Pool Tools: The Starter Kit for Inground Pools
The pool tools worth buying first for an inground fibreglass pool — telescopic pole, gelcoat-safe brushes, vacuum heads, nets and test kits.
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A new inground pool comes with a short list of pool tools you will reach for every week, and a much longer list of gadgets you can happily ignore. The starter kit is small: a telescopic pole, a couple of heads that clip onto it, a soft brush, a net, and a way to test the water. Buy those first, buy them once in decent quality, and most of the weekly upkeep sorts itself out.
The order you buy in matters more than the brand. Below is what belongs in the shed on day one, why each tool earns its place on a fibreglass shell, and where the money is genuinely better spent later than sooner.
What are the essential pool tools for a new inground pool?
The five essentials are a telescopic pole, a skimmer net, a nylon-bristle brush, a vacuum head, and a test kit. Everything else is an upgrade or a convenience. The pole is the backbone — nets, brushes and vacuum heads all clip onto the same standard socket, so one good pole does the work of three handles.
Here is the honest split between what to buy first and what can wait.
| Tool | Priority | Rough price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telescopic pole | Buy first | ~$49+ | Every other tool clips to it |
| Skimmer / leaf net | Buy first | $28–$50 | Daily leaf and bug removal |
| Nylon-bristle brush | Buy first | $30–$60 | Gelcoat-safe wall and floor scrub |
| Vacuum head | Buy first | $30–$80 | Lifts settled grit off the floor |
| Test kit or strips | Buy first | $20–$40 | Tells you what chemistry to correct |
| Leaf trap | Later | $50–$300 | Protects the pump when vacuuming |
| Robotic cleaner | Later | $1,000+ | Automates the vacuuming step |
| Pool cover | Later | Quote | Cuts debris, heat loss and evaporation |
Why the telescopic pole is the first thing to buy
The telescopic pole is the one tool the whole kit depends on, so it is worth spending on. Nets, brushes and vacuum heads all attach to the same clip at the business end, which means the pole comes out almost daily while the attachments change with the job. A basic aluminium or fibreglass pole from a supplier such as Best Pool Supplies in Yatala runs from around $49, and a well-made one shrugs off knocks, scrapes and chlorine for years.
Buy the pole that telescopes long enough to reach the far side and the deepest corner of your pool from the coping. If you cannot reach without leaning in, you will skip the job — and skipped jobs are how algae gets a foothold.
Which brush is safe for a fibreglass pool?
Use a nylon-bristle brush on a fibreglass pool, and only a nylon-bristle brush. The gelcoat surface is smooth and comparatively soft, so anything harder than nylon will scratch it — and scratches in gelcoat trap dirt and hold algae exactly where you cannot easily scrub them out.
| Brush type | Suits | Fibreglass? |
|---|---|---|
| Nylon bristle | Fibreglass, vinyl | Yes — soft, safe on gelcoat |
| Nylon/steel mix | Stubborn algae, stains | No — the steel scores gelcoat |
| Wire bristle | Concrete, plaster | Never on fibreglass |
Look for a head with curved edges so it reaches into corners and along the waterline. A weekly brush knocks dirt and early algae off the walls before it can bind, and a quick brush after you add any granular chemical helps it dissolve and disperse instead of settling in one spot. This is one of the quieter but load-bearing parts of keeping a fibreglass pool healthy — the surface rewards gentle, regular attention and punishes the wrong bristle fast.
Skimmer nets and leaf rakes: what is the difference?
A skimmer net clears the surface; a leaf rake with a deep bag clears volume. The flat skimmer net is the everyday tool — a fine mesh on a frame that scoops leaves, twigs and insects off the top before they waterlog and sink. A leaf rake carries a deep bag and is the tool you want the morning after a storm, when the floor is carpeted.
Work the net in a slow sweeping motion from one end to the other so you gather debris rather than pushing it around in the current. Empty it often. Handheld nets sit between $28 and $50, with plenty of capable options under $30. Skimming is only half the story though — the built-in skimmer box in the wall does the automated version of the same job, and the two work as a pair. If you are unsure how yours functions, how the skimmer box works explains the part of the system the net supports.
