matt770 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 My wife really wants a house with a pool. She's making that a prerequisite for our upcoming house hunt. I don't know dick about pools except I like to swim in them and the whole neighborhood is going to pretend to like us se we'll invite them over. Those of you that know this stuff: how much do I need to worry about a crack in the lining? How common are catastrophic issues like a plumbing problem where they have to come in and dig everything up to fix it? Do pools come with warranties? How much does it cost to resurface? Are there types of pools that rarely need resurfacing? What's better, salt water or chlorine? Is the maintenance easy enough to figure out, or should I hire a service? Are there any types of pool I should avoid? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theprofessor Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 We're in the middle of buying a chunk of land and building our dream home and a in-ground pool is also in our plans so I'd be interested in getting some advice too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaumont Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 I think you avoid liner pools. I have a client who makes fiberglass pools and most people love them but they are a bit smaller and you need to pay attention to the manufacturer because they can get blisters over time if made poorly. Thats a cosmetic problem but one I am sure you would like to avoid. Whatever you do, just be very careful about who you contract with as the industry can be a bit shady. Everyone I know who has saltwater likes it. We are going to get a pool when our 3 year old is old enough to swim and we can stop worrying quite as much about drowning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 FWIW everyone I've talked to who owned a pool wished they didn't. Yeah it's great to have on a hot summer day (esp if you're into entertaining) etc, but they aren't cheap (heating costs are hideous if you want that), they're a royal pain to maintain, and they actually decrease the value of your house. Not saying they can't still be great to have, to each their own and all; again just FYI what I have heard from others, never had one myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) ok without going into extreme detail, here goes ... salt water is by far the best. I have a 26,000 gallon pool, I converted it to salt and I spend $20/month in chemicals with salt, vs. chlorine was $100+ per month no to mention it is harder to balance in the hot months. salt will have less ups and downs in your balance which makes it saffer, less abrasive chemicals. salt will erode metal, like your furniture and grill, however. but to shock salt water you simply add a bag of salt, you can swim while you shock, it is totally safe to children. if you so much as breath chlorine you could be hospitalized, it almost happened to me when I open the feeder. Chlorine is a bad chemical to be exposing your children to, so it fails in all facets, not to mention that you wont need a weekly service (you will just be paying them to add salt). buy the salt for pools that dissolves fast. if the plaster on the gunite is cracked, it is cosmetic. there is a very thick slab beneath the plaster that is your pool's backbone. to resurface gunite it costs at least $3,000+, although patch jobs can be done for some spots, as long as it is away from the drain. to re-tile the top is $2,500. the newer the pool the better b/c all those "bells and whistles" are more standard with new pools. remote controls for your spa/blower and heaters and lights are another $2,500. you want a pool that is new enough to have all these already. a spa must have a blower, thats another $600+ if it doesn't. maintanence and repair is easy if you know how to deal with pvc. i converted our pool to salt myself, with the help of an electrician ( 30 minutes), i installed a new pump myself. i have installed several new heater parts myself. i have repaird broken pvc due to freeze myself. it is not that difficult, AS LONG AS you have plenty of pipe to work with. usually, the pvc underground never needs repair, unless something was improperly installed, rare. if you spot a pool that has had add-ons like spa heaters, blowers, salt generators etc., make sure the plumbing is ample and not a clusterGinsu of lines going everywhere. newer pools wont have this issue b/c they already came with all the bells and whistles. I would not buy a pool that is lined with plastic. it's walls and liner can bubble, and I mean bubble, which will be a nightmare to repair. GUNITE ONLY! if you have a leak that gets under the main slab you could be in trouble. Last but not least, your home inspector should know about pools, make sure he does. you will also want to get a local pool service to come out and inspect the equipment and valves. each piiece has a typical life, your pool people can tell you what to expect or if anything is inoperable or in need of repair. when we bought our house that had a pool, I made the seller have this done and made the pool people put it in writing. I have never heard of a pool warranty, but make sure you have flood insurance b/c if your pool equipment was to bust and flood something then it will require flood insurance (i have