My pool was installed Thursday. I have about a foot of water in it now. Liner seems to be okay, no leaks anywhere, and I don't seem to be losing any water so I'll be getting 3 trucks to fill it up on Sunday. I haven't put the sand in my filter yet although all the connections are already in place. It's a 300# Hayward S244T:

Is the inside spider tube thing suppose to attach (or "clip in" if you will) somewhere or is it just a balancing act while placing the sand inside?

The filter base has a drain, should I face that drain facing out away from the pool, or does it matter? Is the drain just for the winter?

This one might be a really dumb question, but do I need to backwash as soon as I start the pump and filter up, or is it ready to filter from the start?

I guess I'm just nervous about flipping that switch for the very first time....