I’ve been debating on getting one for the past couple years. I hear there a lot of work. But it’s hot and the kids would love it. I would just be going above ground as I couldn’t afford an inground one. It would be from a pool place like Eastgate pools and spas or Watson. I had one of them cheapos and never could get that piece o shite level.
Who has one? Would you get another one? Anything I should be looking for when shopping for it? Thanks in advance!
(05-15-2018, 09:14 PM)Cure4CF Wrote: I’ve been debating on getting one for the past couple years. I hear there a lot of work. But it’s hot and the kids would love it. I would just be going above ground as I couldn’t afford an inground one. It would be from a pool place like Eastgate pools and spas or Watson. I had one of them cheapos and never could get that piece o shite level.
Who has one? Would you get another one? Anything I should be looking for when shopping for it? Thanks in advance!
But to answer your question: Yes, I've had and have above ground pools, yes they are a lot of work, and yes site preparation is the most important step.
Another thing to consider is the pool will be the least of the expense if you want one that folks will enjoy for years. The deck should be your primary focus.
But to answer your question: Yes, I've had and have above ground pools, yes they are a lot of work, and yes site preparation is the most important step.
Another thing to consider is the pool will be the least of the expense if you want one that folks will enjoy for years. The deck should be your primary focus.
Volson is meh, but I like him, and he has far exceeded my expectations
(05-15-2018, 09:14 PM)Cure4CF Wrote: I’ve been debating on getting one for the past couple years. I hear there a lot of work. But it’s hot and the kids would love it. I would just be going above ground as I couldn’t afford an inground one. It would be from a pool place like Eastgate pools and spas or Watson. I had one of them cheapos and never could get that piece o shite level.
Who has one? Would you get another one? Anything I should be looking for when shopping for it? Thanks in advance!
I have a 32' above ground. Piece. Of. Cake. My neighbor showed me the ropes, and we hardly touch the thing all year round. Spend roughly 200-300 bucks a year on it. Start out with an opening kit, and 4 gallons of liquid shock. Put tabs in the skimmer and the floater as needed. If the pH drops on you, don't spend a fortune on pool chemicals, use baking soda....yes, baking soda. When you close, add a closing kit and four more bottles of shock, run for 24 hours and cover it. Next spring, water will be crystal clear, and ready to start over. IF it does get green on you, don't sweat it......just add a few gallons of bleach at start, and once it's clear, put the opening kit in and wait a couple days and enjoy. :andy:
Oh, and ALWAYS spring for the Hayward pumps. If at all feasible, set your pump on a switch so you can easily turn it off and on. Once everything has settled, there's really no need to run them 24 hours a day. It will save you electric, and wear on the pump.
But to answer your question: Yes, I've had and have above ground pools, yes they are a lot of work, and yes site preparation is the most important step.
Another thing to consider is the pool will be the least of the expense if you want one that folks will enjoy for years. The deck should be your primary focus.
Previous owner built a VERY nice complete wrap around deck for ours, and added a seating area a step below the main deck. He kept it really well sealed, and I do the same. It's over 20 years old and still looks good.
(05-16-2018, 03:52 PM)Wyche Wrote: Previous owner built a VERY nice complete wrap around deck for ours, and added a seating area a step below the main deck. He kept it really well sealed, and I do the same. It's over 20 years old and still looks good.
Pool Party at Wyche's. I'll bring the Natty Lights.
(05-16-2018, 03:47 PM)Wyche Wrote: I have a 32' above ground. Piece. Of. Cake. My neighbor showed me the ropes, and we hardly touch the thing all year round. Spend roughly 200-300 bucks a year on it. Start out with an opening kit, and 4 gallons of liquid shock. Put tabs in the skimmer and the floater as needed. If the pH drops on you, don't spend a fortune on pool chemicals, use baking soda....yes, baking soda. When you close, add a closing kit and four more bottles of shock, run for 24 hours and cover it. Next spring, water will be crystal clear, and ready to start over. IF it does get green on you, don't sweat it......just add a few gallons of bleach at start, and once it's clear, put the opening kit in and wait a couple days and enjoy. :andy:
So that is big enough that freezing is not a problem?
