Pool Maintenance 101

So the house has a pool! I learned that pools don't add value to homes; when they are appraised it's like the pool isn't even there. Thus, I got a free pool! I'm really excited about it...when I was growing up in Alaska they were nonexistent. Everyone says, "The maintenance!" but I think it's easier now than it used to be and I think I can do it. The first thing I did? Drained it and shop-vac'd the whole thing. We have a watering ban here in Georgia due to the drought but we are permitted to refill pools, and since the previous owners didn't do it in five years I just wanted to start fresh.

I had a time with the shop vac! I dragged it down into the pool and began sucking up the dirty leaf water, but soon found it was too heavy when full to roll back up and out of the pool. So I put it on the ledge/bench in the deep end and stretched the hose to the bottom, but had to sweep the water to the hose as it wasn't long enough. Eventually it became too full and heavy for me to lift off the ledge, so I had to POUR SOME OF IT BACK so I could lift it! This lead me to ask: why do they not make clear shop vacs so you can see how much is in them? Finally I had it all cleaned out and it was time to fill! Very exciting!