So looking at a house with an inground pool. There is a crack in the lining and they are having it relined in early july. Any tips on certain products to have and certain ways to keep it good throughout the summer?
Owning and maintaining an inground pool.
- Thread starter Faize_sl
- Start date
Salt based or chlorine? What kind of filter?
Salt is much easier to maintain. Which ever it is you'll need some, testing kit and muriatic acid / baking soda. If you maintain the pool properly that should be all you need 95% of the time. You might also need some DE depending on the filter you have.
I'd suggest reading up on free chlorine and how it relates to pools. If you maintain your PH and your free chlorine levels you shouldn't have any issues with it what so ever. Little bit of maintenance and keeping levels correct will save you TONS of headaches down the road. Generally speaking, taking your water to a pool company for testing is a complete waste as they are only interested in selling you chemicals. Most of which contribute to different problems instead of fixing your actual one. Keep the chemicals going into your pool SIMPLE.
I'd also suggest making sure you know how to winterize depending on the area. If you are in a heavy oak tree part of the country let the pollen drop before you open your pool. Otherwise have fun getting it out. Even DE will take weeks to get the fine stuff out of the pool.
Solar / supplemental heat will greatly increase your swim season in most areas.
Make sure you know how to backwash your filter, drain excess water from the pool and have a hose handy to add water if you have a dry spell. Make diagrams of how everything works or you'll regret it next year when you forget everything.
Nice forum and "pool school" top left
http://www.troublefreepool.com/
Salt is much easier to maintain. Which ever it is you'll need some, testing kit and muriatic acid / baking soda. If you maintain the pool properly that should be all you need 95% of the time. You might also need some DE depending on the filter you have.
I'd suggest reading up on free chlorine and how it relates to pools. If you maintain your PH and your free chlorine levels you shouldn't have any issues with it what so ever. Little bit of maintenance and keeping levels correct will save you TONS of headaches down the road. Generally speaking, taking your water to a pool company for testing is a complete waste as they are only interested in selling you chemicals. Most of which contribute to different problems instead of fixing your actual one. Keep the chemicals going into your pool SIMPLE.
I'd also suggest making sure you know how to winterize depending on the area. If you are in a heavy oak tree part of the country let the pollen drop before you open your pool. Otherwise have fun getting it out. Even DE will take weeks to get the fine stuff out of the pool.
Solar / supplemental heat will greatly increase your swim season in most areas.
Make sure you know how to backwash your filter, drain excess water from the pool and have a hose handy to add water if you have a dry spell. Make diagrams of how everything works or you'll regret it next year when you forget everything.
Nice forum and "pool school" top left
http://www.troublefreepool.com/
Asshat Brando
Potato del Grande
- 5,346
- -478
Not sure about handling a crack in the lining but for a salt water pool the maintenance is stupidly easy. Low on chlorine? Add salt and adjust percentage of salt conversion. pH is a little high? Add acid. I hire a guy to clean the filter once every 3 months for 20 bucks and that's it, everything else I do myself. Brush the pool once a week and clear the whisk filter once a day and you're done.
BoldW
Molten Core Raider
- 2,081
- 25
Pools are expensive. You either need to spend the time to learn their operation and maintenance and follow through with it, or hire a pool company. As mentioned, it's pretty much a daily to weekly time commitment. If it's a heated pool and you plan on heating it, that can be a real drag on your electric bill - be prepared. It's nice sometimes when having company over to have the option of heating it up a bit to check your friend's wife's tits (Spas work best).
I think there's a saying, which I've also heard applied to boats is that it's better to have a friend with a pool than own a pool. Now, if you want to be that friend, then a pool is for you. If the sealing is done properly by a professional, I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep an eye on it.
Also, the desirability of pools among buyers actually changes from neighborhood to neighborhood. If you're thinking about the long term, have your realtor (or you can probably do your on research on it - Zillow and Trulia are treasure troves of demographic info) check for you.
I think there's a saying, which I've also heard applied to boats is that it's better to have a friend with a pool than own a pool. Now, if you want to be that friend, then a pool is for you. If the sealing is done properly by a professional, I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep an eye on it.
