Thinking of building a pool...what are the pro's and con's?

[ExFlyBoy5]

Ecosmarte ozone system was price competitive, will require no Chemicals and less maintenance.
.

Personally, I would avoid any "alternative" methods of sanitizing your pool. Lots of info about these on pool specialty forums but the low down is this...

Using the EcoSmarte system without chlorine (or another approved sanitizer) is hazardous to your health. Use of an approved sanitizer is required by law in the US for commercial pools, yet the EcoSmarte system does not provide any of the approved sanitizers. There aren't any regulations covering private pools, but the risks that lead to the commercial pool regulations remain. Without a residual sanitizer in the water there is no meaningful protection from person to person disease transmission and only minimal protection from environment to person disease transmission. There are also substantial risks of developing unsightly stains, which can be extremely difficult to remove.

 

[GLM]

so finish with the hardscape/landscape.....what is your "drive out price"?

Just posted the pool costs for the folks that are trying to get a handle on the cost for a pool. When we were at the thinking stage we never saw hard numbers.

The cost for a deck and landscaping can be all over the place depending on how much are you trying to cover and what you're trying to do. Pavers run $17.50 sq ft installed. The outdoor kitchen runs $800 per linear ft without appliances. The stack stone fireplace is a statement design element and will put us back 18k (not a typo)

We actually don't know what our final cost will be. We moved into this home in December. It is our seventh and hopefully final home. DH has the magic touch for landscaping. I call him the yard whisperer. He will probably do much the landscaping once the hardscape is complete.(The lot has been talking to him and he is formulating a plan. )

Having the decking and pavers put in is expensive but we can afford it. It's a miserable job to do correctly and Temps are hitting 90 this week. He no longer needs to do that type of labor for sweat equity.

DH did quite a bit of research on the ozone system. One of his degrees is in environmental engineering and water quality management. He has run treatment facilities albeit decades ago. Before that he managed a health club with an Olympic size pool. There are pros and cons of salt water and chlorine as well. Much of which was explained to me. I did some research as well.
I understood the pros and cons but don't know the details well enough to elaborate. After 42 years I trust his areas of knowledge and expertise. We are giving the ozone system a "go".

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

We use a robot cleaner on a timer and only run our pump a couple hrs a day here in south texas. Small inground concrete pool. We have a service come do chemical only. Occasionally we add water or drain water based on weathet as we don't have autifill. We put a portable autofill on it when we leave town. Maintenance is maybe (maybe) 10 mins a week dumping the robot bag and skimmer basket. Chemical guy dumps them too when he comes. We keep it open 24/7/365. DH gets in it most summer days to cool off after activity. He loves it so its worth it to me. Beautiful from the house esp considering its
would otherwise be prob a xeroscaped courtyard. No appeal in that for me.

Cant take it with you. Earmark maintenance money for robot pieces and pump lifecycle and repair.

 

[Bamaman]

You hear all kinds of criticism about pool contractors. Much is warranted. Many have been in business for many years, but weather and shortages in materials often makes them overpromise dates when they can get to you and completion dates. Winter weather often leaves them unable to start their season until the end of March. Then they've often overbooked their crews into the Fall--after the swimming season is over.

We put in a fiberglass pool 4/2020, and the installation took 2 1/2 days. I had an electrician with pool experience come in to install the electrics and the bonded ground, and it took about a week. Only then could I get the concrete guy in to do his one day installation. They left me with a mountain of dirt of which is costly to get hauled away.

To make it short, the concrete guy was inexperienced and he didn't use rebar or reinforcements joining the fiberglass pool lip to the concrete. The gravel around the pool settled 4" over time and the sides of my pool bowed--leaving a 1 1/2 inch hole around the pool. After many promises to fix it, my installer finally tore out 3' of concrete, reinforced the pool and had a concrete crew pour new concrete--10 months later. My landscaping is now a year behind schedule.

My observations about pool contractors:
Use a contractor that handles all aspects of the job in house. You don't want to deal with numerous contractors yourself.
Swimming pool concrete installation is specialized. Make sure they pour walkways, etc. in sections with joints between them. The joints need to have a joint sealer that is self leveling and looks like silicone. Under the bull nose concrete needs to be siliconed.
Make sure you have an automatic pump installed in an 8" pipe under the concrete to take away ground water after big rains. It's also too easy to forget you're adding water and overflow the pool. Always have a timer on the water hose you use to top off water level.
Don't let the pool supplier sell you a robot cleaner that's operated by your pool pump. Go for an automatic robot cleaner that's self contained as it's a must have purchase.
We do like our Jandy programmable variable speed pump and salt water generator. Our pump works best when not on highest speeds where it cavitates.
We enjoy getting out there early mornings dipping leaves off the pool and running the rob0t cleaner. It's some of the most peaceful times of our day.
The least peaceful times is when the grandkids are having splash contests with the neighborhood kids. But the laughs we hear are music to our ears.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

The least peaceful times is when the grandkids are having splash contests with the neighborhood kids. But the laughs we hear are music to our ears.