never heard of this happening but I sure it has happened somewhere) I will check back to see what other questions you may have, later. Having a pool should not be scary, find a newer one that has all the bells and whistles and new equipment. there are some things that you routinely do, like change the sand in your filter every 3-5 years. then there is the monthly, weekly and daily maintenence like adding salt, backwashing, etc. all this you can do yourself. If you buy a pool, get a pool guy to come over and show you how to work your equipment and give a one time chemical balancing. Algaecide is only added twice per year. stuff like adding baking soda and clarifier is rare once your guy has balanced it the first time. they do make salts with this stuff in it too. Edited April 16, 2011 by Scooby's Hubby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 FWIW everyone I've talked to who owned a pool wished they didn't. Yeah it's great to have on a hot summer day (esp if you're into entertaining) etc, but they aren't cheap (heating costs are hideous if you want that), they're a royal pain to maintain, and they actually decrease the value of your house. Not saying they can't still be great to have, to each their own and all; again just FYI what I have heard from others, never had one myself. Yep, if you have a mansion it's nice and looks good and there's a pool boy. When enjoyment requires alot of frustrating work i'd rather jump in the river Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 i thought you guys were jokin bout salt water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 dont let these guys scare you, in the hottest and most rigorous time of the year, I still only spend about 5 minute/week on my pool. It is not hard to push one button and turn on the polaris (little thing running along bottom of pool that vacuums) nor is it hard to open a bag of salt and dump it in my skimmer. 24 hours after you add salt then you hit another button and backwash for a few minutes. right now I am spending about $8/month in salt, one bag per month (that will go up to 3 bags per month in the hottest months$24), your salt generator does the rest. really, it is not hard to hit a few buttons a week and not time consuming at all. Now chlorine is something else and is harder to balance and uses more chemicals and takes more time plus you cant swim while you shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 all i know is salt is uncomfortable on the roids and ended my surfing career Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 We bought a house last fall with a pebbletec play pool. Had to drop about 1K to get it up and running for a new filter cartridge setup. Pretty maintenance free to me as I have a pool guy come once a week at 85 dollars a month. Just chlorine here. No salt and not heated. Warming up now so we should be able to use soon. Pump is on a timer and runs at night during offpeak hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) I think that a a pool is like a gym membership. You're going to pay for it, and you think that you're going to use it. But are you really? Will the pool be worth the investment? Only you and your family know the answer to that question. I think that it depends to some exetnt on where you live. I think that people that own pools in Michigan border on the retarded. If I had a pool and kids, those little f*ckers better be in the thing every one of those 90 days (max) out of the year that the temperature allows for it. Edited April 16, 2011 by Furd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 ok without going into extreme detail, here goes ... salt water is by far the best. I have a 26,000 gallon pool, I converted it to salt and I spend $20/month in chemicals with salt, vs. chlorine was $100+ per month no to mention it is harder to balance in the hot months. salt will have less ups and downs in your balance which makes it saffer, less abrasive chemicals. salt will erode metal, like your furniture and grill, however. but to shock salt water you simply add a bag of salt, you can swim while you shock, it is totally safe to children. if you so much as breath chlorine you could be hospitalized, it almost happened to me when I open the feeder. Chlorine is a bad chemical to be exposing your children to, so it fails in all facets, not to mention that you wont need a weekly service (you will just be paying them to add salt). buy the salt for pools that dissolves fast. if the plaster on the gunite is cracked, it is cosmetic. there is a very thick slab beneath the plaster that is your pool's backbone. to resurface gunite it costs at least $3,000+, although patch jobs can be done for some spots, as long as it is away from the drain. to re-tile the top is $2,500. the newer the pool the better b/c all those "bells and whistles" are more standard with new pools. remote controls for your spa/blower and heaters and lights are another $2,500. you want a pool that is new enough to have all these already. a spa must have a blower, thats another $600+ if it doesn't. maintanence and repair is easy if you know how to deal with pvc. i converted our pool to salt myself, with the help of an electrician ( 30 minutes), i installed a new pump myself. i have installed several new heater parts myself. i have repaird