Should I open the pool or skip a season?

[PoolDoc]

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[remjr13]

Yes, vinyl.

Hayward sand filter.

No, I haven't tested the water... I'll do that tomorrow, and try to get a picture up then too.

I don't think I winterized it last year, either. Just drained the filter and pump, and closed the skimmer pipe with the screw in thing (not the cover plate, the 15" by 3" diameter thing that is threaded to seal the pipe and absorb freeze... whatever)

Once my Aquabot broke - I pretty much left it all alone. The wind blew a volleyball net into the pool and the Aquabot got tangled in it and burned up the drive motor.

So I should test the chemistry - to make sure the pH and alk don't ruin the 3 year old liner? (Our alk and pH drop like a rock over the winter.)

(Thanks, we were married 35 years, in our 50's... but I know alot of people in their 80's & 90's!)

Lora

[PoolDoc]

Yeah, low pH can damage a liner.

If you didn't winterize . . . I dunno. You had a hard freeze there this winter, didn't you?

I guess what I'm thinking is, you should start up the pool, but do NOT uncover it. Then you can clean up and stabilize the water (including the pH). After that, you can put it to bed, and maybe run it a few days every month, till it's time to winterize.

Pools are sort of like old cars and old houses -- they go down FAST if someone is not using them!

(On the other hand, if you are sure you won't ever use the pool again, would it be better to look at removing it? A "no pool" is the ONLY truly maintenance free pool!