Prepare Yourself Before Getting Pool Equipment Supplies
After a particularly harsh winter, spring is finally on its way. As we start to think about baseball games and starting our motorcycles after months in the garage, we also have to start considering the steps we will have to take to get our own lawns and back yards ready for the summer season. For many, this means taking inventory of the pool equipment supplies that will be required to open the backyard pool.
In theory, when opening the pool after several months of disuse, only the consumables need to be renewed. Items such as filter cartridges, chemicals, and obviously water are among the most obvious consumables. If that was the actual case, most of our pool openings would be much simpler than what they often really are.
After one or two opening and closing seasons, many people begin to keep a list of items that need to be replaced or repaired. As the pool is closed, items are discovered. If a problem can be put off until spring, then write it down (if you are not doing this now, then start this year). This list can be your starting point when you open the pool in the spring. Even if you are keeping a list, inspection is critical when opening your pool and evaluating what pool equipment supplies will need to be purchased, not just to replace consumables, but to repair and replace.
Starting with the cover, inspect it for any tears or holes. Consider yourself lucky if your cover is largely intact. How much water was drained out of the pool when you closed it in the fall? Is that water level roughly where it was before? Some evaporation is natural, but if there is a significant difference, or if the water is all gone, this can be an indicator of a serious leak in the liner. Excessive leakage can weaken the walls of an inground pool, so this problem must be investigated.
I am a drainer and a scrubber. I drain the winter water, clean out any material that gathered in the water, and then scrub the liner. This way, I know it is clean, and I have an opportunity to visually inspect it. I like to engage my children in this work too. It’s a great family project.
Next comes the pump. Pool pump supplies include a new filter and any visually damaged plumbing. Check for any signs of damage from frozen water. Look at the heater too, and make sure that all the plumbing and the electrical work appears to be intact. There is no accounting for the tastes of some small animals. If you find any problems here, get the pool pump supplies to fix it now. A pool with a broken pump is no fun once it gets hot.
Invariably, when we figure out what we need to open the pool again, critical supplies also include some new pool toys too. After all, the pool really is a place for fun, right? Remind yourself of that when you open it up!