I'm going to be a home w/ a pool owner

[gorcorps]

"Permanent" above ground pools today have side walls that typically exceed the height requirement for a "barrier", thus no fence is needed. Only a locking gate across the ladder or steps is needed.

Additional insurance is not usually required for above ground pools since it is not a capital improvement. An inground will require more insurance, particularly if you add a diving board.

I'm not sure about the insurance part yet, but Indiana requires the entrance be fenced off for above ground pools and the entire pool fenced off for in ground pools.
I'll get pics when I can. It's got a deck they built on it and the landscaping they did makes it look nice. It doesn't look like they just plopped the pool down, but actually thought it through.

 

[Genx87]

Parents had an inground pool. My dad wished he filled it with concrete and buried it. Costs to maintain and work involved far outweigh the enjoyment. Right not it sits in the back not having been filled in 3 summers. The liner is shot. It is a mess. Above ground pools are an eye sore as well.

 

[bignateyk]

"Permanent" above ground pools today have side walls that typically exceed the height requirement for a "barrier", thus no fence is needed. Only a locking gate across the ladder or steps is needed.

Additional insurance is not usually required for above ground pools since it is not a capital improvement. An inground will require more insurance, particularly if you add a diving board.

LOL, 82 degrees? That's like being in a hot tub for northern pool owners.

 

[ponyo]

I can't even imagine being in South Florida and not having a pool.

Actually went in yesterday for the first time this year. Still a little chilly at 82 degrees, but the kids had a lot of fun. Another week or two of hot weather and hopefully the solar panels can warm it up to the point I don't need to cannonball in to enter.

Baller. Where is Alky?

 

[dud]

An FYI and request for info. I'm accepting a counter-offer on a house (or did accept and it should have be submitted on Saturday) so barring inspection I should be a home owner soon enough.

Also, this house included an above ground pool. This isn't something I was looking for in a house but since it's there I might as well enjoy it. Any other pool owners here? I'm hopefully going to be getting some maintence info from the owners themselves, but some extra info here wouldn't hurt. Just looking for things like what kind of chemicals do I need, how much, how often, where do you get yours, etc.

I was going to send you my condolences ... but all is not lost as the pool is above ground. Pools are money pits that you end up regretting in the long run. My parents had an above ground pool that was great fun for me ... but expensive for them. They ended up selling the property about 10 years after it was installed. About 2 years after the sale went through the pool burst ... sending a 4 foot high wall of water through the surrounding neighborhood.

How old is the pool and what condition is it in? If it is of marginal condition you may want to consider draining it and dissasembly.

 

[spidey07]

You are an idiot.

Nope. I keep my water in perfect condition and all my neighbors go nuts trying to get their water as clear and nice as mine. There really isn't anything to getting perfectly crystal clear water with just bleach, baking soda and borax. Maybe some muriatic acid if you have trouble with pH raising.

Wife loves swimming in it everyday as well. Happy wife, happy life. I'm chomping at the bit to open it and enjoy that pool.

 

[halik]

I can't even imagine being in South Florida and not having a pool.

Actually went in yesterday for the first time this year. Still a little chilly at 82 degrees, but the kids had a lot of fun. Another week or two of hot weather and hopefully the solar panels can warm it up to the point I don't need to cannonball in to enter.

Very nice set up! Care to share more pics?

 

[JEDIYoda]

drain the pool and make it into an above ground planter.....

 

[EagleKeeper]

LOL, 82 degrees? That's like being in a hot tub for northern pool owners.

When we moved south (middle of a snowstorm from VA) at end of December; 8 yr old daughter had no problem using the pool that winter.

Come next season; from November -> April, there was no interest in it. she had become acclimated to S Florida.

Once I hooked up solar panel heating; the season extended into Dec and started in March.

In science class she learned about magnesium interaction with water; she wanted me to then use that chemical reaction to open the pool for year round use.

 

[Jeeebus]

Very nice set up! Care to share more pics?

I'll look when I get home tonight. Those were two I found in e-mails from my wife.

 

[Meghan54]

im not sure whats worse. owning a large pool or a boat

both just suck money out of you

Having had both, I'd much rather have the boat. We got more use out of our boats than the pool we had....lots more.

 

[Genx87]

Having had both, I'd much rather have the boat. We got more use out of our boats than the pool we had....lots more.

Same. Boats imo much more fun. But both are money pits.

 

[KeithP]

Additional insurance is not usually required for above ground pools since it is not a capital improvement. An inground will require more insurance, particularly if you add a diving board.

I would think an above ground pool would require additional insurance to cover a catastrophic breach that sends a flood of water into the house but I suppose that would depend on the physical layout of the property.

-KeithP

 

[Mxylplyx]

Same. Boats imo much more fun. But both are money pits.

Our Starcraft deck boat hasn't been too bad on the maintenance. I handle the regular stuff myself. I love my boat.

 

[spidey07]

Same. Boats imo much more fun. But both are money pits.

