New Salt Pool Owner, Help!

[awolff]

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a home that came with an above-ground pool. I never had a pool growing up and don't know the first thing about maintenance, etc. I want to stay on top of things and learn as much as I can.

The previous owner paid a pool company $150/attendance to open and close the pool every spring/fall. I plan on calling them to ask some questions regarding regular maintenance and how to make sure it stays crystal clear.

My question for TFP is what sort of questions should I be asking the pool professional? As well, if someone could explain to me what the different contraptions are in the second picture, as well as the use for the salt in the third picture, that would be great!

An overall summary of what to do daily, weekly, and in certain scenarios would be greatly appreciated!

TIA

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP.
You are the perfect candidate to read
Pool Care Basics
It will cover most of what you asked above.
At TFP we believe in self-testing which means do your own water tests using a proper test kit. since you are in Canada you will need to purchase the Taylor K-2006C & the K-1766 salt kit via Amazon or similar avenue. I do not think TFtestkits.net can ship outside the USA but you could ask them as the TF-100 or TF-Pro kit with salt are a better value than the K2006 and K1766 kits.
See Test Kits Compared

Since you have a saltwater pool, salt needs to be added to the pool to allow the saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG) to create chlorine for the pool. However you have to monitor the salt level using a test kit which is why I indicated the test kit with salt.

The big tan device is the filter - it removes dirt and debris from pool water that is circulated through it
the black device in the middle is the pump that creates circulation of the water
The device on the right appears to be the SWCG. That makes chlorine for you

 

[trivetman]

awolff - pool care companies tend not to give great advice that you’re looking for. This site will. Most of us on this site are homeowners who had no idea what we were doing, or were trying to recover from bad advice from pool stores or service companies. This site is a fantastic DIY resource and set us on the right path so we stick around for the next newbie like yourself. The methods really work and are about as inexpensive as pool care can be.

Having a good test kit is the key. Read pool school and start learning.