Swimming Pool (1 Viewer)

Combat

Combat

Brigadier General
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
10,262
I got the quote today for one - nearly 45K when all is said and done. If I stop posting or eating you will know why.
 
Holy schneikes! How long is the "swimming" season in Pennsylvania!

I remember something my dad always said, "A man needs two kinds of friends - one with a boat and one with a pool." He had a buddy with a pool but he filled the role of friend with a boat.

There are a lot of benefits to a pool so if you go with it I'm sure you'll love it.

Eric
 
Does that include solar heating? Most middle income homes in FL have a pool. When we had our last home built we decided not to put one in. We did put in a fish pond. I know that pool prices have really gone up in the last several years. What you could get for 15K not long ago in FL now cost about 30K.
 
Doug,

Don't do it. I'm not kidding. They're money pits. I should know, I have one. We've had to change the liner twice (it's been reset twice as well) and gone thorough a couple of vaccums. If you've got your heart set on it, get an Aquabot cleaner. You just plug it in and it does its thing unlike some cleaners that work off the return valve. They go for around $500 but it's worth it.

Good luck.
 
Heck, I didn't know the prices had jumped that much, I wonder if they are now that expensive downunder. Our current house came with an inground concrete pool and the previous owners gave us the documentation for and it cost over $15,000 back in 1991.

Frankly even at that relatively low price I don't feel we get much benefit out of it as the wife and I prefer airconditioning to keep cool (and cold beer). And when the kids got to around 14 years old they much prefer to go to the beach than a dip in the pool. Now we're stuck with a hole in the ground that is rarely used and it costs heaps of electricity, chemicals and work to maintain. Our pool had a separate pump for a solar heating panel on top of the house and when that pump ground to a halt I didn't bother buying a new pump and got rid of the solar heating gear that was starting to perish anyway.

As Brad has said, be well aware of the initial and ongoing costs with those holes in the ground as they only get used for the first season or two, then the novelty wears off. I think a full house air conditioning unit is better value in warmer climates as everyone gets the benefit of that 24/7.
 
jazzeum said:
Doug,

Don't do it. I'm not kidding. They're money pits. I should know, I have one. We've had to change the liner twice (it's been reset twice as well) and gone thorough a couple of vaccums. If you've got your heart set on it, get an Aquabot cleaner. You just plug it in and it does its thing unlike some cleaners that work off the return valve. They go for around $500 but it's worth it.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Brad, please give me some info or a link about these Aquabot cleaners.
 
Oz,

I'm about to go to sleep but will look for you tomorrow. Nighty night:)
 
Guys

Myself and Dave are Swimming pool experts we used to look after a 20mx12m pool in our old club days. I have looked after ozone, chlorine and salt water treated pools, plastic liner, concrete tiles etc etc.

Could be a new section for advice!
 
Oz,

Here is the company's website, www.aquaproducts.com Iwould think they have a dealer in Australia.

Now, going back to expenses. I have to open the pool soon. I get someone to do it. That comes to about $350. Then there's the first trip to the pool store which always run a few hundred dollars to get the water right, what with DE powder, shock, algaecide and the various other chemicals you need to keep the water from getting cloudy.

Oz was spot on about using the pool. Last year, we had a lot of rain (which didn't help the chemical balance of the water) so I didn't get to use the pool much and frankly I'm about the only one who uses it.
 
Its that season already! Brad is right what a money pit! Cuts into my toy soldier budget bigtime. But the family loves it and we get plenty of use. It does not help that I am a fanatic and have to have the pool perfect at all times. Tons of money in chemicals and tons of time. I take my water and get it checked at the pool store once per week. I have been told thats way to much and you know they sell you something every time you get the water tested. Oh well maybe it is a good thing the crusaders for K@C might not show up till fall Ha Ha Thanks Joel
 
My five-year old is set on it - so I think I'm done for. The cover alone costs $3,000!
 
Combat said:
My five-year old is set on it - so I think I'm done for. The cover alone costs $3,000!
Click to expand...

My son is seven and loves the pool if you have a five year old you will get many years of fun out of your pool. Good Luck!
 
Brad, thanks for the aquabot link, they are about $4,000 in Australia so I may have to put some fish in the pool instead :D
 
Combat:

Here in Arizona aka "The Desert Pool Oasis" my research found me buying a cleaning system with the internal "Pop-Ups" and going with the salt water system (NO chlorine smell)! It was a little more $ of course but the MX has been easy and the salt water really feels good on the skin. Hope this helps a bit. Oh, watch out for the heating bill unless you are going Solar!

Tally Ho,
Beaufighter
 
Beaufighter said:
Combat:

Here in Arizona aka "The Desert Pool Oasis" my research found me buying a cleaning system with the internal "Pop-Ups" and going with the salt water system (NO chlorine smell)! It was a little more $ of course but the MX has been easy and the salt water really feels good on the skin. Hope this helps a bit. Oh, watch out for the heating bill unless you are going Solar!

Tally Ho,
Beaufighter
Click to expand...

Thanks Beau. My wife's family live in the Phoenix area out near Goodyear. That place really is ideal for a pool. We went out last year during Thanksgiving (her reason) for the SC-ASU football game (my reason) and it was still warm enough to go swimming. The heating system they recommended here runs on propane. Not sure if that is good or bad.
 
COMBAT & fellow Trojan:

Please give me an advanced SITREP when you are out in the AZ desert sector again! I was at the USC-ASU baseball game last week but no need to discuss the outcome! Enjoy the pool!

Fight On,
Beaufighter
 
Update. Things got off to a rousing start in April. A couple of days and the pool was dug and the frame installed. Then it began to rain and rain and rain. Every day in May. No work gets done the entire month. A muddy mess with half the yard destroyed. On to June, some delays because the contractors are behind on their other jobs due to the rain. Finally most of the pool is complete. The pool guy wants to fill it and be done (ie collect his money) but my wife is not comfortable filling it until everything is finished and the fence is installed etc. So bring on the contractors. After the inevitable delays in getting them to come out, the paver guy who is to install the patio walks around with us and gets an idea of what we want. He calls later - 15K for the patio job. That sounds high to me, but we want to get it done so ok. A couple of days of work and he calls back - actually it is a larger job than he thought so now he wants 30K! We say no way (censored version) - work stops again. And there you have it - three months and many thousands of dollars later (and half the summer gone) and still no pool. ;)
 
Here in Bethlehem, the going rate for a slab, 16x20, is $1800. I'd check the BBB on that contractor, I can see an upward revision of maybe up to 50%, but to double the cost? That could be shady. I'd be curious to get some referrals from other customers of his.

Prost!
Bradley
 
Everything was finished last August. For any pool experts out there here is my question. Our pool is heated with propane. Here in PA it gets cool at night so the water is freezing the next day even in summer. It takes several hours to warm up with the heater. What is the best strategy with propane? Leave it on at night at some minimal temp and then crank it up the next day? Turn it off at night and crank it up? I want to strike a balance between using a ton of propane and being able to swim without feeling like a Titantic survivor. I know there are pool covers etc which I'm looking into, but just curious if anyone has some advice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top