Pool Maintenance

[Hawkgirl]

If the deal comes through for the house I'm planning to purchase, I'm going to build a pool.  I've been researching pool maintenance and it seems like ALOT of work.  Is it a money pit?  Does it really take a lot of work?  Is hiring a pool maintenance service very expensive?

I LOVE to swim...I love pools....I think it's something I would enjoy...especially with a child.  I've always wanted a pool of my own....but I don't want to spend my weekends on maintenance.  There's a community pool that is well taken care of, so either way, we'll have a pool at our disposal...but having my own would be nice.
And I'm planning to add the fiber-optic lights and maybe a water feature...but no heater.


Sort of like this...but on a much smaller scale...

[Thor]

A pool can be expensive. Especially if one has to open and close it. What I've found is that IF one keeps the chemicals  at the proper levels and vacuums it at least weekly, it's not so bad. If it gets out of control....... that's a whole 'nother story!! One of those robot pool vacuums are worth their weight in gold IF you get a good one.  I spent roughly $500/ year just on chemicals for my pool and that was IF I didn't have problems.

If you have no mechanical abilities......... I would suggest that you hire it done. My Ex couldn't even figure out how to hook up the vacuum without cavitating the pump.

[Hawkgirl]

The pool would be open year round.  I live in South Florida...it may not be used as much in January and February...but I don't think I'd need to close it for just 2 months.

Do you love your pool?  Do you enjoy it?  Do you wish you didn't have one?  Oh and yeah, I'd get that Sharp vacuum for pool cleaning.

[debk]

We figured out we did a better job than the pool company did getting the pool ready to close up and to open up, and have been doing it for the last 4 yrs.

We have one of the cleaners that is powered by a hose connected to the filter....his name is Sherman. He was expensive, but like Thor said, worth his weight in gold.

You can learn to do it yourself.

[Hawkgirl]

The brand name is Sherman?

[Hawkgirl]

BTW...do you have a gunite pool or vinyl?

[formerlurker]

When I lived in Florida I noticed that most pools were enclosed in sun rooms -- definitely the way to go if you can swing it.  It will keep your maintenance costs down considerably. 

[formerlurker]

Do you love your pool?  Do you enjoy it?  Do you wish you didn't have one?  Oh and yeah, I'd get that Sharp vacuum for pool cleaning.

We had a pool at our last house -- loved it.   Prior to having kids though.   My oldest is 8 and my twins are now 6.  All good swimmers, so we just started having  the conversation about installing a pool.   Totally worth it if you are going to use it (with a child, you will definitely use it).

[debk]

The brand name is Sherman?

No....I named him Sherman. He has a personality all his own. Particularly when he attaches himself on top of the drains...

He's made by Polaris.....





gunite.

[BEG]

Be have built two pools and had a total of three. The house we live in now has one. They are a pain in the ass.  Our second pool we built cost us $40k, I can't remember what our first pool cost.  You won't get your money out of it.  Then you have landscaping, deck, patio furniture, etc.  We didn't have a slide, diving board or anything fancy.  Also both times we built our yards were flat, if your yard isn't flat there will be more expense.  We did have a beach entry and a hot tub.  Running the pump everyday is like having an extra A/C unit as far as the electric bill goes.  Then you have the maintenance costs.

My husband takes the filter apart and cleans it when it needs it or backwashes the filter depending on the system we had. We have never had pool maintenance company. We have had different systems on each pool. Salt in one we built and the one we have now. We had some mineral system in our first pool that sucked and we had to dump shock in it all the time. We decided to go with a regular chlorine system with our second pool then decided to put in a salt system. All of our pool sweeps/vac have sucked. We bought a second one for our second pool. None of them reached the whole surface area of the pool.

I would never build a pool again and we weren't looking for one when we bought this house. My youngest does use it all the time and also swam in our last pool all the time too.  After saying all of that, if you still want to build one I will share with you things I did/do didn't/don't like about the pools we have/had.  

[BEG]

I also want to note that that $40k was in the beginning of 2002. I have no idea what it would cost to build it today. Also you wouldn't have to close your pool in Fl. We didn't have to close ours in Dallas. We had a freeze protector on both pools that went on nightly (sometimes daily) when we would get freezing weather.

