Newbie - a philosophical question...

[PoolDoc]

OK. Vinyl liner has two immediate implications:

1. You probably can't drain your pool safely, without professional help, AND
2. You should NOT use trichlor powder, let trichlor tabs hit the bottom, or dump large doses of granular chlorine all at once.

Otherwise . . . the best thing would probably be to put this thread on hold, till your pool guy opens the pool. Then, do two things:

1. Watch your guy, make notes AND take pictures. Once you let him go, you'll need to be able to do those things yourself. A photo record will be a HUGE help.
2. Post a note here that "I'm opening". I'll get an email, flagging me. Try to open early if you can. Things go crazy here between May 15 and June 10, and stuff WILL fall through the cracks.

[Watermom]

Things go crazy here between May 15 and June 10.

Ya think??!!

[CarlD]

Once you know how to open and close the pool yourself, and have a reasonable high-CYA maintenance schedule set up, you won't need the service. $1200/season for pool service at $85 a week seems high, unless that includes opening and closing. $1200 buys you (with a little looking) a top-of-the-line robotic pool cleaner with wireless remote control, for example.