Hi folks! first timer from Canada here

[Optimolachi]

Hi TFPers!

Just spent most of the morning reading the site.. man there is a ton of great information on here. I just bought a house that has an IG saltwater pool and thought I'd try and learn as much as I could before I go in for a tour of the facilities in a few days. The seller is going to be showing me all the parts and how to maintain the equipment.

Are there any questions I should ask them about the pool that would be difficult/impossible to find out later down the road? I'm going to be asking about all the items listed in the "Getting Started" post.

The pool is in use right now, and from the few times I've been there it appeared to be well maintained and the water was crystal clear. After I take over, should I begin the TFP "plan" right away? or would it be better to just keep on doing whatever it is they're going to be teaching me to do? It's also nearing the end of the pool season here in Toronto, Canada by the time I take over (late Aug). I was thinking to hire someone to "close" the pool for me this year since I'm a complete noob when it comes to pools.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice. Looking forward to being a member here.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello and welcome to TFP! Yes, you might want to ask the seller about any additional equipment they have for the pool to include any specific winter closing items they may have used. You'll eventually want to ensure you get your hands on one of the TFP recommend test kits (TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C). Taylor has exclusive distribution rights in Canada, so you can't get the TF-100 shipped directly to you. But you could pick it up from the US or bring it back if you travel across sometime in the future. Testing properly will be one of the most important things you can do for your pool. Having someone close for you the first time may not be a bad idea until you get comfortable with everything.

Great to have you with us.

 

[Optimolachi]

OMG I forget how much I hate moving until having to do it again. Just spent the last week cramming stuff into two moving pods. On the bright side, the kids are super excited about moving into the new place with the pool.

So I visited with the seller and had a tour of the facilities. There was a lot of information to absorb and I kinda got lost in the flow of it so I forgot to ask about some of the specifics. At the end though there was a stack of owner's manuals so I figured I could get those details later from the manuals. What I did get from the tour was it is a 15,000 gal., IG vinyl lined, four cartridge filter, SWG, approx 6 years old pool. I didn't get the pump brand/model. He is also including a vacuum unit that is powered by one of the jets and rolls around the pool. While the vacuum is running, all the pressure to the remaining jets needs to be directed to that one jet. It also has a control board which controls the chlorine generation amount and monitors the salt content(?) in ppm.

The part I found odd was I asked what to do when the salt content ppm drops below the recommended level and he said that he goes and buys bags of salt from the pool store and dumps it into the pool. I was always under the impression that there was a salt reservoir that would dispense salt when needed rather than just dumping salt directly into the pool. The system is sophisticated enough to monitor levels, but maintaining the levels is a manual process?

He also mentioned there is a wrinkle in the liner where it slopes down towards the deep end and that is normal for vinyl liners. The four filter cartridges are good for another 1-2 seasons then need to be replaced. Also the pool store will do a partial close or open for $200. I just have to pump the water level to below the skimmer myself. A full close/open is $275.

I asked how he monitors the water condition and he said to bring a sample bottle of pool water to the store and they will test, then get you what you need to correct any issues. And they are happy to do it as often as you'd like . Call me crazy, but I'd rather have the control over when to test and have the results right away, especially after I've added some chemicals to the water. I can't imagine having to make several trips to the store just to test and see if there's anything off with the water, especially after reading some threads here where it's test after test after test. In that spirit, I already ordered a TF-100 and the refill kit (for the free shipping ) and had them sent to some relatives in the states who will forward onto me.

 

[Texas Splash]

Outstanding! TF-100 on order. You made the right choice guaranteed. As for the salt, yes, it gets added to the water when the salt reading/level in the water drops too low. Salt won't just disappear, but if there's a lot of splashout all season or some consistent water exchange then additional salt could be required. TFTestKits.com also has a couple salt test kits you might want to consider later. The one wrinkle shouldn't be a big problem. You'll just want to brush it frequently to keep junk from building-up in there and allowing algae to hide. Sounds like you're doing well. Here's a couple pages you might like to review later:
Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs
Pool School - Salt Water Chlorine Generators