Also, the desirability of pools among buyers actually changes from neighborhood to neighborhood. If you're thinking about the long term, have your realtor (or you can probably do your on research on it - Zillow and Trulia are treasure troves of demographic info) check for you.
Heylel
Trakanon Raider
- 3,602
- 429
I've owned a home with an in ground pool for 4 years now. It's a hassle sometimes, but the yearly maintenance isn't bad. You just have to make yourself get out there and do it. Also, keep a back up fund. If something happens like the pump suddenly going out, that's several hundred dollars of repair you'll need to do fairly fast or it'll be a swamp in no time.
Assume about $100 every month of operation in chemicals and electricity. That's probably high but fairly accurate. Buy chemicals in bulk. You'll run through a shitload of shock and chlorine (btw, salt pools are still chlorine pools, they just use salt as a catalyst that is broken into chlorine rather than adding it directly). Most of the other stuff is snake oil. Algaecide is worth having for when you get heavy rains or need to drop the chlorine level for whatever reason and don't want a bloom, but 90% of the other chemicals you can do without. Never buy phosphate removers, your normal pool processes will do the job. It's an expensive additive that they'll try to sell you all the time. Liners need replacing periodically as well. It's expensive, so plan ahead.
Overall I don't regret having the pool, but I use it a lot less than my friends do. However, it's really nice to have a quiet, private place in the back yard to host company in the warmer months. Plus, pool sex.
Assume about $100 every month of operation in chemicals and electricity. That's probably high but fairly accurate. Buy chemicals in bulk. You'll run through a shitload of shock and chlorine (btw, salt pools are still chlorine pools, they just use salt as a catalyst that is broken into chlorine rather than adding it directly). Most of the other stuff is snake oil. Algaecide is worth having for when you get heavy rains or need to drop the chlorine level for whatever reason and don't want a bloom, but 90% of the other chemicals you can do without. Never buy phosphate removers, your normal pool processes will do the job. It's an expensive additive that they'll try to sell you all the time. Liners need replacing periodically as well. It's expensive, so plan ahead.
Overall I don't regret having the pool, but I use it a lot less than my friends do. However, it's really nice to have a quiet, private place in the back yard to host company in the warmer months. Plus, pool sex.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
- 8,157
- 140
I wouldn't doubt it. Around where I live, pool season is only about 4 months, 5-6 tops if you have a heater. My parents have had in-ground pools in 2 different homes now, and they added absolutely zero dollars to the value of the home, and actually hurt a bit when it came time to sell since some prospective buyers that otherwise like the home flat-out don't want a pool. If you were any further north and pool season was even shorter I could actually see it hurting the value of your home.
On the flip side, if you are somewhere like LA or Phoenix or something, it's probably almost required to have a pool, it's expected just as much as something standard like a garage. It's going to hurt you if you don't have one in those types of climates.
Kovaks
Mr. Poopybutthole
- 2,354
- 3,142
New house has a sweet pool, so far it has been super easy to maintain, I add to the floater every couple weeks shock every weekend and clean the skimmer every day. 2 houses ago I had a pool from hell, plaster peeling and crack somewhere in the pipes under the cement, it was a mosquito eater pond for two years before I drained it and filled it in.
Famm
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 11,041
- 794
Boats, pools, RV's, cabins, classic cars, children....women.....all much more enjoyable when they are someone else's responsibility!
It really limits your buyers. The house I grew up in my parents installed a pool. They got exactly 0% return on investment and lost quite a few people who liked the house and area but simply didn't want a pool. They are a giant pain in the ass to maintain and there are people who are concerned about their kids with the pool. Our house was in a very up-and-coming school district (well, it was already really established as being very good) and the house was on the lower end of the spectrum to get into the area. But my parents still had issues selling it and the feedback was generally the pool. I'd never get one, personally.
- 25,398
- 37,481
Fuck that. A pool is a must, and I live in Michigan with short ass summers. I dont give a shit who wants to buy my house or not. Not that im selling anyway.... But, yeah. take an average summer day, either were all outside hanging out, drinking, swimming, bbqing, or take the fucking pool away and were all inside because its too fucking hot to hang out without a pool. We use the shit out of our pool and I cannot imagine a summer without it. Just this past weekend we had some 90F days and we spent them both outside hanging out, swimming and partying.
