Advantages/disadvantages to home with pool (calculated, cost, summer)

[RabidTiger]

Regarding maintenance. That can also depend on how old the pool is, how big it is, and what kind of equipment you have.

Newer pools can have jets built in along the bottom that push debris down into a bottom drain. Very nice.

I recently sold a house that had a huge (>30k gallon) pool that was about 10 years old. I found it to be a pain and more work than what I got out of it.

It did sell the house however. The family that bought my house had a young son and another on the way and they really wanted a pool for the kiddos.

[txtoal]

Good timing on the post....my spouse and and I just purchased a house that has a pool and we are a little nervous about the care so this is good advice.

[IMATXNATIVE]

The best product I've come across in my 10+ years of pool self-maintenance is a chemical called "Phos-Free".

I'm not the type to promote any product on a forum like this, but it seems appropriate on this thread. If you take care of your own pool, I cannot recommend it enough.

It's sold at Leslie's and probably a bunch of other places (I don't think Leslie's owns the PhosFree product or name).

There is a Phos-Free 'program' or 'kit' that includes a few different chemicals. If you use the whole kit per the instructions, they guarantee you will not have any algae problems. That's how good it is.

I use ONLY the Phos-Free chemical and not the other chemicals in the system. The Phos-Free by itself seems to work just fine. (+ Plus the usual chlorine, shock, & acid.)

A pool in Texas will quickly get warm enough to grow algae. Different pools right next door to each other seem to have different problems. My problem was mustard / yellow algae. .. and if it gets started, it will cover the vertical wall surfaces fast (I've had it go from clean walls to yellow walls in 24 hours). The yellow stuff brushes off super easy, but it's better to just avoid it.

After using Phos-Free, I haven't had a trace of yellow algae in years. And I'm not even that cautious with my scheduling. I honestly just add it every 3 weeks or so when I remember to do it. I don't write it down or keep track of it. It's that good. Not even using the full Phos-Free 'program' and doing it on a sporadic basis works.

Tip 2 is learn how to do a full filter tear down & cleanout yourself (in addition to backwashing). I'm sure there are websites & videos out there to explain it. Everything will work a lot better if you tear it down 2-3 times a year (and you'll get to see how much crap that backwashing doesn't clear out of it).

Tip 3 is to consider buying pool parts online. ALL pool parts are wickedly overpriced. You can even buy big heavy stuff online (big filter grids, Polaris's, cast iron heater elements, heavy pump motors) and have it shipped half way across the country cheaper than most local pool stores will retail the exact same product to you. It's ridiculous how much money I've wired to California because my local pool stores are run by pirates.

ok, that's my contribution to pool owners. Now I gotta get back to posting irrelevant sarcasm.

[PanTerra]

Your No 2 is very important, completely opening and removing the innards and cleaning it, is paramount, especially in a DE filter system. Taking the fins out and cleaning them with a hose can let you assess their condition, as well. Any holes provides an easy route to circulate debris back into the pool, and can be seen shooting out the jets into the pool. After it is completely cleaned out, and DE replaced, you get an optimal reading on the tank's pressure guage essentially establishing a benchmark to determine easily when the pressure gets too high and needs to be cleaned again.

[loves2read]

most pool stores will do a pool instruction session with you at your new home/pool so that you get familiarized with how to take care of the pool and what to do for normal maintenance and when something may be a larger problem...IF you buy some product with them...

we have friends who bought house in FL recently and finally got moved in last week--
our daughter lives in the same subdivision and recommended her pool store to them...
they called and someone came out a few days after they moved in to give them their pool class--
the pool store is about the least expensive in the area so it is not a super fancy place--and our friends feel pretty confident about handling the normal chores on their own now...

[Affirmed09]

We bought a pool with a house and 5 pool companies later nobody seems to know what valves do what. Its very frustrating to say the least and there have been three who left without finishing their work - its sooo darn annoying.!!!!!!!!!!! why take the job if you cant finish it. Its been three months and we are still trying to get the pool in perfect condition, its clean now but we have trouble with the valves emptying the spa when its off. None of them seem to know what they are talking about coz all the solutions they offered havent workd.

[ufcrules1]

Man.. I'm getting tired just reading about the pool maintenance. Glad we got a house without one! We have about 4 or 5 different neighbors who tells us to use theirs anytime we want. Problem solved.

[crystalblue]

Doesnt the water get too warm in the summer?



Does in Florida...

[PanTerra]

Indeed, it can get to be like bath water.

[pandorafan5687]

Advantages

Able to swim when you'd like
having pool parties
having a place to relax after a hard day
able to heat them in the winter(I hear those are awesome)

Disadvantages

lots of responsibility
hard to keep cool in summer
the risk of young children drowning.