New House, Old Pool

We're set to close on a house next month, and though I've swum in many a pool, I've never had my own! So (wearing my newbie hat) I'm terrified to open it up! I only *just* learned that it won't be empty when we take the cover off. At least: From what I've read thus far, I HOPE it's not empty! It's a vinyl pool, and the liner was replaced last summer.

Firstly: How gross can I expect it to be when I open it up, assuming it has been reasonably well taken care of?

What should I keep an eye out for that could be indicative of a problem?

We're thinking of having a pro come out for the first spring opening, just to make sure it gets done right the/our first time. Any idea what sort of cash we can expect to shell out for that?

SO MANY QUESTIONS! I'll stop here, as I'm sure I can track down existing info for a lot of these points :) For reference, we're in the midwest, in the suburbs of Kansas City.

1. I strongly recommend hiring the opening done . . . and that you should be there, with your camera and notepad. It's an excellent time to learn your way around the pool, valves and gear. If you've never operated a pool before, it will probably be overwhelming, but that's what the camera (or video) is for.

2. Read through the BBB page (linked below), and this How-to-test-kit page . You will need a K-1000 or local equivalent, and a K-2006. It takes about a week to get the K-2006, so if at all possible, order before you open, and practice on your tap water. Tap water results are relevant, anyhow, since that's (probably) what you'll be putting in your pool. Do NOT practice the CYA test -- there are only a few tests in the kit, for CYA.

3. Pool service costs vary a lot by region, so anything I tell you may be off, possibly a lot. In MY area, you could expect to pay $200 for opening service -- which just amounts to getting the cover off, and getting everything running. Whether the water is gross or not, just depends. Expect that it will be, and that you'll spend $125 per 10,000 gallons of pool water to clean it up . . . IF you're ready to go when the cover comes off.

4. Expect $200+ of miscellaneous costs: missing cleaning tools, missing valve bits, and the like. If it was closed well, you might have NO costs, but of course if serious repairs are needed, it could be much more.

5. You need to have chemicals on hand, for as soon as the cover comes off -- if it's not green, it will turn so almost instantly, if left untreated. If it is green, the sooner you start, the sooner you'll be done. Try to get dimensions of the pool, so we can give you some idea of what to have on hand.

6. First year cost summary (assuming a 12K gallon in-ground pool): testkits ($100) + pro opening ($200) + opening repairs ($200 -- this is a fairly random guess) + opening chemicals ($100 -- assumes the pools is not totally slimed) + 3 months operating chemicals ($250 or less) => ~$900 first year with no major repairs. Following year costs will depend on you: with no major repairs and fairly careful chemical maintenance, 2nd year op costs could be $350 total.

7. How bad it is under the cover depends on what sort of cover it is and how it was closed. It can be anything from completely clear (but ready to turn green INSTANTLY when the sun hits it) to a pond, complete with bugs, frogs and 2" of sludge on the bottom.) You may want to make extreme un-readiness an issue at closing.

Good luck!

Thank you! I'm crossing my fingers that it's 100% frog-free :D

When getting the pool inspection, should I plan on having the guy open the pool cover? It sounds like that could make the situation underneath worse, but is not knowing my worst enemy? I did also find out that the pool cover is new as of last year as well. It looks sort of similar to this one, but smaller and maybe more elastic. It's a small rectangular one, with a longer piece at one end for the stairs: http://www.pooltospaservices.com/wp-...ool-cover2.jpg

It's a spring tightened MESH cover?

If so, your pool underneath is will be free of leaves and sticks, but likely very green. I'd start pouring plain 6% bleach in, about 5 gallons per 10K gallons of pool water. You can pour it THROUGH the cover, and then rinse the cover off with a hose. Don't pour it all in one spot.

By the way, you can't really do a "pool inspection" on a closed, cloudy, non-operating pool. If there's any way to do so, I'd make the real-estate closing conditional on having the pool inspected AFTER it has been opened -- let the current owner get it into condition so your inspector can ACTUALLY check it out.