Funny you mention that. You hear the adage about old people yelling, "GET OFF MY LAWN!!" Well, for pool owners it should be, "STOP SPLASHING SO MUCH...YOU ARE PUSHING UP THE PH!!!"

 

[38Chevy454]

Make sure you have an automatic pump installed in an 8" pipe under the concrete to take away ground water after big rains. It's also too easy to forget you're adding water and overflow the pool. Always have a timer on the water hose you use to top off water level.
Don't let the pool supplier sell you a robot cleaner that's operated by your pool pump. Go for an automatic robot cleaner that's self contained as it's a must have purchase.
We do like our Jandy programmable variable speed pump and salt water generator. Our pump works best when not on highest speeds where it cavitates.
We enjoy getting out there early mornings dipping leaves off the pool and running the rob0t cleaner. It's some of the most peaceful times of our day.
The least peaceful times is when the grandkids are having splash contests with the neighborhood kids. But the laughs we hear are music to our ears.

I agree on fiberglass pool you need the drain pipe. I just lower a small submersible pump in mine when needed.
I rarely add water to my pool. Mother nature rain fills it up at a near rate that it loses water from evap or people getting out of the pool. Only few times i have to add water manually. Also sometimes have to remove water to get level below the skimmer inlet if too much rain.
Agree the self-contained robot is the way to go.
Salt system is way less work than chlorine tablets or other chlorine methods.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have had a high of 115-116F several days in a row. The pool temperature is at 84F today.

My wife finally goes in the water today, at my grandniece's urging. She has not been in the pool for more than 10 years!

PS. The high is 117.5F today!

 

[WestUniversity]

Had a pool years ago. It was a bit of work and a lot of expense. DE filter grid would only last about 4 years before the vanes needed to be replaced. That was about $200 for that repair each time. Our pool pump and Polaris pump both had to be replaced about every four years. Each of those was about $200+. The Polaris also needed to be rebuilt periodically. That was also $150-$200. Re-plastering had to be done about every 8 years as we had marcite plaster. That ran about $3,000 for the plaster alone (20,000 gallon pool). That excluded new tile or coping. Pebble finishes last longer but also run substantially more. Also had an underground leak at one point. That was just short of $1,000 to fix. The heat exchanger in the heater gave way and that was almost $4,000 to replace the heater.

Ongoing expenses were about $75-$100 a month for electricity. We were advised to run the pool pump an hour each day for every 10 degrees of outside temperatures, so a ninety degree day = 9 hours of runtime. Sacks of DE to recharge the filter were cheap. It was several hundred dollars a year for chlorine and algaecide. We had a chlorine feeder that held 11 3” tablets. That chewed through a ton of chlorine especially in the summer. A saltwater pool is easier than chlorine in that regard but every few years the chlorine generator needs to be replaced. Not sure if that really saves money over the long run.

We no longer have a pool nor will we have another…

YMMV

 

[Dash man]

You can take the family on a lot of fun resort vacations for the cost of a pool, without all the hassle.

 

[RetireeRobert]

Too expensive to start with, too expensive on ongoing basis, too much hassle to get installed in first place, too much hassle to maintain---

DON'T DO IT!

That money can either fund grandkids college, or can take you and family on repeated fun excursions to resorts.

For grandkid more local daily swimming, use the community club pools nearby.

 

[Koolau]

I lived most of my life in the midwest, so "pool" season was maybe 4 months (stretch to 5 if you're hardy or willing to spring for heating.) I knew several folks who did "above ground" pools - usually for their kids, so they lasted about 10 years or so. But I knew two folks who filled in existing pools and one who built an in-ground pool. Not too good odds for in-ground pools in my opinion. Naturally, YMMV.

 

[Lucie]

We live in Upstate NY so we really only get 3 solid months of swimming. Our inground pool was included with the house. We bought a “creepy crawler” automatic vacuum that connects directly into the filter basket. Other than seasonal opening and closing the pool, we spend maybe 5-10 minutes per day on maintenance.