[Hawkgirl]

BEG, I may be hitting you up for advice.  That's IF I get the house.  I will probably not build one this year....but next.  ( I want to do the granite first)
I was thinking about a salt system that has a cholorine generator....I have no idea which is more expensive.  I also hear the Bromine tables are better than the cholorine.  I won't have a hot tub because I don't think I'll have the room for one.  The house already has a very large screened in porch which I will leave as is.  The pool will be built outside of the porch...I may have to rip out a mango and papaya tree because there are restrictions as too how many feet you can build from the lake.  I'm thinking a 18' by 36' pool with a 4 foot deck (just enough for lounge chairs) and then I want one side of the pool to have a water feature.  Maybe 3 feet up from the pool.

Sort of like this...maybe with one, instead of the two pictured here..


For the deck, to save money, I would do a cool deck or a stamped concrete deck that's made to look like stone.

I would do a simple iron fence...that wouldn't obstruct the lake view around the perimeter of the pool.

In Florida, the pool companies are competitive because there are so many.  I want to go with a small company where the owners are around for the entire process.

[Hawkgirl]

I also want to note that that $40k was in the beginning of 2002. I have no idea what it would cost to build it today. Also you wouldn't have to close your pool in Fl. We didn't have to close ours in Dallas. We had a freeze protector on both pools that went on nightly (sometimes daily) when we would get freezing weather.

It never freezes here, so I don't have to worry..lol

I was thinking of spending 25-30K  I want a simple entry with stairs and a banner...but I do want some sort of "seating' in the pool...I don't know what they call it....I also want those mosaic tropical fish design they install at the bottom of the pool. 

[Thor]

In Becker, MN, I had an above ground pool with an expandable vinyl liner. It had a depth of just over 6 ft. Installed, with the pool heater and everything cost some $15K. Then....... there was another $15K spent on the wooden deck around it. (Me and the extended family built it, so imagine what the contracted cost would be.) I wouldn't go with bromine as I tried that with our hot tub (per CalSpas recommendation) It was bugger to keep clean. I shifted over to chlorine and had ZERO problems after that. I would go with the salt system. I've heard that it's the best. If not salt, then chlorine. Also, stay the hell away from any pool pump that doesn't use diatomataceous earth or sand. Those paper filters require replacing/ cleaning far too often. At least that's my opinion, for what it's worth. I could let my sand filter go for three years before changing out the sand. That said, I usually changed the sand out every two, just because I'm that anal about things. Pool maintenance is definitely a learning experience.

[Odin's Hand]

Salt pools are easier and cheaper to maintain than free-chlorine ones. The only problem is they are corrosive to the mechanisms of the filtration system.

[bkg]

In Becker, MN,

Dude... 10:1 says you know my uncle and cousins... 

[Eupher]

I admire anyone who is willing to put up with the maintenance, etc., associated with pools.

In the past 11 years, I've bought 4 homes and sold 3 of them.

Once I find out there's a pool associated with a house, that's an AUTOMATIC deal-breaker.

I won't even discuss it.

[debk]

I admire anyone who is willing to put up with the maintenance, etc., associated with pools.

In the past 11 years, I've bought 4 homes and sold 3 of them.

Once I find out there's a pool associated with a house, that's an AUTOMATIC deal-breaker.

I won't even discuss it.

A lot of people here are the same way.

When we (REaltors) evaluate a house for pricing...pools really don't add any value, simply because it's only going to be valuable to someone who wants one. I've taken buyers to houses that were just perfect for them, but there was a pool and it was an immediate negative. They didn't want to worry about their young children drowning, nor did they want the maintenance.

I'm sure they add value in an area that a pool can be used almost year round though.

I know when my brother was looking for a new place in the Chicago area last year, they had no interest in getting a pool. He said it wasn't worth to them for just 3 months.

[Hawkgirl]

I am really not to keen in the whole maintenance thing.  I'm going to find out how much the pool companies here charge.  If it's reasonable...then I'd let someone else do it.  I'd pay up to $150-200/month.  But not more than that.

I

[debk]

I am really not to keen in the whole maintenance thing.  I'm going to find out how much the pool companies here charge.  If it's reasonable...then I'd let someone else do it.  I'd pay up to $150-200/month.  But not more than that.

