We normally have our pool company open and close our pool for us. I'd like to open it myself this year due to our circumstances. When we went to pump water off our cover to get it ready for the opening we noticed we kept running the pump and there didn't seem to be any progress. We realized there was a hole (or holes) in the cover so water kept coming up as we did it. We managed (with some work) to get the cover off but the result was a green murky swamp like pool.
We are having the tile and coping replaced in 3 weeks and the pool will be completely drained for this, and then refilled. Because of this, I don't really want to go crazy trying to get everything perfect (we don't mind not swimming in it until after this is done) but I also did not want a gross swamp of a pool for 3 weeks either. Based on some recommendations, we added a bunch of liquid chlorine and are working to get all the leaves out. The pool is now a cloudy blue. I would like to get the pump going and have everything running but I have never done this before. I have been researching here (and other spots) on how to do this but I couldn't find detailed instructions here as to what I need to do for my pump and filter. I don't know if there are valves that need to be opened or closed or what. Again, totally new to this so I need step by step instructions. Is there somewhere here that I might have missed that someone could point me to that will tell me every little thing I need to check? Or a video maybe? Does anyone have recommendations as to what I should be trying to do during the next 3 weeks?
Also, we will have all new water in the pool after this is done. I'd really like to get a handle on the whole water chemistry thing. I have been reading up at the pool school and have ordered one of the recommended test kits but was wondering if anyone has specific recommendations as to what I should do when the pool is refilled? What chemical to add first, how quickly/slowly to do this, etc.
Thanks!
We are having the tile and coping replaced in 3 weeks and the pool will be completely drained for this, and then refilled. Because of this, I don't really want to go crazy trying to get everything perfect (we don't mind not swimming in it until after this is done) but I also did not want a gross swamp of a pool for 3 weeks either. Based on some recommendations, we added a bunch of liquid chlorine and are working to get all the leaves out. The pool is now a cloudy blue. I would like to get the pump going and have everything running but I have never done this before. I have been researching here (and other spots) on how to do this but I couldn't find detailed instructions here as to what I need to do for my pump and filter. I don't know if there are valves that need to be opened or closed or what. Again, totally new to this so I need step by step instructions. Is there somewhere here that I might have missed that someone could point me to that will tell me every little thing I need to check? Or a video maybe? Does anyone have recommendations as to what I should be trying to do during the next 3 weeks?
Also, we will have all new water in the pool after this is done. I'd really like to get a handle on the whole water chemistry thing. I have been reading up at the pool school and have ordered one of the recommended test kits but was wondering if anyone has specific recommendations as to what I should do when the pool is refilled? What chemical to add first, how quickly/slowly to do this, etc.
Thanks!