broken pvc due to freeze myself. it is not that difficult, AS LONG AS you have plenty of pipe to work with. usually, the pvc underground never needs repair, unless something was improperly installed, rare. if you spot a pool that has had add-ons like spa heaters, blowers, salt generators etc., make sure the plumbing is ample and not a clusterGinsu of lines going everywhere. newer pools wont have this issue b/c they already came with all the bells and whistles. I would not buy a pool that is lined with plastic. it's walls and liner can bubble, and I mean bubble, which will be a nightmare to repair. GUNITE ONLY! if you have a leak that gets under the main slab you could be in trouble. Last but not least, your home inspector should know about pools, make sure he does. you will also want to get a local pool service to come out and inspect the equipment and valves. each piiece has a typical life, your pool people can tell you what to expect or if anything is inoperable or in need of repair. when we bought our house that had a pool, I made the seller have this done and made the pool people put it in writing. I have never heard of a pool warranty, but make sure you have flood insurance b/c if your pool equipment was to bust and flood something then it will require flood insurance (i have never heard of this happening but I sure it has happened somewhere) I will check back to see what other questions you may have, later. Having a pool should not be scary, find a newer one that has all the bells and whistles and new equipment. there are some things that you routinely do, like change the sand in your filter every 3-5 years. then there is the monthly, weekly and daily maintenence like adding salt, backwashing, etc. all this you can do yourself. If you buy a pool, get a pool guy to come over and show you how to work your equipment and give a one time chemical balancing. Algaecide is only added twice per year. stuff like adding baking soda and clarifier is rare once your guy has balanced it the first time. they do make salts with this stuff in it too. Thanks for the info. Looks like gunite and salt water are what we want. And, looks like another project I can lose myself in for a while. I'm a tinkerer. Hopefully we find a house that has a nice pool already, so we're not looking at the separate expense of building one from scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Furd is right, here, in that you feel good about paying for something you really use versus something you rarely lose and that is more work than play. today's pool technology has made it where you don't have to be a genius to operate a pool and with salt you cut expenses greatly plus there is no more harsh chemicals. i mow my own lawn and with a pool I jump in afterward; i go on swims if i wake up early; the kids love it and Scooby?, forget about it, I won't even tell what she uses thie hot tub for luv it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 I would like to convert to salt water but that's a hefty up-front cost. It would be one of those investments that is a long-term smart money move that I don't have the free bank to do right now. In that regard, Hubby is right about the cost of salt vs. chlorine. Maintenance with chlorine is easy. The pump is on a timer. I'll run my polaris once or twice a week depending on wind (amazingly between pollen, blowing dust getting the "dust" of the bottom is a bigger issue for me than debris removal. Dump the skimmer bucket and then manually skim the top and that's about it. I spend maybe an hour a week on maintenance. Now I'm, not good with the colors so my wife does the testing. She will test it twice a week and tell me what to add. When you stay on top ofit that will pretty much be soda ash (10 pound tub for about $25 will last us a year). A 40 pound tub of granulated chlorine should last you a couple of months in the summer, or a whole fall-spring season for about $130.00. The tabs are about $60.00 a tub. We go through 2 tubs a year but we have so many kids in the pool I have two floater things. There's also shock but I shock it first thing in the morning so nobody misses any time. I backwash when the pressure gets to 25 on the pump. Maybe every other week for 60 seconds. I will shock it after heavy rain as the rain dilutes your chemicals and throws the balance off. What we do now every spring is have the pool guy come out and do a tune-up. He vacuums out all the dust. Takes the pump apart and cleans it, lubes the motor and balances the chemicals perfectly. That's $125.00. We used to have them come out once a month but I prefer to do it myself, it saves money and you need to take care of it more than once a month. I also installed a security chain at the top of the back door that is high enough only adults and teenagers can reach it. We have one of them home owners warranties through AHS which covers everything but the underground wiring and the polaris vacuum (oddly enough the add-on motor for the polaris is covered). Laps before work in the mornings is an excellent workout and when you wake up and it is 90 degrees out at 6:00, jogging is only for the insane. Plus I save money on the kids birthday parties as the 8 year old always wants a pool party. For some things money is only worth what you buy with it. The pool is an expense. If it is used and enjoyed then it is worth it. Ours certainly has been. