Using the nozzle shown in the photo at the left and the technique in the photo below it, I blast away dirt and algae by holding the hose and nozzle in my left hand and collect as much of the loosened dirt as possible with the vacuum head in my right hand. This technique prevents most of the dirt or algae from getting into suspension. It is my opinion that this technique works better than using a brush to dislodge the dirt. If the pool is very dirty, I set the filter valve head to the "Waste" position.

This siphon works great for removing excess water from the pool cover in the off season. A small piece of window screen wrapped around the siphon and secured with hose clamps prevents blockage of the intake by leaves.

The above photo shows a collection of tools and accessories that I use to open the pool in the spring. A close-up of the roof rake is shown in the above center photo. I use a clean 30 gallon trash can like the one above for storing the robot, vacuum head and vacuum tubes in the off season.

The best feature of the roof rake is that the corners are rounded and there is an absence of sharp points that would tear the pool cover.

When doing pool maintenance it is necessary to have an assortment of screwdrivers, wrenches and other general purpose tools handy. On top of the yellow toolbox is a red "C" clamp that I used to hold the vacuum tube while I charged it with the garden hose. In order to distribute the sand in the filter tank evenly it was easier for me to pour the sand into the plastic dishpan and scoop it into the filter tank with the red gutter scoop.

I have found several uses for this Toro blower/vac. Here I am drying the pool cover to prevent mildew during summer storage. In the winter time I use it to clear the decks, my van and the driveway of snow. It works great for accumulations of up to a couple of inches.

In this photo I use my Craftsman shop vac to insure that all of the water is removed from the solar collector to prevent freeze breakage.

The Craftsman tire inflator in the lower left corner of the above photo blows up the pool pillow. At the start of the pool season it also is used to inflate all of the toys. It sure beats the huff and puff method.

The 2002 season was the first time that I opened the pool after its winter rest. A co-worker suggested that he uses his shop vac to clean water and debris from his pool cover. When I tried to use my Craftsman wet/dry vac by setting it beside the pool and starting it, it quickly filled up and water started spraying up through the motor. Since water and electricity is a dangerous mix, I decided that this was a very BAD idea! The siphon setup in the Spring Open page from the frame "Ideas and Tricks that work for Me" has proved to be more convenient and safer.