Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes, I can see where salt could be more corrosive to metal components. Would I (or the pool contractor) choose different plumbing & pool equipment for a salt system? OK-- so traditional 'chlorinated' is back on the table, and I the more I read about the UV/Ozone, i'm thinking that's now plan "C". In Oklahoma, part of the winter is freezing. I may start another thread for this, but is there anything special I should avoid in the pool design for freezing winters?
Actually, I'm not the swimmer in the family, but I'm pretty sure I'll be the pool-boy service. Ease of maintenance is high on my list and one contractor claimed he'd install a "smart system" where I can monitor & adjust things from my android phone. Even then, I'm a baby boomer and don't know that I want HAL9000 systems that can go bad.
The salt levels are too low to even consider when thinking about equipment. Almost everything you add to a pool increases salt, solid chlorine, liquid chlorine, acid, baking soda. Even a non-SWCG pool usually has about 1000 ppm salt.
Short answer for winter pools, no, there is nothing special to consider. If you close the pool for the winter you simply drain the filter, pump, etc. People who have super harsh winters will drain the pool below the returns and plug them and use antifreeze.
A SWCG pool is about as "set it and forget it" as you can get. You may need to add acid occasionally to combat rising pH but that is about it. A simple Intermatic 104 timer to run the pump and the SWCG can be sufficient. There are "smart" integrated pool controllers but to be honest I can't think of a legitimate reason to have one for a pool. Now a hot tub, that would be nice to be able to start remotely.
Since I got probated once before for sharing this, I will preface this with This is not my site. I do not make money from this site. I do not get paid to promote this site. This site is free to all users.
OK, so when I built my pool two years ago, and decided on a chlorine pool system due to the very established pool building company's advice (and the fact that the owner of the pool company had just installed a gunite, chlorine pool in his own back yard and by golly, he could choose whatever he wanted to choose!) here's what I found out. (I live in NE Texas by the way, so howdy, neighbor!)
I had all the bells and whistles installed. My pool is self cleaning, has a heater, etc. It's controlled by an app. However, I still had to (past tense because I sold the house because my husband died right after the pool was completed), I still had to clean the filter, and so will you. So here's what I found out, with a slightly larger than average pool with a self cleaning system: I spent about 15 minutes every day on pool maintenance, because I couldn't stand for anything to get into the pool - not bugs, leaves, or whatever. One time I found a frog who was still alive in the pool, and one time I found a drowned mouse. Otherwise, it was mostly leaves and the occasional bug. I usually cleaned the filter once a week but if we had had a lot of debris or whatever fall into the pool, I cleaned it more often.
Once a week I did the bigger maintenance. This took about an hour total. I took a water sample to the pool supply place. Usually I didn't have to buy any additional chemicals but occasionally I did have to replenish my shock and my supply of acid and the chlorine tablets (very seldom on the chlorine tablets). Then I would come back home (the pool place was really close) and I would add the shock and then fifteen minutes later I'd add the acid. It took only a small amount of each one, but if we had had a heavy rain it took a bit more. Sometimes I wouldn't even have to add the acid but I always had to add the shock. It is easy to add. Anyway, I would then check another filter on the pump and I'd check the chlorine tablets too. Sometimes I would have to add a tablet or two, sometimes not. I don't know why they were used up more sometimes and then not sometimes. I generally would add a couple of tablets about once a month, maybe three tablets. I didn't have to add them every week or even every other week. Also, both filters were easy to check and clean, but they did need to be checked and cleaned - once a week is how often I did it.
I didn't cover up the pool or drain it. I did drain the pumps and shut them off once when we had a really really severe cold spell that lasted a week. It was not difficult to do. Otherwise I just let everything run. The heater was gas, and I only turned it on around October and April, when the water was NEARLY warm enough but not quite.
About every six months, I would pay the pool company to come out and clean the big pool filters. The first time I did this, actually my husband cleaned them, and we still ended up calling the pool company to come out and re thread the filters or something - there was a leak in them that we simply could not fix. So the next time, I just called the pool company. You can buy big filters to use as a back up pair but they are pretty expensive, and cleaning the other ones only takes about an hour or two, so I figured I could be "down" that long - LOL.
One thing I didn't understand - I thought I could turn the pumps off for awhile (when they were running, which was most of the time) but I couldn't really do that. I could cut them down to about 70 percent power, but I just wanted to warn you that a pool DOES add to your electric bill and overall costs. I think the pool cost me around $150 or so - maybe even a bit more - in additional costs every month.