I put mine in myself. Its an above ground but I found a good deal on craigs list, $600 for brand new in box 18' round by 54 deep. Came with everything. The only bitch was that my back yard slopes like a motherfucker, so I had to dig a flat spot for it, move sprinkler lines....fuck that was a bitch. Before that we used them Intex instant pools. 15ft round x 42 deep since my kids were babies. We used to put them in a raft made for toddlers and they used to float for hours. Now they are 10 and 8 and swim like fish. And they always respected the pool as well as we set up some hard rules. To this day they cannot swim alone. Its either with a buddy or with us watching. But we end up watching them regardless. Sure beats them playing video games all day long.
I understand some people dont like to get wet or whatever, fuck them.
Also the maintenance is a bitch is really overstated just a bit. Run the filter, keep your chlorine level up, shock it every few weeks and vacuum the bottom every few weeks. But this is an above ground, not sure for inground pools.
I put mine in myself. Its an above ground but I found a good deal on craigs list, $600 for brand new in box 18' round by 54 deep. Came with everything. The only bitch was that my back yard slopes like a motherfucker, so I had to dig a flat spot for it, move sprinkler lines....fuck that was a bitch. Before that we used them Intex instant pools. 15ft round x 42 deep since my kids were babies. We used to put them in a raft made for toddlers and they used to float for hours. Now they are 10 and 8 and swim like fish. And they always respected the pool as well as we set up some hard rules. To this day they cannot swim alone. Its either with a buddy or with us watching. But we end up watching them regardless. Sure beats them playing video games all day long.
I understand some people dont like to get wet or whatever, fuck them.
Also the maintenance is a bitch is really overstated just a bit. Run the filter, keep your chlorine level up, shock it every few weeks and vacuum the bottom every few weeks. But this is an above ground, not sure for inground pools.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
- 8,157
- 140
Investing $600 in an above ground pool if you like to swim is a no-brainer compared to investing $30,000-$50,000(in-ground) into your home that you won't see returned when you go to sell it. The financial aspects of the two options are night and day different. With an above ground pool, you can just tear it down and throw it away when you go to sell, it's a complete non-factor.
The in-ground has many advantages that you're not listing though. Like you can have a concrete patio surrounding it to lounge on. You'd have to build a deck around an above-ground pool to do that. Everytime I swim in an above ground pool I have the feeling I'm just in a giant bathtub. I also dislike that it doesn't change depth. Combined with, in my personal opinion, they just look pretty trashy on your lawn if you don't surround it with decking.
Cutlery
Kill All the White People
- 6,407
- 17,846
Yeah, not trying to dogpile Mkopec here, but there's a big fucking difference between a 54 inch deep above ground $600 dollar pool and this motherfucker that the ducks are currently using as a vacation home because a liner is $6000.
One of them is a minor investment that's pretty easy to deal with, and the other will consume your fucking soul if you let it.
One of them is a minor investment that's pretty easy to deal with, and the other will consume your fucking soul if you let it.
To be fair ducks are fucking stupid and will swim around in a puddle. Fuck when we were filling the pool at my parent's old house there were like 5 ducks in there. The fucking deep end had like 3 feet of water.
iannis
Musty Nester
- 31,351
- 17,656
I think I see a goldfish in the lower left.
That answers all your resale problems, dude. It's not an inground pool... it's a GIANT Koi pond. Just throw some rocks and ferns around and push the Fung Shui angle.
Or stock it with some catfish and trout and sell it as, "The Lazy Fisherman"
That answers all your resale problems, dude. It's not an inground pool... it's a GIANT Koi pond. Just throw some rocks and ferns around and push the Fung Shui angle.
Or stock it with some catfish and trout and sell it as, "The Lazy Fisherman"
would love a pool, my parents have a pool and i use it constantly.
my parents pool:
10" thick 16'x32' Concrete.. with a liner -have never had a leak- in the pool since my dad installed it 35ish years ago. the pipes however......
my parents pool:
10" thick 16'x32' Concrete.. with a liner -have never had a leak- in the pool since my dad installed it 35ish years ago. the pipes however......