Happy Spring Everyone!
We are going to try to open the pool ourselves for the first time this year. We paid a service to do it the past 3 years and we paid a lot for nothing. We paid $350+ for two guys to take the cover off, take out the plugs, flip the switch on the electric box, start up the filter and put in some liquid chlorine. We paid the same again for closing. They never checked/cleaned the filter for us or let us know that it needed to be done. My brother helped us close this past fall and he could not believe how dirty the filter was and that we paid the service to do nothing.
That being said, we want to open it ourselves this Spring and do it right. We would welcome any advice as to when to open it and how. I read the "sticky" and I know that I will be referencing it often. Any supplies we should have on hand besides the test kit? Our fiberglass steps were yellowed when we closed the pool and I hope to get some Vitamin C to clean them off as soon as we open then pool.
1. Other than the 16 inch crescent wrench my brother said we would need for the filter, some crushed Vitamin C or asorbic acid in a sock, the test kit and some bleach, what else should I have handy when we take the cover off. We have been using the Taylor Test Kit, bleach, baking soda and the numbers were good when we closed.
2. When should we take the cover off? We have one of those covers that an elephant can stand on - I assume it is mesh? I understand from this site that it is best to start things up early to avoid algae, but my brother who lives 3 hours further north in the Catskill Mts of NY says it is too early - that we probably still have ice. What is the consensus here? Keep in mind we are being hopeful that it will be warm enough for a pool party of sorts on May 9th
Thanks
T
We are going to try to open the pool ourselves for the first time this year. We paid a service to do it the past 3 years and we paid a lot for nothing. We paid $350+ for two guys to take the cover off, take out the plugs, flip the switch on the electric box, start up the filter and put in some liquid chlorine. We paid the same again for closing. They never checked/cleaned the filter for us or let us know that it needed to be done. My brother helped us close this past fall and he could not believe how dirty the filter was and that we paid the service to do nothing.
That being said, we want to open it ourselves this Spring and do it right. We would welcome any advice as to when to open it and how. I read the "sticky" and I know that I will be referencing it often. Any supplies we should have on hand besides the test kit? Our fiberglass steps were yellowed when we closed the pool and I hope to get some Vitamin C to clean them off as soon as we open then pool.
1. Other than the 16 inch crescent wrench my brother said we would need for the filter, some crushed Vitamin C or asorbic acid in a sock, the test kit and some bleach, what else should I have handy when we take the cover off. We have been using the Taylor Test Kit, bleach, baking soda and the numbers were good when we closed.
2. When should we take the cover off? We have one of those covers that an elephant can stand on - I assume it is mesh? I understand from this site that it is best to start things up early to avoid algae, but my brother who lives 3 hours further north in the Catskill Mts of NY says it is too early - that we probably still have ice. What is the consensus here? Keep in mind we are being hopeful that it will be warm enough for a pool party of sorts on May 9th
Thanks
T
