Swimming pool installation

[Wingnut]

David ... don't let anyone fool you about pools being expensive ... they're not!

Of course ... it depends on what your definition of expensive is, I guess.

This is my first pool ... in-ground and in-door. Had been sitting unattended for two years when I bought it.
New liner, installed - $1400
25,000 gal water, delivered - $500
New pool heater, installed - $1400
propane, per month, average - $30
spare parts for the pool heater, so far - $300
bromine, per year (for pool and hot tub) - $200
other chemicals, per year - $50
new "automatic" pool skimmer, cleaner - $300
solar blanket and reel - $200

and now we're talking about installing a solar heater system to save some of the propane - $800

oh, and by the way ... it's been out of action for 8 months ... heater again ... and I haven't managed to troubleshoot it to the extent of getting it running again ... after replacing the gas valve .... sigh!
And .... I noticed that I still need to find that doggone little leak ... have to top it up (about 200 gal) every six months or so ...

Pools are a GOOD THING! Just ask me! No wonder they are not a value-adder to propety values!

[njrqs]

David

Maybe there is a market there for me !!

The process seems so simple that I can't work out why they aren't used more.

Cheers

[MossRoad]

I agree with you on taking away the food source, however, my problem isn't grubs. I don't have many grubs. Its earthworms. I have lots of earthworms. The mole's primary food is earthworms, and, since we drink from a well, we don't use many chemicals on our lawn. We live near a HUGE woods and get LOTs of moles. There is no way to keep them from coming in from the woods, except to trap them. Since this is a pool post, I'll stop here, with a link to my favorite mole site <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.themoleman.com/>http://www.themoleman.com/</A>

[knucklehead]

We got a BIG salt water pool here in Maine....as soon as it gets above 50 degrees, maybe I'll swim over to your side and visit!

[dlabrie]

WE bought one of those pools last year........

Ed,
How did the pool hold up? Do you think you will get many seasons out of it? Did you buy it locally or on the internet?
david

[njrqs]

Sure - Have a go.

I hear that the deep end is a doozy though !!!!!!

[bpence]

We put in an above ground 27' round about 10 years ago. It was dug into the side of a small hill behind the house, so at the time I rented a Bobcat for the day. I started alone at about 7:30 AM with the Bobcat digging the hill out and had all of the excavation done before 10:00 AM. Had two friends show up about 10:00 AM, we finish leveled the site, measured the 27' circle and located the outer posts, then we spread 4" of sand for the pool base and started assembling the outer shell. Had the liner in and smoothed and the top caps on by 4:00 PM. Had water delivered at 7:00 PM and was filtering by 9:00 PM.

A couple of tips if you do it yourself. Everything, let me repeat that, everything must be completely level. Second, take your time - don't rush - do it right the first time. Kind of like the measure twice and cut once rule. Third, keep your crew hydrated well, but limit beer until the job is done - promise and deliver a lot, but only when the day's work is done. We set all of the posts for the outer wall on cement pads. I think everyone does that.

As far as care and feeding of the pool, we use SoftSwim (baquacil) versus chlorine. In the long run (a whole season), I don't find it any more expensive, it's much (let me repeat much) easier to manage the chemical balance, and there isn't any chlorine smell around.

We love our pool. The kids say it's the best investment we've ever made (excluding them, of course).
Enjoy the pool. It's a great relaxer after a few hours on a dusty tractor.

[MossRoad]

One other thing. We have a well. I ran hoses from several faucets to the pool. I monitored the gauge on the well and kept adding hoses until the pressure dropped to under 30 pounds and stayed there. That way the pump wasn't cycling off and on. We filled our 12,500 gallon pool in about 16 hours.

[RobS]

<font color=blue>We have a well...We filled our 12,500 gallon pool in about 16 hours</font color=blue>

Brrrrrrrrrrrr [img]/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif[/img][img]/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif[/img][img]/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif[/img][img]/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif[/img][img]/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

I hope you also have a heater! That would make for some mighty cold water coming straight out of the well. Do the guys who deliver swimming pool water have a warm water option [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[MossRoad]

Yes, it was a cool 55 degrees for a few days. It warms up rather quickly. The volunteer fire departments used to deliver water for a donation. They stopped that over the last few years. Seems the rush of water can move the liner and cause a pucker or two and the insurance liabilities, etc. I don't know why people have it delivered and just don't use their own water. A good well can handle it with no problem. In the city, you are not charged that much if you do it after the months when they figure in sewage, which is usually in the winter anyway. And its not like you do it every year, just the first time you fill the pool. The water stays in it all year, even the winter. We didn't even add water to our pool last year to compensate for evaporation due to all the rain. I had to drain it down several times.

So, hey other pool owners, why do you have water delivered? I am just curious and would like to know. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]