order a replacement gauge from tfteskits but it looks like they don't ship to Canada?

Another question I thought of when checking out the site.... I see there are refills for the K-2006 kit - what reagents will I be going through the most or should I get more of? I noticed reading through some of the opening threads, people recommending to test things sometimes up to hourly? I imagine you'd go through some of your bottles fairly quickly testing so often. And then even if you were testing daily? Also noticed their CYA test bottle looks like it only does about 3 tests. Is this something that is only usually checked at the beginning of the year or after a significant addition of water?

Really just curious what I should be expecting to have to re-order or how often different re-agents need to be refilled, as I am pretty much clueless having never tested a pool before.

 

[JVTrain]

The K-2006 is short on the CYA reagent for sure. The TF-100 kit can probably get 20 tests, K-2006 is only 3 tests or so. If you do a significant drain in the fall, you'll need to retest after refilling each spring and again to verify any increase you might do. The other reagent you'll go through a lot of when performing a SLAM is the R-0871 reagent for FC/CC testing. High FC levels, more drops needed.

 

[mikegtown]

I'm still waiting on my test kit... should arrive this week, but not sure when. Is there anything I should do beforehand to speed the process along. Obviously I can't dump chlorine in with no way to monitor, but should i run the pump, clean it out/vacuum, backwash or anything like that beforehand that will help me open faster once I have my test kit? I think the water is fairly clear already, just some minor debris.

if the pool is fairly clean from over the winter, does it take long to SLAN to get it up to "swimming" level? I'm noticing some of the green pool threads which look like it's been 2 weeks to clear up the pools.

 

[mikegtown]

I did a quick test with one of the cheapie test kits the old owner left... not even sure how old/accurate it is, it's OTO and Phenol Red. I got no color change for chlorine and PH said it was about 7.8. Not sure if I should do anything just yet, or wait for the real test kit?

 

[JVTrain]

If you're circulating, you can safely add up to half a gallon of bleach per day to keep things from getting worse. Pour slowly in front of a running return. What you don't want to do is add too much so that your FC is over 10 and you can't measure pH right away. pH needs to be adjusted first as part of the SLAM procedure. So if you want to do anything chemically, do that. Otherwise, physically get all debris off the bottom of the pool. Vacuum if you like, clean out the pump basket. If you're unsure on the age of the reagents in the cheapie test, I'd wait for yours to arrive. You could certainly backwash the filter so that you can see what the "clean" pressure is immediately after backwashing.

How long it takes to clear the pool depends on how bad it is and how diligent you are with dosing and testing. The better you maintain the FC level based on your CYA, the faster it will progress.

 

[mikegtown]

Okay thanks! I'm not circulating yet as I figure I'm going to wait for the test kit, then pull the cover off just to avoid any more junk on the bottom as I think we have a storm coming tomorrow ad the wind will probably make a mess of things off the trees. I'm topping up the water right now as it's low, so I'll clean/vacuum first as you suggested and backwash to see what the filter pressure is. Thanks!

 

[JVTrain]

If you don't want to take the cover off yet completely due to a storm, that's fine too. Not sure if there's a way to take it off part of the way so you could see the water and do some leaf raking or vacuuming and be able to recover easily while you wait for the kit and storm to pass. Just find sometimes it's better to know everything is working as soon as possible so you can be ready for the chemistry part and done worrying about mechanical/circulation.

 

[mikegtown]

Good point for sure. I can take some of it off and then just drape it back over for now. From what I've seen right now it's pretty clean. I did a really good vacuum last fall and the cover doesn't let anything in.

 

[mikegtown]

I put together and setup as much as I could today with some time constraints, but managed to get the cover off, rinse it all off get it put away. Those cover clips just needed to be pulled down really hard with the claw of a hammer to get them to slide out, if anyone reading this thread ever comes across the same problem as me! I drained the spa because the water was filthy and refilled. Managed to learn/figure out a few things as well.... Got all the plugs out, eyeballs back in (the 4 big ones were for the spa) 1 or 2 had little cracks and wouldn't quite thread in properly... I guess you can just buy new ones for them if you know the appropriate sizes??/ The plugs just had "11" on them and the pool ones "10". Deck equipment is in and did a bit of a leaf cleanup.. The black box must be a light.... because there was a light hanging in the deep end, so I popped that back in... no idea how it turns on though.

Here's what I opened up to




I did run into some questions though.

- The pool has 3 returns (see second pic in the post) two were for the eyeballs and one was for that vacuum outlet. My question is... does it matter which return the vacuum flap goes on? I already put it in but wasn't sure if that one is best closest to the skimmer? Closest to the pump? or if it even matters.

- Noticed there are 2 returns in the skimmer, one had a plug and one didn't.... What's the difference between these? I also noticed a sliding plate, is that just to cover one when vacuuming?
http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u369/mikegtown7/skimmer-basket_zps53jxgocy.jpg

- Is there anything I should do to keep the liner clean in the spring? I brushed the walls of the pool but some of the liner just looks like it's kind of stained and has been like that for awhile.


I'm just topping the water up now and will get the pump running tomorrow hopefully.

 

[JVTrain]

What kind of cleaner do you have? If you have the brand and model that will tell you if it's a suction cleaner or pressure cleaner. If it's a suction cleaner, it certainly matters as one of the ports will be suction, the other two will be returns. If it's a pressure side cleaner, it should go in the return hole that's closest to the center of your pool.

