Just bought new house

[kao2222]

Hello everyone. I just got my keys today to my new home. It came with a inground pool that is i believe to be about 20 feet by 25 feet with a diving board. I have never owned a pool before or know anything about them so i need start from ground zero. From the looks of the pool, the water is clear, there is something at the bottom with 4 wheels on it and there is something floating on the surface that looks like and giant plactic Round Tee. I dont know if i should call a pool place but any information to get me started would really appreciated thanks.

[muss08]

Congrats on the new pool! The floating T is probably a chlorine dispenser while the 4 wheel thing is an automatic cleaner- probably a polaris or letro legend. At first, pools are alot of work and alot of the chemistry can be confusing. FIRST and most importantly- get yourself a good test kit. This is the best investment you can make in your new pool. I personally use the Taylor K 2006. It is very accurate and very reliable. You can find this online or at any pool store. Stay away from test strips. Be warned! If you go to the pool store they are going to try to sell you alot of chemicals. Wouldnt recommend it. If the previous owner left you some chemicals let me know what they are (look at the active ingredients). Also, need to know what kind of equipment you have. Pumps, filter, heater, etc. Pics would help but alot of people have problems posting pics on this site. Get a more accurate measurement of your length and width and we need to know your shallow end depth and deep end depth so we can figure out your gallonage. A primer on running your pool from a local pool service company wouldnt hurt but you can gain a wealth of knowledge from sites like these and I will try my best to walk you through this. First thing is to get the test kit so you can post a listing of your chemistry readings. These include Free Chlorine (FC), pH, Total Alkalinity (TA), Calcium Harndess (CH), and Cyanuric Acid (CYA). Other important questions- what type of structure (gunite, fiberglass, etc.) is the pool and what is it surfaced with (plaster- white or colored, vinyl lined, painted, etc.). Most pools are gunite/plaster or vinyl lined. What kind of cleaning equipment do you have (poles, nets, etc.)? Get back to me as soon as you can and let me know and get a GOOD test kit as soon as possible. If you dont go with the taylor k 2006- get a kit that tests for everything i listed above and make sure the chlorine test is a FAS-DPD test. Any kit should be labeled with this.