Pool or no Pool? (transfer, purchasing, contractor)

[dbean]

forget about the cost of chemicals. Just moved to PHX about a yr. ago from midwest and knew NOTHING about pools. After some online research, found that the active ingrediant in bleach is the SAME EXACT chemical that public pools use, just less concentrated.

Long story short, a trip to Walmart and a cart full of bleach will last a LONG time and cost about $20. Take a H2O sample into a pool store, and see how much chemical you need to buy...a single trip will run about $75, mark my word. Pool stores are nothing short of highway robbery.

[Boomerbiker]

Buying a house with an existing pool is probably cheaper then putting in a new pool - however many older pools are in poor condition or out dated designs. Our older pool had a nice design but was being used as a frog pond! It cost $16,000 to renovate which is probably much cheaper then building a new pool!

Be very careful who you hire to renovate/build your pool - the highest priced contractors are not always the best quality. Lots of questionable companies in the pool business. Check the BBB.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Boomerbiker

Be very careful who you hire to renovate/build your pool - the highest priced contractors are not always the best quality. Lots of questionable companies in the pool business. Check the BBB.

Good advice, but I have little faith in the BBB. I say get references, and follow up on them. Ask whether the pool was completed to satisfaction, on time, and on budget. Make sure the references are real; ask to see their pool, and do it!

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by kdog

Oh, and one more thing. Get a spa with it!! Either integrated or detached with a spillway. We use the spa year-round. In fact, we've been averaging about every-other night this winter so far. Love it!

I agree on having a spa. In fact, I would say get a spa instead of a pool if you have no kids. But, I would not get a spa built into a pool again. Did that once, but with this house we got a pool and added a spa (above ground type) separately. What a difference. Comfortable seats, lounges , multiple pumps with multistages on each of them, quieter, sound, lights and jets, jets, jets and you can drain it, and shut it down in summer (spa not for me in 110 degrees) if you want. I suppose you can get fancier ones than I had with a pool, but most I have been in are not much as far as spas go. I did like that you could slip from one to the other with my gunite spa and I could valve it so that I could heat the pool for when the relatives came in winter. Gas heater was fast too. But otherwise, it was quite a compromise.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

But, I would not get a spa built into a pool again. Did that once, but with this house we got a pool and added a spa (above ground type) separately. What a difference. Comfortable seats, lounges , multiple pumps with multistages on each of them, quieter, sound, lights and jets, jets, jets and you can drain it, and shut it down in summer (spa not for me in 110 degrees) if you want. I suppose you can get fancier ones than I had with a pool, but most I have been in are not much as far as spas go. I did like that you could slip from one to the other with my gunite spa and I could valve it so that I could heat the pool for when the relatives came in winter. Gas heater was fast too. But otherwise, it was quite a compromise.

Ours is integrated into the pool, but has everything you listed. Separate 2HP jet pump with lots of jets, automatic valving that segregates the heat to the spa at the push of a button (on the remote control ), plenty of seating at variable heights, etc, etc. Plus, you're right in that one can just flop in/out of the spa to/from the pool. Heats up in an hour in the winter (20 minutes in the summer). And of course, you only have one water chemistry to take care of, not two. One of other reasons we went with the integrated spa is so that our automatic pool cover closes off the spa as well.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by kdog

Ours is integrated into the pool, but has everything you listed. Separate 2HP jet pump with lots of jets, automatic valving that segregates the heat to the spa at the push of a button (on the remote control ), plenty of seating at variable heights, etc, etc. Plus, you're right in that one can just flop in/out of the spa to/from the pool. Heats up in an hour in the winter (20 minutes in the summer). And of course, you only have one water chemistry to take care of, not two. One of other reasons we went with the integrated spa is so that our automatic pool cover closes off the spa as well.

Well that is certainly nicer than any I have seen. In the category of mine is bigger however: I have two, 4hp, motors with two speeds each and 1 little motor that circulates in the standby position.

My neighbor has a very fancy new pool with fountains and waterfalls. The feature I like best is the shallow water entry - like going in from a beach - as well as this concrete table and chair picnic thing complete with umbrella out in the water. Great for sipping a cold one and bs'ing.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

In the category of mine is bigger however: I have two, 4hp, motors with two speeds each and 1 little motor that circulates in the standby position.

That sounds like a commercial pool setup. Your pool must be huge.

Your neighbor's pool sounds pretty cool. Our play shelf is a bit like a beach entry. Either of those features takes up a lot of real estate though. We designed our pool so that there's a full length lap lane unfettered by any of those features. I bet your neighbor's pool doesn't have that. We also have deck jets, and an 8' TurboTwister Water Slide.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by kdog

That sounds like a commercial pool setup. Your pool must be huge.

Your neighbor's pool sounds pretty cool. Our play shelf is a bit like a beach entry. Either of those features takes up a lot of real estate though. We designed our pool so that there's a full length lap lane unfettered by any of those features. I bet your neighbor's pool doesn't have that. We also have deck jets, and an 8' TurboTwister Water Slide.

Those pumps are for the spa. I don't know if I believe the plates because the motors don't look that large. On high, the jets will bore a hole in your back for what that's worth, though. My pool is old school, though I can brag that most of it was blasted from rock - glad I didn't have to pay for that.

The neighbor has no lap lanes, but he does have a small slide. He's a Cali guy who sold at the peak (bought here at the peak too) and went whole hog on the pool. He might as well enjoy it. He is so upside down on the house, he will be there for a while.

[Boomerbiker]

These pools sound amazing - can you post PICTURES of your pools?

kdog - would like to see the design of your full length lap pool!

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Boomerbiker

These pools sound amazing - can you post PICTURES of your pools?

kdog - would like to see the design of your full length lap pool!

Ponderosa first.

By "full length lap lane", I mean that the pool is divided into two areas along the length of the pool. One half has no obstructions to interfere with swimming laps. Ie, no steps, play shelf, spa, etc. Just a full length swimming area. The other half of the pool has all that other junk.