(05-15-2018, 09:14 PM)Cure4CF Wrote: I’ve been debating on getting one for the past couple years. I hear there a lot of work. But it’s hot and the kids would love it. I would just be going above ground as I couldn’t afford an inground one. It would be from a pool place like Eastgate pools and spas or Watson. I had one of them cheapos and never could get that piece o shite level.
Who has one? Would you get another one? Anything I should be looking for when shopping for it? Thanks in advance!
I installed one last year. Got it from Home Depot, it's a Blue Wave Belize-- 15' x 52". Since my back yard isn't level, it took a massive amount of work for me to get the ground ready for the pool. I had to bust up a 17' x 17' piece of concrete then dig up the ground to get it close to level. I say close because i had to build the lower side up (something that no one recommends). So i did it by building a level box (kind of like a massive sand box) and i built the low end up by filling it with layers of the busted up concrete and some large cinder blocks and adding in the dug up earth. After i did all that, i had to build a retaining wall on the back and north side of the yard for support and to build the ground up to make it level. Through trial and error and redoing stuff, it took me 6 weeks to get it ready to install the pool. Because of my patience and ridiculous need for it to be perfect, i was able to get it to within 1/8" of being perfectly level (they say anything within 3" of level is acceptable) and it's not changed in the 9 months it's been filled--which is a good thing because i don't need 21 tons of water flowing down my back yard and flooding my neighbors yards.
It was a long, sweaty and physically demanding job but it is welllllll worth it when it's hot out and i can get in and cool off for hours. Fortunately, i had a nephew and father that were very helpful along the way.
I doubt you have such a large hill to climb (pun intended) so i would suggest doing what i did; watch lots and lots of videos of pool installations and stick to the time tested adage--measure 50 times, cut once. With all the hard labor behind me, i'm guessing i have several years of enjoyment ahead, and when this pool is in need of replacement, the second go round will be much easier.
"The measure of a man's intelligence can be seen in the length of his argument."
(05-16-2018, 03:47 PM)Wyche Wrote: I have a 32' above ground. Piece. Of. Cake. My neighbor showed me the ropes, and we hardly touch the thing all year round. Spend roughly 200-300 bucks a year on it. Start out with an opening kit, and 4 gallons of liquid shock. Put tabs in the skimmer and the floater as needed. If the pH drops on you, don't spend a fortune on pool chemicals, use baking soda....yes, baking soda. When you close, add a closing kit and four more bottles of shock, run for 24 hours and cover it. Next spring, water will be crystal clear, and ready to start over. IF it does get green on you, don't sweat it......just add a few gallons of bleach at start, and once it's clear, put the opening kit in and wait a couple days and enjoy. :andy:
I just opened mine for the first time and i was pleasantly surprised at how clean the water was. Then only thing i needed to add was a little bit of PH+ and some chlorine and it was ready to go the next day.
"The measure of a man's intelligence can be seen in the length of his argument."
(05-16-2018, 07:07 PM)Cure4CF Wrote: Thanks all! If I get one this year, probably would be a few years later before I built a deck around it.
You'll be surprised at how quick you want to get a deck around it. All that climbing in and out on a ladder wears on you and others real quick. I felt the same way as i was building it and now a deck is my big project this spring...probably starting on it this weekend if it doesn't rain.
One more thing...there are a lot of rules and regulations for pools. Make sure you read up on it a lot. Fencing and gates, bonding, dedicated GFCI outlet, where it goes, etc etc. It can seem a bit overwhelming at first. Not to mention permits and stuff (not that i bothered with that part) *hopes that no one from the city is reading this post*
"The measure of a man's intelligence can be seen in the length of his argument."
(05-16-2018, 05:56 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Pool Party at Wyche's. I'll bring the Natty Lights.
Come on down.....just lemme know, and I'll get the smoker fired up. :andy:
(05-16-2018, 06:17 PM)fredtoast Wrote: And I'll bring the beer.
:andy: +1
(05-16-2018, 06:19 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So that is big enough that freezing is not a problem?
Or do the chemicals keep it from freezing?
