Buying a house with a pool. Can you help with how all this looks

[kappyK]

Hi,
Very new here, just learnt about this amazing website and read up some resources. We are buying a vacation/weekend house in Eastern shore Maryland and the house has a pool and a hot-tub. While we were not looking for a house with a pool, it does seem like something we will enjoy.

Had a home inspection today but the inspector was not very helpful with pool equipment, so thinking we need to get some expert to do a full pool inspection as well.

However, i clicked some pictures and small video of all the pool system outside and wondering if members here can give some advice on what they see with these. How does it look? Again complete newbee here, but thought i should give it a try.



Thank you for any and all help

 

[PoolGate]

Interesting your equipment is right there in plain view of the street.

Anyway it's a sand filter which means you backwash to clean it. Also it's a saltwater pool so it'll create it's own chlorine. Equipment looks like it's new.

No automation.

Post pics of the pool.

 

[sande005]

Equipment looks in great shape. It is a pretty basic setup. Maybe a bit too basic, but we'll get into that if any operational issues raise their head later.
Show a pic taken from the from the street side. And, of course, the pool itself,
It look like your pool has either two skimmers for water to go in to, or a skimmer and a deep drain. Having two valves (one for each leg coming in) instead of just the single would be nice so you can balance where the water is pulled from. But something you can ignore for now, and maybe forever.
A bit odd that there are no valves on the output side of the filter - it just splits into two legs presumably going back to the pool, with only one of them used by the chlorine generator. Usually the generator is before a split, and the legs each have their own valves too. But depending on the pool shape and size, may not be an issue.
Pump appears to have a single speed. Is there a timer attached that controls it's (and the Cl generator) on/off times? Pics also, please. If it is just a single speed motor, someday you may want to upgrade at least the motor part of the pump to a variable speed - it will save mega $$ in electrical costs.
It doesn't appear that the hot tub is connected to the pool plumbing at all, so that will be it's own thing to deal with.
It looks like the discharge pipe from the sand filter just dumps out right at the pad. When backwashing the filter (needed moderately often) or lowering the pool for the winter (if done) you'll probably want to direct the water a little (or a lot) further away. That can be with a temporary large flexible hose attached, or by other means. Check with your city about any regs covering discharge of pool water to storm drains or in a way that would impact a neighbor. Some require it to go into an actual sewer connection.

Read everything in the Pool School section here. Over and over.
The first thing you will need is a good test kit. Just get this one: TF-Pro Salt. Either kind of stirrer is fine.
There are comparisons of others in the "Test Kits Compared" article here, but this is the best value, sized for what may be used. No need for any of the add-on options.

NEVER, ever, ever trust a pool store or disposable test strips for testing.
Your chemical needs will be very basic. All can be found at big box stores. Never buy any pool store potions, additives, or concoctions.
Generally: Muriatic Acid, Pool Salt, maybe Stabilizer (CYA), maybe Baking Soda, maybe Calcium increaser, maybe Liquid Chlorine.
Once you move in, and can test with your shiny new test kit, we can advise - but it will be pretty inexpensive compared to pool store stuff.
Since we're coming into winter, you may not need anything at all until spring, so don't rush out to buy anything yet. Testing and the current state of the pool will determine.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Why is the equipment out in the open for all to see, hear and mess with? Are other homes like this? Are there no fences in the neighborhood? This seems very odd.