Calling experienced pool owners

jeremymarcinko

So I need help making good decisions here. We’ve been on a wait list for months to get an in ground pool installed and it’s finally our turn, but I’m not sure what options I should choose.

Definitely getting a 16x32 steel wall/liner pool. But with 4 kids ranging from 1-11 years old I can’t decide on the depths.
Considering 3.5’ to 5.5’ on the deep end but maybe I should go deeper. Thoughts?

Salt Chlorination $2000 upcharge, worth it?

Gas Heater or Heat Pump-$1200 upcharge

White light or Color-$800 upcharge...this seem stupid expensive

How much deck would you recommend? 4ft concrete perimeter is included...think I’d need 6 to 7 ft at least on one side.

rooftop59

We have one about the size, came with the house. @steveinaz should have some advice. My four kids are 5-12, but at the deepest point ours is 6 feet and that’s nice size a. we have this awesometastic circa 80s slide and b. the kids favorite game right now if for daddy to them as high into the air as I can (over and over and again) so I like having that depth.

I would go with as big a deck as you can fit and afford.

With a 1 year old I would strongly suggest a fence.

jeremymarcinko

Fence is definitely happening. HOA requires it, township etc. We do have to figure out something to eliminate access from the patio for the little guy though.

Do you think 3.5’ is too shallow for a shallow end?

steveinaz

No need for a depth beyond 5.5ft for a non-diving pool. Nobody likes to endlessly tred water in the deep end. SWCG's will save alot of daily maintenance, and will allow you to travel and NOT have to have a "pool-sitter." A heaters up-front costs are no where near as bad as their operating cost. This is an above ground pool correct? Where do you live?

rooftop59

jeremymarcinko wrote: »

Fence is definitely happening. HOA requires it, township etc. We do have to figure out something to eliminate access from the patio for the little guy though.

Do you think 3.5’ is too shallow for a shallow end?

Nah I think that’s fine. I pretty sure ours is 32x16 (slight figure 8 shape) and I haven’t measured but I would guess ours is 3.5 at each end and about 6 in the middle where the slide pours out.

Biggest thing besides the fence (which we don’t have and it does concern me) is to get them all good swim lessons stat!

msg

I liked a deeper pool when I was a kid, 8ft I think.

But yeah, good point on the treading.

Guess the question is, is it for active playing around or just hanging out? Is it primarily for kids or adults? Kids and adults will have different perspectives on what's fun. Kids are going to want to dive in from the side if there's not a diving board, even if you tell them not to. Kids like to play the dive and collect games, like with rings, torpedoes, and stuff.

mrbiron

msg wrote: »

I liked a deeper pool when I was a kid, 8ft I think.

You were 8' when you were a kid?!

Jeremy, Don't listen to this guy. He likes to superglue himself, to himself...

rooftop59

msg wrote: »

I liked a deeper pool when I was a kid, 8ft I think.

But yeah, good point on the treading.

Guess the question is, is it for active playing around or just hanging out? Is it primarily for kids or adults? Kids and adults will have different perspectives on what's fun. Kids are going to want to dive in from the side if there's not a diving board, even if you tell them not to. Kids like to play the dive and collect games, like with rings, torpedoes, and stuff.

After the make dad Toss us until he can’t lift his arms anymore, my kids second favorite pool game is diving for rings and other pool toys, but that’s mainly the littles (8 and under) so 6 feet is plenty deep it seems. I don’t know if my 12 year old would be more inclined to dive if it was deeper or not...

msg

Yeah, 6ft is probably good. With the steel side designs, around here, the sides usually begin to taper in toward the 8ft floor after about 4ft down, so it's not 8ft straight down like with concrete or, I presume, fiber pools.

Willow

Ours is 3.5 to 6ft. Non diving pool. Ask for a concrete base or something other than just sand. Don't want roots or other things busting your liner. We went salt but even now days you can get something like tru blue or something like that... our salt generator is toast after 4 years. It's a Hayward... We have a gas heater, it's needed up here if we want to swim, usually from May to end of October. We have 2 pool lights. Rarely used but when we do use them it makes a big difference in the ambiance of the back yard.

Sorry here you go

https://www.clearblueionizer.com/en/home/

jeremymarcinko

So the pool will be an in ground and we’re in Ohio so I’m guessing May to Early October if we keep the heat on.

I’m not sure the heat pumps heat as well as the gas, so I don’t want to pay more for a unit that really doesn’t do the job, even if it costs less to operate.

We aren’t getting a diving board, but figure the kids can cannonball of the deck.

Never heard of tru blu I’ll research that.

I’ve heard the “SWCGs” don’t hold up...wife really wants it..says it’ll be better for her skin and hair

Willow

Get gas over heat pump. You can heat it up pretty darn hot if you want to. My brother has a heat pump and he has a shorter window to swim. The ionizer is less work. My brother tosses in about 2-3 tabs of chlorine a year, that's it nothing else. He has to replace the ionizer probe once every year or two but at $75. I have no regrets getting the lights installed, they were halogen but now are par36 led. You can look into alternative lights like led floating balls or pucks.

sucks2beme

In Dallas they didn't use heaters, they did toss in bags of ice sometimes.
It's normally like bath water. Memphis isn't much better.
Up north, it's a must if you want any use out of it.

audioluvr

I have a small above ground 16' round and I cover it with 6 mil black plastic when I'm not using it:
Heats up the water fast
Keeps out the bugs and leaves
Prevent algae growth, evaporation and clorine dissipation.
Yes, it's Redneck. You're welcome

msg

It'd be a welcome dip after mowin' the lawn on 90s+ days with humidity!