I drain mine around a foot below the skimmer.....so if it were to freeze, it won't be an issue. I live in central KY, so I don't think it would be cold enough in enough consecutive days to ever completely freeze. The thing with an above ground, or so I was told, is you need to leave enough water in it all times to provide pressure on the walls. Mine is completely surrounded by a deck, but you could get a huge gust of wind come through and push the walls of the pool in. It happened to my neighbor's when he had drained in order to put a new liner in, and his deck is similar to mine.....completely around with lattice work for concealment.
(05-17-2018, 03:38 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I installed one last year. Got it from Home Depot, it's a Blue Wave Belize-- 15' x 52". Since my back yard isn't level, it took a massive amount of work for me to get the ground ready for the pool. I had to bust up a 17' x 17' piece of concrete then dig up the ground to get it close to level. I say close because i had to build the lower side up (something that no one recommends). So i did it by building a level box (kind of like a massive sand box) and i built the low end up by filling it with layers of the busted up concrete and some large cinder blocks and adding in the dug up earth. After i did all that, i had to build a retaining wall on the back and north side of the yard for support and to build the ground up to make it level. Through trial and error and redoing stuff, it took me 6 weeks to get it ready to install the pool. Because of my patience and ridiculous need for it to be perfect, i was able to get it to within 1/8" of being perfectly level (they say anything within 3" of level is acceptable) and it's not changed in the 9 months it's been filled--which is a good thing because i don't need 21 tons of water flowing down my back yard and flooding my neighbors yards.
It was a long, sweaty and physically demanding job but it is welllllll worth it when it's hot out and i can get in and cool off for hours. Fortunately, i had a nephew and father that were very helpful along the way.
I doubt you have such a large hill to climb (pun intended) so i would suggest doing what i did; watch lots and lots of videos of pool installations and stick to the time tested adage--measure 50 times, cut once. With all the hard labor behind me, i'm guessing i have several years of enjoyment ahead, and when this pool is in need of replacement, the second go round will be much easier.
Nice work brother....that was quite a project. Thank goodness I didn't have to install mine, but they had to dig back into a hill, much easier than what you went through. They are nice after mowing the yard in those dog days of summer, no doubt. My kids love it.
I have a 16x32 inground. Pools are a breeze to maintain if you keep up with it, and especially if you use it regularly. The less you use it, the more opportunity for dirt and debris to settle from the water column onto the bottom of the pool. Get in there and swim regularly and it stays off the bottom and is able to be removed by the pool's filter. Additionally, you are more attune to what is going on with the water quality with regular use. If you don't get in the water for awhile, you might not notice that there was a haze developing as an indicator that there could be an algae bloom, or you might not notice a reduction of return water pressure signifying the filter needs cleaning.
My recommendations, if you choose to get one, is to go as big as you can afford. It's not like you can add size at a later date. Go with a sand filter, not D.E. or cartridge. While the latter filters do filter smaller particles, one cannot see or feel the difference, but there is a tremendous difference in ease of maintenance with a sand filter (as well as long term cost). If you can swing it in the initial investment, get a salt water system. Maintaining water quality is even easier as it essentially controls the chlorine for you. Finally, plan out your equipment arrangement in a way that allows future upgrades or ease of replacement. Consider the fact that equipment, valves, and pipes or hoses will eventually need replacement or repair; so try to envision what you will have to do to remove something. I myself just had to replace a cracked fitting that forced me to glue cut and glue in a 2" piece of PVC pipe because of the proximity of the preceeding piece of equipment. The only way to avoid it would have been to remove and re-plub 3 things. You may want a heater or heat pump to expand your swimming season, but with proper planning you can space things so it could be added at a later date.
I want to find out how many rednecks are on this board but I don’t know how. I know, I’ll ask about above ground pools.
“History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.”-Thurgood Marshall
Swimming pools are one of those things known as an "attractive nuisance". That means you should have a fence around it to keep kids out. You could actually be liable for a kid sneaking into your pool without you knowing and drowniing. Especially very young children.
(05-19-2018, 01:02 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Swimming pools are one of those things known as an "attractive nuisance". That means you should have a fence around it to keep kids out. You could actually be liable for a kid sneaking into your pool without you knowing and drowniing. Especially very young children.
Very true. When younger and we built an in ground pool, city required a 6ft fence around the pool.
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