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneymakers Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Salt = My eyes My eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 One of the problems with salt is that it can eat away at your coping if you use any natural rock. Around here, flagstone is very popular and salt water eats into the flagstone and starts to decompose it. Salt is nice in most other ways though. There is also ozonated pools which have the least amount of chemicals and produces the clearest and cleanest water. It uses light somehow as an oxidant to get rid of bad stuff in the water. I am not sure what part of the country you live in but in Texas our pool gets used literally daily from whenever it hits about 74 degrees until the fall when it dips back under that mark. Maybe we are different, but we do use our pool daily and it does add to the value of your home around here and makes your home faster to sell as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 I've thought about a pool, but A - my big back yard is on a hill, earthmoving would be a task on it's own. B- I live in a part of the country that usually stays in the 80s during summer C- A hot tub would make way more sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 it does add to the value of your home around here and makes your home faster to sell as well. It depends where you live and what type of house/neighborhood you live in. I think a pool adds pretty good value: 1) in warm/hot climates; and 2) affluent neighborhoods in which one might expect to find a pool. I think that in middle class areas in cooler climates, a pool might actually retard the sale of your home. i don't think that there are many people looking for them and there are quite a few that aren't going to buy a house with a pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 If I have understood some of your other posts correctly it sounds like you are moving back to the ATL and this pool will be attached to the house here? Don't get a pool, you'll be raking leaves and pine needles outta the sucker incessantly. My head estimator has a pool, a saltwater one, if I hear him complain about the thing one more time I'm going to send a fleet of concrete trucks over to his house and have the GD thing filled in. He is constantly tinkering with it. On the brite side, he had to get it regunited and a new ledge put around it last year, only cost him around 11K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 Really need you guys to reach a consensus so I can decide what to do. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Really need you guys to reach a consensus so I can decide what to do. TIA If you want a pool, get a pool. If you have any doubts, don't get a pool. If your wife wants a pool and it will make her easier to live with, for the love of god, get a pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I had two pools growing up and the house I'm living in (since 2003) has a pool. Here's thing, disregarding the upfront cost all together, you can have a membership at the best country club around here (there are actually 3 nice ones here) for what it costs to maintain. We really don't spend all that much money on chemicals. Where you spend the most money is on electricity. A pool depending on the size and where you live (how often you have to have the filter running) will increase your electric bill anywhere from $100 to $200 a month. That doesn't include heating your pool. If you are going to heat your pool you are going to throw down some serious money. Most people I know with heaters on their pools heat their pool one month, and see the utility bill (usually gas) and never heat it again. I think I have only one friend that has heated their pool on a regular basis. You also have to figure in maintenance cost on the equipment. It seems as though we drop $500 a year on average to repair this, that, or the other. Additionally, as others have said, you will not get any extra money out of it when you sell the house, and in most cases it will decrease the value of your house. You also will pay higher insurance premiums if you own a pool. We bought our house in spite of the fact that it had a pool, because we got such a great deal on it. I can say without reservation that I will never again own a house with a pool. I'd rather have the country club membership without the headaches, and I'd still come out money ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I haven't seen a huge jump in my electric bill running a pool pump but its hard to tell as we went to a larger two story home and haven't hit the bigger summer electric rates yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I haven't seen a huge jump in my electric bill running a pool pump but its hard to tell as we went to a larger two story home and haven't hit the bigger summer electric rates yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I haven't seen a huge jump in my electric bill running a pool pump but its hard to tell as we went to a larger two story home and haven't hit the bigger summer electric rates yet. How about now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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