Before filling, remove that plug in the skimmer. If there is a pipe connected to it, it links with a bottom drain if you have one. If there is just dirt below the plug, replace the plug in as it's just an unused port.

The liner may have residual organics staining or it could be metals stains. If you maintain proper sanitation after opening, the stains will fade if they are organic. If they are metals stains, they will take a metals treatment process to remove. To quickly identify as organic or metals staining do this. If you have a trichlor tablet, hold it on the stain for a minute or so. You can buy individual tablets at a pool store or a big box store such as WalMart. If the stain fades after holding on the tablet, it's organic and will fade with proper sanitation, perhaps more quickly if you elevate FC to shock levels based on your CYA and scrub regularly. If it does not fade with trichlor, try some Vitamin C tablets in a sock and hold those on the stain. If it fades with that, it's a metals stain. If you diagnose as a metals stain, you can start here: Pool School - Metals in the Water and Metal Stains and ask for further advice.

 

[mikegtown]

Thanks for all your feedback! The cleaner is just a plastic hose that attaches to a vacuum head which is nothing but a brush with a hole in the top. It looks like the most basic cleaner you could have. The plate is in the center hole right now, directly across from the skimmer.

Plug from skimmer already removed and there's no dirt and yes pool has a drain in the bottom of the deep end it looks like. I have some trichlor pucks, so I'll test that out tomorrow with the staining. Thanks!

 

[mikegtown]

Here are my numbers... first time testing so I've tried to be as accurate as possible.
One weird thing... my CYA comparator tube has no black dot on the bottom... ??? It's clear below so I tried using the stopper and a black dot on a piece of paper underneath it - would that work?? Why wouldn't it have the dot there? Anyway, here is what I got...

FC - 0
CC - 0
PH - 7.6
CYA - 30-35
TA - 250
CH - 260


Do any of these numbers seem out of whack? I've never done anything to this pool before, so it's all brand new to me.

So do I start a SLAM at this point?

 

[JVTrain]

There should be a dot on the bottom. I don't have that test block but perhaps it fell off or is a defective block. Here's what it should look like. http://www.taylortechnologies.com/ChemistryTopicsCM.ASP?ContentID=44

Numbers look pretty good other than you NEED to get some FC in there ASAP. Check the CYA/Chlorine chart for your minimum and target FC levels. Use Pool Math to bring your FC up to 4 ppm. Your TA is rather high so you may experience some fast pH rise once you start the pool running, but just maintaining your pH will bring it down. Any time the pH rises above 7.8, drop it down to 7.0 or 7.2 with muriatic acid (more Pool Math). Every time you add acid, your TA will be reduced. No need to worry about your CH.

 

[mikegtown]

That link is actually the first thing I found because I looked up the test kit too when I didn't see the dot. It must have fallen off or defective as you said.

I imagine the FC has been zero for quite awhile now since it was covered all winter. Are you saying ASAP because it's uncovered now and open to the elements/sun? vs. when it was winterized? Just curious.
One other question... when reading it said to SLAM when CC or FC was at 0 which was 12 ppm (1.9 5L jugs of 10.8% bleach), but you're saying just bring it up to 4 ppm? My target based on CYA is 2-4. Are you recommending 4 ppm because the water is pretty clear already? I'm just curious again as to when I should SLAM vs. just bringing it up slowly.

 

[JVTrain]

I would target 4-5 ppm and see what you actually get by testing the water after circulating for 30 minutes. You could even target 12 ppm if you like to try to knock out anything that might have gotten started in the pool. Your water looks pretty clear but that's a decent idea to bring to shock level when first starting in the spring. I did not when I opened, but I still had 3 ppm at opening.

 

[strangiato]

Hi mikegtown,
I just wanted to mention the drain plugs on your heater. I just had the same Raypak heater (or at least a model in the same line) put in last year.

There are two drain plugs that I removed when closing last Fall. One is visible in your photo on the under side of the line that comes from the filter. This one I had to use an adjustable wrench to open - be careful, its kind of a soft plastic so it can deform easily. The other is behind a plate on the left side of the heater. This one is in the header, is metal, and removes with a flat-head screwdriver.

Also, in case the previous owner did not leave it for you, here is a link to the owner's manual. At least, I think this is the right manual.

TFP has helped me learn how to take care of my pool after we moved into a house with pool about 4 years ago. I also had never had a pool before.

Enjoy! your pool!

 

[mikegtown]

strangiato, thanks for the tips on the heater! (it's a nice heater btw!) I found the drain plugs as you mentioned and they were all in, so that was good.

I had a few hiccups opening the pool, but managed to figure everything out eventually. First everything looked good, but then realized there was a leak in the sand filter drain, but turns out the plug just hadn't threaded all the way in... so cleaned it up and everything was good. Then I noticed all of a sudden the spa was draining to completely empty. I guess the drains from it drain too fast? I figure they must have done that to drain it in the fall? So I turned the spa drains off completely, as the water spills over from the spa into the pool steps when it is full, so it must recirculate that way as all the spa water is going back into the pool eventually?

My numbers this morning were FC - 2ppm / CC - 0 / PH 7.6 ... so looks like it used up some FC clearing the pool yesterday. Pump was running all night.
I did a good rake and vacuum this morning and cleaned out the baskets, then decided to bring it up to about 5ppm FC and see what happens from there.

At this point should I just re-test later today or tomorrow and try to maintain my FC around 2-4 ppm?

Here's what it looks like after a night of circulation and a good dose of FC.