Pooling Our Resources

When we first bought Fon du Bourg we knew that the skimmers on the upper pool needed to be replaced... the guys we bought the place from told us and very kindly offered to pay.

However, when you change the skimmers on a pool (I've learned) it's also best to change the liner.

So, back in November the pool was drained (head over to our FaceBook page to see the before and after pictures - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088240212249) the new skimmers fitted and the liner ordered.

And then the weather grew cold and naturally worked stopped - waiting for the Spring.  To put a liner in the temperature needs to be consistently above 15 degrees and no rain for a couple of days.

The new liner for our very big pool actually came in a cardboard box and sat in the Farmhouse utility room from December until... well, this week.  The reason for this is that the liners needs to be stored at room temperature so that the fold creases can come out easily.

This week was the big week.  Eric the Pool Man contacted me on Saturday to say they'd do some preliminary work on Sunday and then the liner was going in Monday to Wednesday.

How hard could it be, I asked myself?

Well, I have to say, it was quite an operation involving Eric, his son and his wife.  First they drained the pool and cleaned the concrete walls and floor of the pool thoroughly. Then stuck some carpet like material to all the surfaces.  They had to work quickly because it was warm and they needed to get the liner in as quickly as possible.

The liner came out of the box and was actually blown into shape using a huge fan - with all three of them Eric, Eric's son and his wife, all in the pool in bare feet carefully trampling and spreading the liner to that it went into all the corners.  A vacuum was then inserted between the liner and the 'carpet' to suck the liner to the walls... and then we started filling the pool with water.  The hosepipe has taken three days so far to fill the pool but we're nearly there.  At periodic intervals Eric came back to cut holes in the liner for the lights, the jets and the skimmers (I now know all the lingo).

Today the chemicals are added, the pumps go on and we are in business - the pool is open for the summer.

It's been lovely and warm this week but perhaps not quite warm enough for a swim - maybe next week - or maybe on Richard's birthday - 6th April.  Perhaps that can be our target for a first swim?

We're so lucky - we basically have a brand new pool for the summer.  We have new skimmers, liner, the pool area has been refurbed and we are ready to go.