How is a pool a money pit? 10 to 15 bucks a month for chemicals and maybe 50-70 in electric a month.

If you're out dumping 100s of dollars in chemicals a month you're doing something VERY wrong.

 

[phucheneh]

How is a pool a money pit? 10 to 15 bucks a month for chemicals and maybe 50-70 in electric a month.

If you're out dumping 100s of dollars in chemicals a month you're doing something VERY wrong.

It's up to the individual whether or not it's worth it. Most things you enjoy are 'money pits.' You're not exactly getting a return on your 'investment.'

But I LOL'd at the thought of 'what do you mean my expensive hole in ground is a money pit?!' It's as close to a literal interpretation of the saying as you're going to get.

 

[KlokWyze]

I can't even imagine being in South Florida and not having a pool.

Actually went in yesterday for the first time this year. Still a little chilly at 82 degrees, but the kids had a lot of fun. Another week or two of hot weather and hopefully the solar panels can warm it up to the point I don't need to cannonball in to enter.

That's sick!

 

[mvbighead]

How is a pool a money pit? 10 to 15 bucks a month for chemicals and maybe 50-70 in electric a month.

If you're out dumping 100s of dollars in chemicals a month you're doing something VERY wrong.

I was going to PM this, but I figure it'd be good info for everyone reading this, so here goes:

What size pool do you have and in general, how much of the chemicals you mentioned do you typically go through?

I recently got a newer house that had an above ground pool. Not the fancy kind, but solid enough, and quite sizable for what it is (25 foot diameter, 52" tall). The first year of dealing with the pool was a complete disaster, and I think we maybe used it 4-5 times. Eventually, I ended up figuring out that I needed a sand filter as I have hard water, and the cartridge filters were turning to crap within a few days. With the sand filter, I went to having clear (not brown) water, but then I kept finding my way to green.

As easy as you make it sound, I'd like to follow your methods. I think my sand filter will take care of my hard water problem, and the rest is just balancing chemicals properly, which you seem to have mastered.

So, how many gallons and what quantity of stuff (bleach, borax, baking soda) do you go through to get the right balance? What does it usually take to get started vice maintain it?

I am really curious as I'm willing to try just about anything to make it more manageable.

 

[spidey07]

www.troublefreepool.com

25k gallons.

I use on large bag of baking soda and a few boxes of borax a month = 10 bucks. And then 10-15 bucks worth of bleach or 10% chlorine a month. Once my water is stable I rarely need to add any baking soda or borax. I have never had to raise my chrlorine to shock levels until I had to close it as it's recommended to take it to shock levels when you close as an extra safe guard to make opening easier.

The secret to a good pool is simply having a GOOD FAS-DPD test kit (you can get the taylor one for about 60 bucks). If you do not have a FAS-DPD test to measure free and combined chrlorine you will never know what's going on with your pool, nor have any way to resolve it. Same goes for measuring CYA (stabilizer), you MUST know how much CYA you have in your pool.

Your pool is going green for only one reason:

1) Not keeping free chlorine levels consistently high enough for your given CYA

In reality once your CYA gets above 70 or 80 it becomes extremely difficult and expensive to maintain FC at sanitizing levels. A partial drain and fill is the only way to get rid of CYA and will be required for high CYA (anything over 80 really unless you've got a saltwater generator). CYA is the devil, and those little chorline pucks are full of CYA (it has to be in the pucks to keep the chlorine stabilized).

 

[gorcorps]

I would think an above ground pool would require additional insurance to cover a catastrophic breach that sends a flood of water into the house but I suppose that would depend on the physical layout of the property.

-KeithP

Yeah... the layout is such that in case of catastrophic failure bad things would happen to the house.

 

[LookBehindYou]

I want a pool now.

 

[highland145]

Baller. Where is Alky?

Heller is Jeeeb's buddy.

 

[Genx87]

How is a pool a money pit? 10 to 15 bucks a month for chemicals and maybe 50-70 in electric a month.

If you're out dumping 100s of dollars in chemicals a month you're doing something VERY wrong.

Your best case scenario is 100 bucks a month. But most cant do the magical job you can and will put much more into it in time and money. That is a money pit.

 

[spidey07]

Your best case scenario is 100 bucks a month. But most cant do the magical job you can and will put much more into it in time and money. That is a money pit.

I'm just saying there's nothing magical about it if you do a little research and learn. That's why it's called a "trouble free pool".

All told even at 100 bucks a month the pool is open at most 6 months so that's 600 bucks. Add 50 bucks for opening/closing and you're at 700 total. Throw in another 200 bucks in water maybe on the high end. And that's running the pool 24x7, you can lower it to save on electricity.

It's not a money pit if we use it 2-3 hours during the week and 20+ hours on the weekend. It's the best money we've ever spent.

 

[Jeeebus]

Heller is Jeeeb's buddy.

Alky, Heller, and I were playing a fierce game of Marco Polo on Sunday.