To me, it was terrific actually to go out and skim the pool every morning, as the sun was coming out and the world was waking up. I also got IN the pool just about every single day from April through October. I would do water exercises and then I'd just relax on a float for about an hour, listening to music and looking up at the sky. It was a very relaxing thing overall (I also loved looking out across the back yard at that pool from inside the house). But it did require some time and effort and that's why I am sharing this with you.
When you get the pool installed, you will see that it is a major thing. MAJOR. It's like adding on to a house. It's not a small add on and it's not care free, and it's not inexpensive regardless of the type of in ground pool. It's definitely a luxury item, but I really did love it.
My husband really wanted the pool more than me though, and he loved it so much. It made me sad to get into the pool after he died, so I was personally glad to move on. Thanks to a booming housing market, I didn't take a loss on the pool. Whew. That was a bit close for comfort!
Thanks! When I was a kid and swam all summer long the chlorine was just deadly to your skin, hair, and eyes. I'd love to try a salt water only a tenth as strong as the ocean!
Those old Commercial pools we swam in years ago as kids.... they used to way over chlorinate those pools because of all the nasty stuff they found in the pools.
Most home residential pools would be no where near that bad unless they are a neglected pool.
Ease of maintenance is high on my list and one contractor claimed he'd install a "smart system" where I can monitor & adjust things from my android phone. Even then, I'm a baby boomer and don't know that I want HAL9000 systems that can go bad.
We have a pool (and hot tub) that we can turn on and off remotely and we love it. Our pool machinery is in a vault, so it's nice not to have to crawl down there to turn things on and off, but it's also great to just be able to check the pool temperature remotely, set timers, and look at the pump and heater history to make sure that things are turning on/off when they're supposed to.
OK, so when I built my pool two years ago, and decided on a chlorine pool system due to the very established pool building company's advice (and the fact that the owner of the pool company had just installed a gunite, chlorine pool in his own back yard and by golly, he could choose whatever he wanted to choose!) here's what I found out. (I live in NE Texas by the way, so howdy, neighbor!)
I had all the bells and whistles installed. My pool is self cleaning, has a heater, etc. It's controlled by an app. However, I still had to (past tense because I sold the house because my husband died right after the pool was completed), I still had to clean the filter, and so will you. So here's what I found out, with a slightly larger than average pool with a self cleaning system: I spent about 15 minutes every day on pool maintenance, because I couldn't stand for anything to get into the pool - not bugs, leaves, or whatever. One time I found a frog who was still alive in the pool, and one time I found a drowned mouse. Otherwise, it was mostly leaves and the occasional bug. I usually cleaned the filter once a week but if we had had a lot of debris or whatever fall into the pool, I cleaned it more often.
Once a week I did the bigger maintenance. This took about an hour total. I took a water sample to the pool supply place. Usually I didn't have to buy any additional chemicals but occasionally I did have to replenish my shock and my supply of acid and the chlorine tablets (very seldom on the chlorine tablets). Then I would come back home (the pool place was really close) and I would add the shock and then fifteen minutes later I'd add the acid. It took only a small amount of each one, but if we had had a heavy rain it took a bit more. Sometimes I wouldn't even have to add the acid but I always had to add the shock. It is easy to add. Anyway, I would then check another filter on the pump and I'd check the chlorine tablets too. Sometimes I would have to add a tablet or two, sometimes not. I don't know why they were used up more sometimes and then not sometimes. I generally would add a couple of tablets about once a month, maybe three tablets. I didn't have to add them every week or even every other week. Also, both filters were easy to check and clean, but they did need to be checked and cleaned - once a week is how often I did it.
I didn't cover up the pool or drain it. I did drain the pumps and shut them off once when we had a really really severe cold spell that lasted a week. It was not difficult to do. Otherwise I just let everything run. The heater was gas, and I only turned it on around October and April, when the water was NEARLY warm enough but not quite.
About every six months, I would pay the pool company to come out and clean the big pool filters. The first time I did this, actually my husband cleaned them, and we still ended up calling the pool company to come out and re thread the filters or something - there was a leak in them that we simply could not fix. So the next time, I just called the pool company. You can buy big filters to use as a back up pair but they are pretty expensive, and cleaning the other ones only takes about an hour or two, so I figured I could be "down" that long - LOL.
One thing I didn't understand - I thought I could turn the pumps off for awhile (when they were running, which was most of the time) but I couldn't really do that. I could cut them down to about 70 percent power, but I just wanted to warn you that a pool DOES add to your electric bill and overall costs. I think the pool cost me around $150 or so - maybe even a bit more - in additional costs every month.
