Pool Advice HELP

[lynzy420]

My house "came" with an 18' round above ground pool. Presently, said pool is sitting in my yard filled with green water and a liner that needs to be replaced. I have a filter and a pump but have no idea if they work....with that said. I have one good arm and one arm I that is useless when doing any real work.

Sooooo....I call a pool guy. $750 for new liner ONLY. Says he will get the rest in tip top shape...blah, blah, blah....I'm thinking by the time its over, chemicals etc. and a new filter stuffage etc...I'm probably really looking at atleast $1200.

So for roughly 2 months "July and August" sometimes "June July and part of August" but roughly 2 months out of the year here in WNY we can have a pool up and running" rule around here is we open pools on Memorial Day and close on Labor Day...but often, like this year, we couldn't open till middle of June...

Anyway...is it worth it? How much do you all spend on chemicals for the summer? How about cleaning etc? I really like the idea of having a pool but not sure what I want to do with this mess....

[jadabug]

I don't have a pool but my SIL does and it nice to go there in Saturday afternoons. I spent 4 hours there yesterday floating they open their pool around Memorial Day and close it down Labor Day too.
I think you would enjoy it after all is said and done. Once the pool guy gets everything in order it isn't too hard to maintain I think.

[smithj1000]

In the Midwest pool weather is very short. But, I think it's well worth the hassle and expense. The cost of opening the pool for the first time can add up fast. The cost of the chemicals to maintain it depends on how much you use it. I buy a large container of chlorine tabs that will last me about 2 years. I don't remember what the bucket cost, but I'm pretty sure it was less than $100. I shock (chemicals) my pool about 4 times during the summer. My neighbor, who has lots of pool parties, shocks his weekly. The Shock doesn't cost very much.

There are also other chemicals for cloudiness, algae, etc. I've don't get algae nor does my water get cloudy so I've never needed to use these. I take a pool sample to have my water analyzed (free) monthly and add chemicals according to the recommendation. The pool stores will try to sell you all the chemicals they can, and they're not cheap. So you kind of have to know your pool. Once, I was suckered into over $500 worth of chemicals. Luckily my neighbor is my 'pool guy' and chastised me for being a sucker and made me take them all back, Thank God!

For me, other than the chlorine tabs, I rarely need more chemicals. Don't forget to factor in the cost of running the filter/heater. I only run mine during the day. I turn it on when I leave for work and off before I go to bed.

The biggest hassle for me is keeping the pool clean. Some people don't mind, but I HATE cleaning the pool. It's really no big deal, but just something I hate doing.

Sorry for such a looooong answer...

[smithj1000]

I forgot the chemicals for opening and closing. Probably, about $100 for each. I think...

Also, my pool is pretty large and deep. So, your chemicals should be much less. Your babies will LOVE it!

[neersyorkies]

I live in Waller/Houston TX and have a in ground Pool,I think as long as you have a good pump/filter it will not be to bad to take care of your pool. I spend like $200 a year for shock/chlorine tab.We cover our pool up in October ( for the winter I ad 2lbs. of shock and put in the skimmer baskets the chlorine tablets and that is all till spring ) because my little Maggy May loves to swim but the water is IMO to cold, we run the pump for 2 hours (on a timer ) each day summer and winter. We found out if we run the pump/filter also in the wintertime we did not have much problems with the clean up in spring, also the pool stores will test your water for free.
I'm sure it will not cost you as much because the swimming season is a little shorter then here in Houston.
My husband says ever the rest pool to have is your neighbors LOL
I think you will find a pool is very relaxing , enjoy your pool and have fun

[Lil Sis]

Ok going to rub salt in ... When we had our pool we used it 12 months

Is it worth it? It is if you use it.

[ironmike86]

If you can afford it and use it. Yes Its worth it. You just need to maintain it after to keep the cost low

[JasmineNoelle]

We had an above ground oval 16' x 36' for years. My DH had Burton Pool & Spas check ours weekly, they do the water check for free. The chemical were not too expensive. The cleaning was a pain, but the grand kids loved it and it was used a lot. A huge tree took it out a few years ago. Due to our preference in traveling now and the Grandkids growing up we chose not to replace, but if you are going to be home during the summer months IMHO a pool is a great way to keep cool, good exercise and make enjoyable lasting memories at not to much of an expense.