There are ongoing expenses, including replacing the solar cover and winter cover every 2 or 3 years, and chlorine (which is outrageous this year due to the factory fire.) I told my husband that our true cost of having a pool is not actually the cost of maintaining the pool, but the lost income from my semi-retirement because I would continue w*rking full time if I didn’t have the pool. And I’m not really a swimmer, I just enjoy floating and splashing. around.
I wouldn’t call it an investment, but it is certainly a luxury, even with an empty nest. YMMV

 

[Buckeye]

A pool is popular in our neck of the woods. Friends told 12 months b/4 local pool company will give a quote. If accepted, build would not start till 2023.

Worse yet is the largest local pool maintenance company can't get employees so neighbors are screaming because their pools are full of green algae.

Send your neighbors to the TroubleFreePool website. There they can read the Pool School material. All for free and some very helpful experts on the forums. I started using their pool maintenance philosophy 5 years ago and we've never had an algae outbreak. I finally converted my neighbor (I test her water and tell her how much of what to add) about 10 months ago and she went from a constant algae battle to clear, algae-free water. No more feeding the pool store!

One of the discussion threads is pool builds. The group members have seen it all and can give you great advice and critique your projected pool design. Again, all for free. The group members want to help you save money with the big stuff and with daily maintenance. It reminds me of this website but instead of avoiding the cost of a financial planner, you are avoiding paying the pool store weekly!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

You can take the family on a lot of fun resort vacations for the cost of a pool, without all the hassle.

While theoretically true, there *can* be value (not monetary!) value in a pool. I like the ability to just jump in when I want and can float for hours or just 10 minutes. There is no planning really needed and if you have to w*rk you can use it after said time or float pretty late on a Sunday evening. You can't really just "hop" down to a resort for a few hours of fun...at least not practically speaking.

We compared our pool with having a boat. A boat is fun, but unless you live on the water, there is the issue with getting to the boat/launching it if you don't have a slip/drunk idiots on the water trying to kill you...and again (for us), the pool wins out for ease of use.

Nonetheless, I would not pay to have a pool put in. The house we bought had one and it hasn't been *too* much trouble. If/when we move, then we would most likely not seek a pool again.

Send your neighbors to the TroubleFreePool website. There they can read the Pool School material. All for free and some very helpful experts on the forums. I started using their pool maintenance philosophy 5 years ago and we've never had an algae outbreak. I finally converted my neighbor (I test her water and tell her how much of what to add) about 10 months ago and she went from a constant algae battle to clear, algae-free water. No more feeding the pool store!

One of the discussion threads is pool builds. The group members have seen it all and can give you great advice and critique your projected pool design. Again, all for free. The group members want to help you save money with the big stuff and with daily maintenance. It reminds me of this website but instead of avoiding the cost of a financial planner, you are avoiding paying the pool store weekly!

The TFP site has been mentioned a few times in the thread (I know I mentioned it on page one) and is a blessing for those who own/manage pools. Next to ER.org, it's my favorite forum for people being civil to one another.

 

[2177V]

I now have a 20,000 gal in-ground pool and it is great for pool parties but maintenance is an issue if the back yard has nearby trees and it is windy. In a previous house, I had a smaller 10,000 gal above-ground pool which has far less maintenance, safer when you remove the ladder and you have the option to relocate the above ground pool in the backyard. Now that I had both, I would get an above ground 32 ft by 16 ft by 52 inch rectangular which is about 14,000 gallons and build a deck around it to simulate an in-ground pool. I am a surfer and I need to practice my arm strokes so I can catch the wave. I do not recommend an in-ground pool due to the capital cost and maintenance. Some pool owners regret a large in-ground pool unless you can afford paying someone to clean the pool and do the maintenance. Above ground pools are much more manageable and the capital cost is way less even when you include the decking.

 

[Rambler]

We are on the top of the wait list for building and moving into a new development…just waiting for the lot we want to be released. We currently have a pool, but it isn’t too big nor deep. DW rarely gets in unless I threaten that the new house doesnt need one. DW wants a “grandkid bait” pool, complete with water slide, waterfalls and grotto. I would like all of that, but I’m quite satisfied with the size, depth, and lack of grandeur that is represented in our current pool. I do get in the pool daily, since I do the upkeep myself. Further, our daughter who lives close now hates Arizona because of the summer heat and is pining to leave. DW wants to have a second home in a cooler location, and rarely if ever come back here during the summer. So, why have a pool at all?

