New house comes with a pool, first time owning one!

[neiltg]

Hey everyone, glad to be a member!

We close on our new house tomorrow - just did the walkthrough today. It comes with a 2 year old saltwater vinyl pool, and i'd like to know as much about it as possible!

The seller did give us some information about general maintenance - they have an account at a local pool place and said to fill a bottle which they left for us with the water, take it in, and they'll test it for free and tell us which chemicals need to be added.
They also said "about every three months the salt chlorinator needs to be removed and flushed with Muractic acid, this keeps the chlorinator from salt build-up which will give you inaccurate readings if not done".
And we were given a link to this video -

So far, all seems very helpful. Is there anything that i'm missing here, or should be aware of for general maintenance? I see from skimming around lots of people self-test - is this a better way to do it?

Here's a link to photos of the equipment -

https://imgur.com/a/vsFjhTe

I'm assuming a salt level of 2900 is about right - what ranges does it go to? what's considered low, what's considered high, etc.
The previous owners also had a pool heater which they removed/kept. What's a good pool heater to buy, how much are they, and is that something I need to figure out, or should I just go to this local shop and ask them to do it all?

Thanks in advance - i'm sure i'll be swinging back as more questions pop up.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! I am providing a link below with very good info for you to reference. But I will make few comments:
- A salt cell does not need to be removed and acid washed every 3 months. If it does, it means the chemistry is off creating scale.
- Pool store advice is often the worst offender. Horrible advice and happy to sell products that don't work. Avoid the pool store at all costs.
- Every pool owner should test their own water with a TF-100 (link in my signature) or Taylor K-2006C test kit. It is very easy to do, and you can be guaranteed no one is trying to take your money.

You have a very simple set-up with a sand filter and salt cell to provide chlorine. No reason to go to the pool store. I urge you to get one of the kits noted above, test your own water, post the results, and you'll have crystal clear water with less maintenance and cost.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[MITBeta]

Every pool owner should test their own water with a TF-100 (link in my signature) or Taylor K-2006C test kit.

Either of these kits may seem expensive up front, but I guarantee will save LOTS of money in the long run by avoiding the pool store money grab.

Test Kits Compared