[KazzyK810]

It's not just the cost of the chemicals you have to factor in, it's the electricity to run the pool pump for many hours a day. Depending on the pump, it can be a big electrical draw. My monthly electric bill is about $50 higher than pre-pool bills.

I had a beautiful in-ground fiberglass pool at my last house. I loved it! It's one of the things I miss most about that house and the only kind of in-ground pool I'd ever consider having again.

I told my kids we'd have exactly the same things at our wee house that we had at our big house, just on a smaller scale... (see 1st pic below. my son wasn't too thrilled with water that only came up to his knees. lol) So after the blow-up ring/fill n raise cheapy kind, I bought an intex ultra-frame (pic 2). It's 54" deep, so swimmable, but really is too small for real use as well (the size listings for ultra-frame's are wrong, as they measure the area the pool takes on the ground, not the open part at the water surface, so a 9x18 pool ends up being 7x 16. I really dislike how small it is & wish I'd bought the bigger size.) This summer I didn't even bother setting it up. (ZoE swimming in it last summer in pic 3)

If your going to use it on almost every sunny day, a pool is great. But if you only end up using it a handful of times a summer, it makes for expensive floating sessions. Opening chemicals (including 3 month algaecide $75, summer chlorine, shock, clarifier $250, winterizing chemicals $75, antifreeze for winterizing pool lines $50. Rain can throw your chemicals off resulting in additional shock use.

[Verbena]

If you are going to use it then yes it is worth it. My parents have an in ground and I miss going swimming. It is also nice to just relax in it. Oh and margaritas by the pool . . .

[lynzy420]

Ok, lots to think about here....hmmmm, wish I could have it all!

[Verbena]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

Ok, lots to think about here....hmmmm, wish I could have it all!

Well you can always get a pool boy

[celstu1]

It cost us about $1000 a year to run the pool, including all chemicals and electricity. 2x a week DH goes and takes the filters apart and degreases the cartridges which takes about a half hour. We bought a robot vac for the pool (ironically I won't buy one for the house bc they are like $500, but the pool one was $800!!! LOL I use the house more than the pool too!) so having that vac saves time with not having to manually vacuum the pool as much. Our pool is open roughly 5 months, mid-May to late Sept usually, but its not really warm enough to spend time in until mid June and stops being warm by mid-Sept, so the first 2 weeks and last 2 weeks are just bc I hate putting the cover on it and love taking the cover off of it! LOL

To me, it's worth the time and money!!

[Wylie's Mom]

We have an in ground pool and we never use it - and we live in AZ for gawd's sake...so you'd think we'd use it all the time! If I had to do it over again, I'd not get a pool bc I think they're a lot of work/expense without much reward. I do like looking at it though, just when sitting outside...it def adds to the ambiance.

I take care of our pool myself. I run the pump 1.5hrs a night (vs the EIGHT hours they tell you to do, which is unnecessary) - it's about 12,000 gallons. To take care of the pool, I use the BBB method which is just awesome bc you never get high cyanuric acid, which forces you to drain and refill your pool if/when it happens.

[jp4m2]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

We have an in ground pool and we never use it - and we live in AZ for gawd's sake...so you'd think we'd use it all the time! If I had to do it over again, I'd not get a pool bc I think they're a lot of work/expense without much reward. I do like looking at it though, just when sitting outside...it def adds to the ambiance.

I take care of our pool myself. I run the pump 1.5hrs a night (vs the EIGHT hours they tell you to do, which is unnecessary) - it's about 12,000 gallons. To take care of the pool, I use the BBB method which is just awesome bc you never get high cyanuric acid, which forces you to drain and refill your pool if/when it happens.

We use the BBB method too...I found it on a pool forum. I'm getting to the point where I just don't want to do the up keep anymore on ours. I do like the ambiance though. I like to sit with my feet in the water and read. We live up north so our actual usage time is very short. For us the usage is not worth having a pool.