Anyone on here have a pool?

[harpspitfire]

had an inground for 15 years now, would of been 25 years but wife and i had issues, she wanted it done, i wanted to do it- only way it got in was i do it,i won, one thing is labor is astronomical, so if you have any skills and can set up a large above ground pool, you could probably do an inground pool, thing is with mine (16X32) i dont have an 8' diving area, i just thought it useless for anything but diving into one specific area, plus the added maintenance , i designed mine where it starts shallow at both ends, then tapers to about a 6' center, you can virtually walk across it, you cant dive (or shouldnt) but you can jump into it, nice thing is you can play volleyball and other sport activities this way, you get to use the whole pool this way, with almost everywhere a 'safe' area

[Parlorman]

A guy in the town I grew up in build an indoor, in-ground pool with a game room, sauna, etc. His family never used it and one day he had the pool filled with concrete, took out all the other stuff and made it a man cave garage for his sports cars. He'd been threatening to do it but they never took him seriously.

[Gutch]

I'm in the Chicago area and have had an in-ground pool for around 15 years now (small-ish 13,000 gallon Fiberglass) that made our home the "go-to" place for the kids and their friends as they were growing up. It doesn't get used nearly as much as the past, but we still love having it at the ready when the mood strikes. It's a lot easier (and less expensive) to use/maintain than a decent sized boat on a lake.

From experience, here are a few considerations:

1. Contractor -- Be very diligent in researching who will build the pool for you. There are lots of shady operations in this business. Unfortunately, we contracted with one who came in, got halfway through the project, then disappeared. We had to threaten a lawsuit to get them back to finish the basic work and then hired a second team to complete the job.

2. Be Aware of All Construction and Operation Costs -- Your backyard may look pretty flat to you, but when putting in a pool you can quickly discover that additional landscape/hardscape work will need to be done to make the pool area level. Retaining walls around the pool site can add significant expense. Budget accordingly.

Likewise, keep in mind that the pump will need to run at least 12 hours a day, and the pool heater burns through a lot of natural gas. The better the efficiency of your equipment, the more reasonable your monthly utility bills (see #3).

3. Don't Go Cheap On Equipment -- Quality pumps/Filters/Heaters are easier to maintain and operate, and last longer. New technology & energy efficient systems can save you significant $$ in operating costs. What you invest today can save a bunch of money over the years in reduced electric/gas bills.

4. Learn How To Open/Close Your Pool -- The first year we had the pool, we hired a local service to open & close the pool (at $500 expense each time). Watching them work, asking lots of questions and doing some internet research let me take on this task from then on. It's somewhat laborious but not difficult work.

5. Maintenance -- It's not difficult at all to maintain proper chlorine/pH levels. You can buy a complete testing kit for around $100 that looks at all the things that need to be tested (free chlorine, combined chlorine, pH, calcium, etc.). We go out every other Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and the kit, sit at the poolside with our feet dangling in the water and run the tests. It's easy, relaxing and actually kind of fun. The little test strips are perfect for quick checks between the big tests and, once the system is balanced, you can reduce the frequency of the full testing routine to once a month or so.

6. Chemicals -- We use a Chlorine feeder attached to the mechanicals. Once a week we reload it with 3" pucks. A 50 pound bucket of Tri-Chlor pucks runs about $100 and lasts all season. As for pH balancing, we go cheap -- Baking Soda or Borax depending on whether the pH needs to go up or down. Muriatic Acid is sometimes needed (especially at the beginning of the season), and that can be found at your local hardware store. The stuff they sell at the pool shops is essentially the same thing but a lot more expensive.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. I'm happy to help if I can. Good luck and dive in!!!!

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by TominNJ

We had an above ground and it was used a lot when the kids were small. We stayed away from an in ground pool because of the real estate tax increase (taxes here are absurd). There are also liability and increased homeowner insurance costs to consider. You're married to an inground pool after it's installed. Not easy to get rid of it.

I lived with an inground pool for a few years at a house share.

We were offered a rent reduction in exchange for taking on pool-maintainance.
After reading the book on how to keep a pool happy, and especially the chapter on how to turn it from green back to blue water, we paid full rent and watched the hired pool service crew every week do their thing.

They are alot of work - stuff falls from the sky into the water, and there is a daily skimming that probably wants to happen, even with a robotic pool cleaner in place.

Now for the what to do when you're tired of it -
An unused inground pool can be emptied and used for other purposes. I'd rope around the edges to keep folks from falling in, and then fill the deep end with chairs for a jam. hang art on the walls.

[flaggerphil]

I had a 15x30 above ground pool for about 15 years when I lived in WV. We used it every summer...first kids then grandkids. My wife and I used it all the time. Biggest pain was closing it for winter then getting it going again in the summer, but it was worth it.

Here in FL I have an in ground pool and screened in patio...we've had it for the five years we've been in the house. We have a solar heating system and the pool is open year round. Kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews (and me) all use the pool and every year we have Thanksgiving dinner pool side. I don't take care of it anymore but have a pool service come in once a week...$85 a month. The pool also has a self contained vacuum system. Well worth it, IMHO.

[chitz]

I guess we're lucky here in Flarriduh, we don't open & close pools.