I think really it boils down to what you want, why you want it, the added (0r decreased) resale value (homes without a pool here don’t sell as quickly…in other places, the opposite may be true), and will it add enough of the values you want it to add. In our case, will the grandkid bait pool REALLY attract the grandkids if they move 1500 miles away? I doubt it. But, we can afford it if we want it, and it won’t be a bone of contention with DW if we do put in the grand pool. If we don’t put it in, and the grands don’t visit, I’ll never hear the end of it. So, guess what is going to happen.

 

[tb001]

We have had a pool in our last two homes. With young kids, it’s getting a lot of use now, but with just the two of us we didn’t use it nearly as much. Still, we love it and wouldn’t buy a home without one. Honestly, I just like seeing the water.

I’m not sure I would spend the $ to put one in though. If you do, I would avoid the extra rock features, etc that invariably leak and are a pita to maintain.

 

[meleana]

You say you are waterfront. You cannot swim in it?

 

[RetireeRobert]

You say you are waterfront. You cannot swim in it?

Florida, gators been seen around.

 

[Lsbcal]

OK, Ive had several pools over the years and generally enjoyed them. So, naturally the thought crossed my mind to build one as DW and I are both retired. But my neighbor said to me "hey you can have mine for free". He was just kidding but he is 70 and say's its a pain in the rear. We live in a waterfront home and the pool would be used maybe 5 months out of the year. It would be beautiful but I'd need to cover the pool most of the time as their are numerous live oak trees in the area. Now, I could still make this work but now I have 2 young grandkids and my kids are insisting we include the fence for safety. All total this would be a $100K investment and the money is available but at 65 and 58 maybe we don't need this hassle. So, I thought I'd get the advice of those here who have likely been down this road. Let me hear you're advise.

Regarding the red, I saw a neighbor walking yesterday. He looked somber. Turns out his 2.5 year old grandson drowned in a pool a few days ago. The grandmother might have fallen asleep while the parents were out having dinner. Something to think about.

Sorry, I don't mean to be overly negative but our first grandson was born about 2 weeks ago. So this sad story got my attention.

 

[Koolau]

Florida, gators been seen around.

Friend in FL had to be very careful to keep his dog in an fenced enclosure by the house. The gators were known to snatch dogs from waters edge and that is that, as they say. Kids are also advised in some areas to avoid certain waterways but I have no personal experience so YMMV.

 

[NW-Bound]

Regarding the red, I saw a neighbor walking yesterday. He looked somber. Turns out his 2.5 year old grandson drowned in a pool a few days ago. The grandmother might have fallen asleep while the parents were out having dinner. Something to think about.

Sorry, I don't mean to be overly negative but our first grandson was born about 2 weeks ago. So this sad story got my attention.

Every summer here, the media makes big noise about drowning deaths, mostly of young children of people who recently move here from out of state.

Pools are very popular here, and many newcomers do not appreciate the danger of drowning with little kids. All it takes is just a few minutes of neglect by the adults.

There are very sad stories of adults being inside busy talking, while a kid drowned quietly out back. Often, the family has just moved in a couple of days earlier.

 

[tb001]

I think you just build the pool fence into the design. In our last house we had a glass fence, because we didn’t want to ruin the view. There are ways to do it. No pool fence and young kids is a recipe for disaster imo. Just not worth it. We wouldn’t even move in to our current house until the fence was in.

 

[Jerry1]

I think you just build the pool fence into the design. In our last house we had a glass fence, because we didn’t want to ruin the view. There are ways to do it. No pool fence and young kids is a recipe for disaster imo. Just not worth it. We wouldn’t even move in to our current house until the fence was in.

A fence is absolutely a requirement, but it’s not all there is to pool safety. When I’m working, I prop the gate open. Guess who strolled into the pool area when I wasn’t looking - my 5 year old granddaughter. Thankfully I got taught a lesson on the cheap. Nothing bad happened. Adult attention to the kids is so important as well as overall attention to details. There’s no doubt that attention to safety is a factor in whether or not to have a pool.

 

[harley]

Friend in FL had to be very careful to keep his dog in an fenced enclosure by the house. The gators were known to snatch dogs from waters edge and that is that, as they say. Kids are also advised in some areas to avoid certain waterways but I have no personal experience so YMMV.

Just a couple of years ago a young kid got killed by a gator at Disney. There are news stories every year about kids getting bitten (at best) during the summer rainy season when the gators move into the drainage ditches near houses, places where there's usually no water but the rains bring enough for the gators to move in. It's the wild, wild south down there.