I

If you get a Polaris cleaner, all you have to do, daily,  is skim the leaves/bugs out that the Polaris doesn't get...which is minimal and check the skimmer for critters. We put 4-6 chlorine cylinders in 1 or 2x a week, "shock" it once a week unless we've had a lot of rain, and pool clarifier as needed. And clean out the Polaris's "bag" when needed. You can do that!!!

It's about $80 for a thing of chlorine cylinders, at Walmart (Sam's only carries the crystals here). We're still on our first one for this season and we opened the pool early May. I get the Shock and pool clarifier at Walmart too. Shock is about $25 for 5 bags, and the clarifier is $17 or $18 that works for about 4-6 times. 

We have a bunch of hardwoods around 2 sides of the pool, and tall thick bushes along the back, so we get a lot of leaves in the pool. We also have frogs that, no matter how many croak (pun intended) in the pool, their buddies don't seem to learn it's a death trap for them. And spiders that know how to swim ( ). If you don't have any of those things...you will have even less to do.

[Hawkgirl]

How often do you run the Polaris?  No trees in the backyard, other than palm trees, so no leaves to worry about...but MANY critters...frogs, lizards, and bugs in Florida...

[BEG]

How often do you run the Polaris?  No trees in the backyard, other than palm trees, so no leaves to worry about...but MANY critters...frogs, lizards, and bugs in Florida...

We run our pool sweep daily.  We leave it in the pool and when the pool pump comes on it comes on.  We take it out of the pool when the kids want to swim.  We have one now that doesn't run like the polaris, our two previous pools had polaris pool vacuums.  We didn't check the skimmer basket daily like deb does, we must have been slobs.  We have found mice and other things in the skimmer basket so I never reach my hand down in one.  That is my husband's job.   .  You can put extra chlorine tablets (that look like the kind you put in your toilet tank) in your skimmer basket for additional chlorination, even if you go with the salt system (which all a salt systems does is produce chlorine out of the salt).  We put the extra chlorine tablets in the skimmer when it would get really hot out and my kids were swimming a lot.  You can also get one of those floater things that you put the chlorine tablets in.  I usually put one of those in the hot tub.

[debk]

How often do you run the Polaris?  No trees in the backyard, other than palm trees, so no leaves to worry about...but MANY critters...frogs, lizards, and bugs in Florida...

We leave Sherman in the pool all the time, just pull him over to the side when swimming laps.

M cleans out the skimmer and there's almost always a frog in it. In the beginning of the season, it's not unusual to find a small snake....which is another reason I don't even take the lid off!!! It doesn't have to be emptied out every day, nor does Sherman's "bag"....just when needed.

The chlorine tablets go in the skimmer....they are about 3" long and 1.5" in diameter.

We've had a real problem with "yellow mustard" in ours....I think it's some kind of fungus or something like that. Since we took over doing it, instead of the pool company....we haven't had it back at all. (knock on wood) We were told it has something to do with all the trees we have....lots of maple and oak....and the frogs.

We empty it every fall(put an electric pump in the deep end), put the cover on it(we have one of those green ones that supposedly an elephant can stand on). Then first part of April, if the weather is nice enough....we take the cover off, pump out all the water...usually it's at least half full again of really nasty water!! Pressure wash the whole thing, pump out that water, then wet vac the rest out. Then refill it. It's been working really well...this was the 4th winter we've done it this way.

When the pool company did it, they'd pull of about a foot or so of water, throw some chemicals in, and cover it. In the spring, they'd tell us to flip a corner up, and fill it up to the tiles, throw a bunch of chemicals in and tell us it was fine. Ha!! The last time we had them, the yellow mustard got so bad, we had to empy in mid season, they came and acid washed it, we refilled it, and we still had problems.... $300-350 a trip. 

[Hawkgirl]

Deb, your way definetly sounds more sanitary.

I wouldn't close the pool at all.  The bank is sending someone out to do a BPO next week.  Not that I'll have answer...but at least I know the process is moving along.

[Eupher]

Yes I do agree that salt pools are more cheaper to maintain.FHA loans are available to anybody but are used most often by first-time home buyers and low- to moderate-income buyers.FHA loans have competitive interest rates because the loans are insured by the Federal Government.

Sniff.....Do I smell "Odor of Spam"?