New Pool owner opening for first time

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sarahp1957

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Jun 18, 2018
64
Lake Almanor, CA
HI there...this is my first post.
I bought a house in the mountains with a pool. Never owned a pool before. We would like to open it for the summer. There is no pool service in the area so we are on our own with this. I will provide as much detail as I can [currently, I am not at the house with the pool.]
It was winterized by the guys who delivered my spa and they did it really fast and without much explanation.
They drained about half the water telling me it couldn't be completely drained because it is a vinyl liner and the pool would collapse without water.
Then they put in a bunch of liquid algaecide and put the cover on. I don't know if they did anything with the "plugs" [I watched a youtube video and it mentioned "plugs" on the side of the pool that should be installed for the winter.]
They told us that when we opened the pool we should get two sump pumps and put them in the deep end to to suck out the algaecide/water and stand in the shallow end and broom debris towards the deep end and start filling the pool from the shallow end.
They said that once the water was "clear" and the pool was full we could turn on the pool pump and start dealing with the water.
As I said before, there are no pool services in the area. The closest is 1.5 hours away and they won't travel up to us.
Does this sounds like a reasonable method for getting the pool open? Thanks in advance.
 
I've been pumping the water off the cover all winter.
I thought I had to pump out the algaecide before adding clean water. Actually, I was told to NOT turn on the pool pump until I had removed as much of the algaecide as I could...which defies all logic! How will I know when it's "gone"? argh...
 
First, get a Test Kits

Algecide is largely chlorine. Most of it is likely gone. When you get your test kit, test the water and post your results. Likely the water is fine to dilute with fill water and start up the pool.

Start reading Pool School - Pool School and Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Once you decide to add water, then remove all the winter plugs, check the valves are open, check your filter is operational, then start the pump.

Post pics of your pool and equipment pad and we can help you identify valves and equipment.
 
Algecide may contain copper too (bad) - that won't break down over time. That is what turns blonde hair green! The pool store test actually does a good job of testing for metals - just don't buy the 'magic solution' they try to see you to fix your problem - post the test results here and the experts will help you. You don't really need to worry about that at this point - once you get filled and operational the bit of potential copper in the water can be dealt with then.

I also have never heard of pumping water out of the pool when opening - you lower the water level when closing and then top it up with new water in the spring when opening.
 
Thanks for the response! I really appreciate it. And I will be back with photos and test results.

- - - Updated - - -

I thought it was weird to pump out water, too...but these were guys who worked with pools [or spas at least]...so I've been thinking about pumping out this pool all winter...and DREADING it! I feel redeemed! Thank you...and I will be back with results.
 
sarahp1957 said:
I thought it was weird to pump out water, too...but these were guys who worked with pools [or spas at least]
Click to expand...

Folks here do not think very highly of "Pool Professionals." There are some good ones out there, but they are few and far between. Double check any Pool Professional recommendations here before you act on them.
 
sarahp1957 said:
Steep learning curve here! Thanks for the advice. And I'm glad I found this website.
Click to expand...


It can seem a bit overwhelming to begin with. But, really, it isn't that difficult. The key is test results that you can trust. Once you get the hang of testing your water then understanding what those results mean is pretty easy (and if you aren't sure - just post the results here and the experts will chime in pretty quick with advice). It will get easier as you go along - you will figure out at what levels your pool is happy and know what it takes to keep it there.
 
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