Do you need a vacuum head, a manual vac, or a robot?
Start with a manual vacuum head on your pole, then decide later whether a robot is worth it. The vacuum head clips onto the same pole, connects to the skimmer or a dedicated suction line by hose, and lifts the fine grit and sediment a net and brush leave on the floor. It is cheap, it has nothing to break, and it teaches you where debris settles in your particular pool.
The three families of cleaner, in plain terms:
| Type | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Manual head | You push it on the pole | Cheapest, most effort |
| Suction-side | Runs off your filtration system | Set-and-wander, uses your pump |
| Robotic | Self-contained, own motor | Least effort, biggest outlay |
Robotic cleaners are genuinely good and genuinely expensive — entry models start around the four-figure mark and climb steeply from there. They are a later purchase, not a starter one. When you are ready to automate the floor, matching the cleaner to your pool is worth doing properly, because the wrong type either misses the walls or overworks your pump.
If you do run a manual or suction vacuum a lot, add a leaf trap in the hose line. It catches leaves before they reach the pump basket and impeller, which saves the most annoying maintenance job on the whole system. Expect to pay from about $50.
Test kits versus test strips
Both measure your pool's chemistry; kits are more accurate, strips are faster. A test kit uses reagents to give you a detailed read on pH, chlorine, alkalinity and calcium hardness — the numbers you actually dose against. Strips you dip and match to a colour chart in seconds, which is ideal for a quick mid-week check between proper tests.
For a fibreglass pool in the SEQ climate, testing earns its keep in summer. A single storm can dump enough phosphate and organic load to swing your chlorine overnight, and a $30 test kit is a lot cheaper than clearing a green pool. Aim to keep pH in the 7.2–7.6 range; the kit tells you which way to correct.
What can you skip at the start?
Skip the automation and the nice-to-haves until the basics are covered. A floating chlorine dispenser is handy and costs only a few dollars from Big W or Bunnings, but it is a convenience, not a foundation. A solar cover pays for itself over time by cutting evaporation and holding heat — it can lift water temperature noticeably and reduce evaporative loss substantially — yet it solves a problem you will not feel in week one. Automatic covers are a considered purchase priced by the installer, not an off-the-shelf tool.
The pattern holds across the whole shed: buy the hand tools that do the weekly work first, in good quality, and let the automation follow once you know how your pool behaves through a full season.
FAQs
What pool tools do I need for a new fibreglass pool?
Start with five: a telescopic pole, a skimmer net, a nylon-bristle brush, a manual vacuum head, and a test kit or strips. Those cover surface skimming, wall scrubbing, floor vacuuming and water testing — the entire weekly routine. Add a leaf trap, cover or robotic cleaner later as convenience upgrades.
Can I use any pool brush on a fibreglass pool?
No. Use only a nylon-bristle brush on fibreglass. Steel-mix and wire brushes are made for concrete and plaster, and they scratch the softer gelcoat surface. Scratches trap dirt and hold algae, so the wrong brush creates the exact problem you are trying to clean away.
Do I really need a robotic pool cleaner?
Not at first. A manual vacuum head on your pole cleans the floor perfectly well and costs a fraction of a robot. Robotic cleaners start in the four-figure range and are worth considering once the basics are sorted and you want to automate the vacuuming — treat them as an upgrade, not a starter purchase.
How often should I use these tools?
Skim and brush at least weekly, and vacuum weekly during swimming season — more often after heavy use or a storm. Test the water at least weekly too, and more frequently in summer when SEQ storms can swing your chemistry overnight. Regular light effort beats occasional big clean-ups every time.
What is the difference between a test kit and test strips?
A test kit uses reagents for an accurate, detailed reading of pH, chlorine, alkalinity and calcium hardness. Test strips give a quick colour-match result in seconds but less precision. Use the kit for your proper weekly test and strips for fast mid-week checks between them.
