What You Need Besides the Pool

The single most common frustration with a new above-ground pool is discovering, on the day you set it up, that the box was only ever half of what you needed. Filter cartridges, a ground cloth, something to test the water with, a way to keep leaves out — none of it is optional, and almost none of it comes in the kit. This is the complete list, in the order you will need it.

Why the Kit Is Never the Whole Story

Manufacturers price the box to win the shelf, which means the filter pump included is usually the smallest one that can legally be described as adequate, and the accessories are the ones that cost cents. That is not dishonest, but it does mean the advertised price is roughly 60–70 percent of what you will actually spend to get swimming. Knowing the rest up front lets you buy properly the first time instead of making three trips in a week.

The Complete Shopping List

Items 1 to 6 are genuinely non-negotiable. The rest you can stage over the first season if you need to.

1. 1
   Filter pump sized for your pool volume, not the one in the box — aim for a flow rate that turns the whole volume over in four hours or less. A cartridge unit is fine up to about 4.5 m; above that, consider a sand filter.
2. 2
   Spare filter cartridges — you will get through one every two to four weeks in high season. Buy six at the start; multipacks work out better than singles.
3. 3
   Geotextile ground cloth to go under the pool. It protects the liner from stones and roots and is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.
4. 4
   A cover. It cuts evaporation dramatically in a Portuguese August, keeps leaves and insects out, and reduces how much chlorine the sun destroys.
5. 5
   Water test kit or test strips. Without one you are dosing blind, which is how small pools go green. Strips are fine to start; a liquid kit is more accurate.
6. 6
   Starter chemicals: slow-dissolving chlorine tablets, a floating dispenser, pH minus, and a bag of shock treatment for emergencies. Buy enough to cover the whole season.
7. 7
   Skimmer net and telescopic pole. Two minutes a day with this is worth more than any chemical.
8. 8
   Pool brush for the walls and floor — a soft one, because an above-ground liner scratches far more easily than tiled concrete.
9. 9
   A weatherproof outdoor socket on an RCD-protected circuit, if you do not already have one within reach of the pump. Have this done by an electrician.
10. 10
    Levelling materials for the base: washed sand or fine crushed stone, plus a long spirit level and a straight timber board. How much you need depends on how far out the ground is.
11. 11
    A hose long enough to reach, and ideally a water meter reading taken before and after filling so you know what the fill actually cost.
12. 12
    Somewhere dry and rodent-proof to store the liner over winter. A sealed plastic crate is worth more than it sounds — mice find folded pool liners very appealing.

Buying This in Portugal

Worten, Leroy Merlin, Decathlon and Continente all carry the pools and the basic accessories, and their pricing is broadly similar. Where they are weak is the middle of this list: correctly sized pumps, decent covers and proper test kits are often either absent or the wrong specification for the pool sitting next to them on the shelf. Specialist pool suppliers carry better versions of exactly those items. If you would rather not assemble this list yourself, it is precisely what our site visit produces — we look at the space you have, hand you a specific list, and if you prefer, supply the whole lot ourselves and assemble it.

If you would rather not handle this yourself, these are the services that cover what you just read.

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