The first step and probably the most important step when setting up a swimming pool is the choice of location. As I noted in the introductory paragraph Sharon, my wife and I studied our back yard for a couple of weeks before we chose the location for the pool. And even at that we could have done better had we done our study in late spring or early fall rather than the middle of July.

The next step is to check with one's local government to determine if the selected location is within acceptable clearance from property lines and building foundations, etc. Failure to do this can lead to a lot of extra expense or frustration dealing with local code enforcement personnel to obtain a variance from existing code. Case in point, a neighbor of mine had a pool contractor set up their pool. The contractor failed to check the local town building codes and installed the pool according to the next town north of here that allowed half the distance from the house foundation. He was lucky and obtained a variance, but it could just as easily gone the other way and he would have had to relocate the pool.

Setting up the pool is best left to a reputable pool contractor unless one has the proper knowledge, experience and tools to do the job. The contractor that we hired was very good and had a bobcat loader, transit and other tools to do the job efficiently. His crew had the pool disassembled from my neighbor's yard and erected in my yard within about ten hours. They also helped me move the deck that went with the pool that I later reassembled. Another tip that the contractor gave me was that when setting up a used pool, purchase a new liner. At this writing we have completed five seasons without a leak.

Last but not least is the electrical hookup for the filter/pump. Again, this is a task that is best left up to a qualified electrician unless on has knowledge of the National Electrical Code which most local codes refer to and the experience to do it for one's self. The most important requirement for this task is the use of Ground Fault Interrupters. MAKING A MISTAKE IN THIS TASK CAN GET SOMEONE KILLED!

Ideas and Techniques that Work for Me

Products and Tools That Work for Me

We installed this step unit in the summer of 2003.  As arthritis runs in my wife's family, we thought that the steps would be a lot easier for her to use than the ladder that came with the pool.

The device at the left of the steps is an "Ick-Stractor skimmer.  It does a great job of catching most of the stuff that gets past the pool skimmer.  It is particularly useful in the spring and fall when the trees are dropping  seeds or leaves.  Sometimes we detach if from the edge of the pool where it is anchored and use it as an over-sized hand skimmer.  Works great!

Also in the picture are some of the toys for friends and family to play with when they come to visit.

This pool cleaning robot in the above left picture is another work saver.  During the summer of 2003, we had a lot of rain in Rochester, NY which seemed to promote algae growth.  It did a great job of cleaning the bottom  and  also helped prevent getting the algae stirred up as I went about my work.  All I had to do was clean the walls, places that it could not reach and touch up spots that it missed using the nozzle shown in the center picture above and the technique in the photo at the right.