Ping: Pool Owners

[EagleFan]

I have been debating about getting a pool (well, more that I have been getting hounded by my daughters about it).

While inground pools look nice, especially if landscaped well around them, I don't have that kind of money to put up. I have been looking at above ground pools and there is a decent deal that one of the local places is having for a 21 foot round pool that has me tempted (would like the 24 foot which would only be 100 more but they are out of those).

What kind of investment (both time and money) over and above the initial installation and setup would I be looking at?

[Suburban Rhythm]

We just went through the same thing.

We had one of the, for lack of a better term, collapsible models, that we take down at the end of every summer with the crappy little filter. Bought it 3 summers ago at around $350. 4' deep, 10' round. My kids were 5 and 2 1/2 that summer, so it served it's purpose.

Last week, we dug all the part out, put it up. My wife started filling it, left for work. I stopped on my way to get the kids after work to check on it, pretty full, turned the hose off. There was about 18" of watever left in the pool....but my grass is really gonna grow! :p

So, we considered putting another $350-400 into another collapsible model, but my wife went pricing.

In the next few weeks, we'll be the proud owners of a 18' round, 52" deep (pools are very odd now, there are no 4'/48" deep pools anymore, all very odd depths) pool. Final cost, with installation: $2400, via a 2 year payment plan. My wife is a nurse, and with the kids out of school for the summer, is going to pick up an additional 8-12 hours a week, so between this and next summer, it's hopefully a cost I never see.

I'd imagine pricing is pretty different between our locations, but you should still be able to find a pretty reputable dealer. We shopped at 3 places, and asking around, heard from people to avoid 1 of the 3 -- the biggest name in the area, so usually everyone's first stop, but not the best service.

My advice: Ask locally who other's have used, and if the same name continually comes up, they must be pretty solid if people are still happy.

ETA-- guess I really didn't answer the initial question. With chlorine tabs now, you can usually skip the step of adding chlorine daily now. Testing the water takes about 2 minutes. As long as you maintain and don't need to "shock" to remove algae, etc, I'd say you are under 30 minutes daily.

[Rizon]

If you have a ton of trees around that poop leaves, keep that in mind.

[Subby]

It seriously depends on how much room you have between your septic field and your double wide trailer.

[Rizon]

What kind of investment (both time and money) over and above the initial installation and setup would I be looking at?

Other things to think of is setting in stone pool rules, safety, etc. Make sure that everyone understands them or they GTFO.

Also, you will end up with a ton of new friends. And get tons of random kids.

Dola,

Don't do this:

[GrantDawg]

It seriously depends on how much room you have between your septic field and your double wide trailer.


Yeah, I don't have the room. The trailer lean takes up some of the space and two rusted cars on blocks takes up any extra space. If I remove them, I might have space and finally find my old dog. So, win-win.

[Rizon]

Yeah, I don't have the room. The trailer lean takes up some of the space and two rusted cars on blocks takes up any extra space. If I remove them, I might have space and finally find my old dog. So, win-win.

Do you think you can kick your uncle and his wife/your cousin out of the shed they are living in out back? Would probably free up some extra room.

[GrantDawg]

Do you think you can kick your uncle and his wife/your cousin out of the shed they are living in out back? Would probably free up some extra room.


I can't, because his wife/my cousin is also my wife's aunt/sister.

[EagleFan]

Thanks all. Batted this back and forth and decided to wait until next year. Too many trees in the back. I'll look into taking out a couple of them to not only open up more options for where to put the pool but may take this summer to build up around the fire pit first. Maybe adding a patio around the file pit which could then lead to where the pool would be. Then taking out a couple trees would allow us to put the pool in and build a deck around it, or around a portion of it.

Still going to be a pain with the leaves (and acorns) from the big tree but we'll have plenty of space with the other trees out of the way.

[Logan]

Was it here that someone posted a pic of how they built a deck around an above-ground pool? It looked pretty decent.

[MrBug708]

A pool is never as fun as it sounds after the first couple of years.

[Eaglesfan27]

EF, who has the deal? I'm considering a pool. Leaning towards an inground construction but I haven't ruled out an above ground pool for a few years.

[Logan]

A pool is never as fun as it sounds after the first couple of years.

My fiancee is one of four daughters in a very close, strong family, and I think their pool is one of the reasons they were able to keep it that way. Growing up they used to have a bunch of friends over at different times* which kept their parents pretty connected to their lives, and now that everyone is older and still lives in fairly close proximity (< 1 hour), they still have frequent BBQs and such with everyone home, and that now includes grandkids.

* - this could be the "not fun" part for some parents.

[cartman]

You'll also have to keep in mind if you have an HOA, if they allow above ground pools.

[Swaggs]

It is hard for me to imagine having a pool unless you live in a warm-weather area (coming from someone that lives in WV). I understand the appeal and I'm sure my son would love one, but for the amount of usable weather that you get (unless you get heated) versus the initial cost and maintenance, it just seems like it would be better to get family passes or membership to a club w/ a pool.

[saldana]

It is hard for me to imagine having a pool unless you live in a warm-weather area (coming from someone that lives in WV). I understand the appeal and I'm sure my son would love one, but for the amount of usable weather that you get (unless you get heated) versus the initial cost and maintenance, it just seems like it would be better to get family passes or membership to a club w/ a pool.

except then you have to deal with the pain in the butt of getting everyone ready to go, loaded into the car, and kept track of in a public pool area...taking two kids to the township pool is not exactly relaxing, plus the kids will want to go way more often than me, so by having one in the yard, i dont have to be committed to sitting there with them

[stevew]

I've bandied about getting a pool several summers now, but I have well water and things like even topping it off would take forever. I know there's not a ton of difference between paying the water company for the water vs paying a fire department to fill it up. Just seems insane to pay several hundred dollars up front for water.

[JediKooter]

There better be some pool party invites this summer...

Yes, I'm looking at some of you here in this thread.

[CraigSca]

It is hard for me to imagine having a pool unless you live in a warm-weather area (coming from someone that lives in WV). I understand the appeal and I'm sure my son would love one, but for the amount of usable weather that you get (unless you get heated) versus the initial cost and maintenance, it just seems like it would be better to get family passes or membership to a club w/ a pool.


/Agree. When we lived in Delaware the kids and wife wanted one, but I could never justify the outlay for the amount of use it would get. We live in Florida now and have a screened-in pool. Right now it's 82 degrees in the water and my daughter's in the pool as we speak. We still have a heat pump to heat, but the costs and amount of time it takes to heat in the cooler months really don't justify it (though it works great with the spa). I can't imagine what the heating costs would be if you're living up north.

[EagleFan]

EF, who has the deal? I'm considering a pool. Leaning towards an inground construction but I haven't ruled out an above ground pool for a few years.

Almo, on Fire Road in EHT (down near Mill Road).

[EagleFan]

You'll also have to keep in mind if you have an HOA, if they allow above ground pools.

No HOA, though there is a hot lady down the road (maybe she's a hoa)....

[Swaggs]

except then you have to deal with the pain in the butt of getting everyone ready to go, loaded into the car, and kept track of in a public pool area...taking two kids to the township pool is not exactly relaxing, plus the kids will want to go way more often than me, so by having one in the yard, i dont have to be committed to sitting there with them

Exchanging one set of hassles for another. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

Almo, on Fire Road in EHT (down near Mill Road).

Cool. I know exactly where that is. I will check them out.