To me, it was terrific actually to go out and skim the pool every morning, as the sun was coming out and the world was waking up. I also got IN the pool just about every single day from April through October. I would do water exercises and then I'd just relax on a float for about an hour, listening to music and looking up at the sky. It was a very relaxing thing overall (I also loved looking out across the back yard at that pool from inside the house). But it did require some time and effort and that's why I am sharing this with you.
When you get the pool installed, you will see that it is a major thing. MAJOR. It's like adding on to a house. It's not a small add on and it's not care free, and it's not inexpensive regardless of the type of in ground pool. It's definitely a luxury item, but I really did love it.
My husband really wanted the pool more than me though, and he loved it so much. It made me sad to get into the pool after he died, so I was personally glad to move on. Thanks to a booming housing market, I didn't take a loss on the pool. Whew. That was a bit close for comfort!
You are spot on. A Chlorine well maintained pool will require about 30-45 minutes a week (except in the fall leaf drop) and about 1 hour 1 time a month. I also paid my Builder to come out every fall and completely service the equipment.
In TX and other hot states you run your pumps 1 hour for every 10 degrees in water Temp. During heavy summer use I will run them 12 hours. I also run my pumps at night in the winter instead of the day. That keeps them from running in the day for 5-6 hours then at night if the Temps drop below 36.
We are currently adding an extension to our patio, a very nice pool with a heatable spa and will easily be over $110k. That's double what I paid 15 years ago and up probably 30% in the last year. The attached spa allows us to use the pool 12 months a year.
You have to really want a pool. They do require attention.
You are spot on. A Chlorine well maintained pool will require about 30-45 minutes a week (except in the fall leaf drop) and about 1 hour 1 time a month. I also paid my Builder to come out every fall and completely service the equipment.
In TX and other hot states you run your pumps 1 hour for every 10 degrees in water Temp. During heavy summer use I will run them 12 hours. I also run my pumps at night in the winter instead of the day. That keeps them from running in the day for 5-6 hours then at night if the Temps drop below 36.
We are currently adding an extension to our patio, a very nice pool with a heatable spa and will easily be over $110k. That's double what I paid 15 years ago and up probably 30% in the last year. The attached spa allows us to use the pool 12 months a year.
You have to really want a pool. They do require attention.
I'm getting a lot of helpful input. Thank you all. I was wondering if-- in the Winter-- we could still use the hot-tub portion without having to heat the pool water. So it sounds like the spa can pump & recirculate independent of the pool--- even though they're physically attached and the tub is elevated to drain into the pool during normal-season use? I suppose that's a better question for the pool contractors to confirm.
Would an automatic pool cover be a help or is that something that will need maintenance than it's worth? The pool we'd want is a rectangle with spa, similar to the one Kathyrn was kind to share.
When I asked about features suitable for a winter climate, I'm more wondering about thinks like "salt-finish" concrete or porous travertine coping/pavers. Will water collect in the salt-finish pits, freeze & eventually ruin the concrete? Pretty sure I can have the stoneyard seal travertine...
Hot tub: I can't think of a single benefit of having the hot tub connected to the pool in any way. What is the point of the hot tub draining into the pool? The hot tub will have its own pump, need to be flushed with Ahhsome occasionally and drained occasionally.
I would love an automatic pool cover. Keep in mind a pool needs to be in full sun from time to time (natural UV eliminates combined chloramines) but with all the trees around my pool a auto cover would be really nice.
I think you are over thinking the corrosiveness of the salt. Like I said early, all pools are salt pools by the nature of the things that got put in them. Take a Taylor 1766 test kit to any pool you like and see for yourself.
Speaking of, a test kit is more important than anything you've asked about so far. A Taylor 2006C or a TF-100 (from the website I linked earlier) will go a long way to having perfect water. I know water testing isn't as sexy as coping, tile and lights but being in control of your own pool and staying out of the pool store is key IMO to enjoying a pool and not being ripped off.
Hot tub: I can't think of a single benefit of having the hot tub connected to the pool in any way. What is the point of the hot tub draining into the pool? The hot tub will have its own pump, need to be flushed with Ahhsome occasionally and drained occasionally.
Spas attached to the pool do not stay hot all the time. It's on demand heating. And when you want the spa hot, it is separated from the pool for the duration. The benefit is the spa uses the same water as the pool, therefore doesn't require different chemicals or cleaning.
It takes about 30 minutes to heat our spa. Once finished with it, the spa goes back to just being another part of the pool.
Our spa is actually the point of circulation from the filter pump. Water goes down the skimmer, to the filter, and returns back through the spa. It makes a nice little waterfall.
I hire a company to survive the pool and deal with all of that stuff. All we want to do is swim.
Like I said the biggest draw of salt to me is how it feels, the less damage to hair (were curries so we have to consider damage).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