polrbehr

I agree with 5-6' as a maximum depth for a family pool, though if you ever change your mind and decide you want a diving board, you're SOL. If it were me (and budget allowed it), I would consider an "Ell" shape, with a separate 8-10' deep area (16x16?) just for diving/games. If the planned area for the pool has enough full sun during the day, you should get 4 months a year without a heater; we usually opened ours May 15 and closed a week or two after Labor Day. We are on LI, but we were OK with temps in the low 80's.

jeremymarcinko

We’re pretty much set on the plain rectangle, I don’t know about other parts of the country but pools in Central Ohio are rather pricey, I think. We have to keep the waters edge 15ft from the property line and on the other side of the lawn are the utilities. So a 16x32 is what fits without additional expenses/permissions etc.

steveinaz

SWCG's will need a new cell every 3-5yrs IF you do a good job maintaining your water chemistry. The water is much softer, it's easier on your eyes and skin. Cost of a new cell would be less than what you spend on chlorine, and you won't have the CYA over saturation. Both of our pools had SWCG's and I'd never build a pool without it. I don't know how SWCG's "play" with liner type pools, so research that, and any possible problems. Also, salt can be added to ANY standard pool (Usually about 3400ppm) to make the water soft, provided your hardware can handle salt water---and most modern pools can. Get a solar blanket for your pool; heating a 12-13k gallon pool is an EXPENSIVE proposition.

Priority 1: Buy a Taylor water test kit. Part # K2006. It will be the best $65 you ever spent. Join the "Trouble Free Pool Forum".

Derf

Search for Baby Barrier fence. Sturdy, durable, easily access pool by an adult. We are down in SW Florida, don’t know if that brand is specific to this area, but you’ll get the idea. Our pools are open year round, and all pool builders and maintenance people recommend salt water. I’ve had both, much prefer salt. Less maintenance overall.

gyosa

My pool .....






It’s still chlorine......

“......I’ve heard the “SWCGs” don’t hold up...wife really wants it..says it’ll be better for her skin and hair “

Bk

steveinaz

Very nice! I like the pebbletech finish.

Mikey081057

Salt is better and insist on a Pentair SG

LaMotte test kits are vg

A regular light is fine if the pool bottom and sides have a nice color

Expect to change the liner in 10 years

Get a variable speed pump it saves a lot of money and more than pays for itself.

Not sure if it does in cooler climates but wort researching unless you have sweepers which require higher pressure. I had one of those systems and i do not recommend as the "brain" fails every 2-3 years and is expensive to replace.

Better to get a Dolphin pool vac and nix the sweepers

https://www.poolbots.com/robotic-pool-cleaner-brands/dolphin-robotic-pool-cleaners?gclid=CjwKCAjwm_P5BRAhEiwAwRzSO3cebdmxziH49OFOGA97Pn1UxsVmMDI54QWxW0RBvbY6CaJEMGL5hxoCsy8QAvD_BwE

Mikey081057

And regarding Pentair I think if you have 3 pentair devices installed together Filter, light, pump, salt gen etc that they double their warranty on all devices. My Salt Generator is over 5 years old now and it is used 12 mos. out of the year.

Mikey081057

Correction I dont see the warranty double anymore... Just rebates

steveinaz

All of my equipment is Pentair. I'm running the IC40 for my 13k pool. Agree 100% on the Dolphin's. Rarely has a product lived up to the hype, but my Dolphin Saturn has been fantastic and well worth the investment. We get a ton of leaves year-round from my neighbors HUGE Desert Willow. It sheds leaves constantly. The Dolphin does a great job cleaning them up.

Also THUMBS UP to the new variable speed pumps. Saves tons of electric and runs much quieter.

jeremymarcinko

Thanks for the information guys.

Definitely going to check out the baby barrier and the Dolphin.

I think we’re kinda stuck on the Hayward equipment as that’s who they sell in their store and included in the package.

I do think we’ll get the salt chlorination system installed. In the grand scheme of things saving $2000 doesn’t seem significant. I do hope to get a few years from it though.

I know nothing about the chemicals or testing the water, but I have you tube.

Our builder is supposed to come out today and mark it out. He did mention the need to install a sump system/perimeter drains to handle our ground water, which I think we have ton of. Our basement has two sump pumps that run continuously during and after a good rain. I’m am a little concerned about this and hope whatever they do is sufficient.

They use a vermiculite floor/base and not concrete. He says the concrete settles too much in our area and cracks which then tears the liner. The vermiculite is more like a hard clay but soft and pliable enough that it’s not going to tear the liner. However I’ve read a high water table can bleed through vermiculite and float the liner.

I guess I really have to trust my builder here but I’m going to ask a bunch of questions during this install.

steveinaz

Wish I could help more on that type of pool shell, but I'm clueless on those. The salt "cells" are easily replaceable, they just have a couple of unions connecting them for easy replacement. You can always bypass it if it ends up not being your cup-of-tea, and start manually chlorinating. I put a bypass tube in my system during the winter, since the pool water has to be above 54 degrees for the SWCG to produce chlorine. I use that opportunity to clean and store the cell for the next swim season. I just use plain clorox in the winter to keep a little chlorine in the water without adding CYA.

Trouble Free Pools website has information from the ground, up. Great training on chemicals, maintaining water balance, equipment, etc, etc.

Willow

jeremymarcinko wrote: »

Thanks for the information guys.

Definitely going to check out the baby barrier and the Dolphin.

I think we’re kinda stuck on the Hayward equipment as that’s who they sell in their store and included in the package.

I do think we’ll get the salt chlorination system installed. In the grand scheme of things saving $2000 doesn’t seem significant. I do hope to get a few years from it though.

I know nothing about the chemicals or testing the water, but I have you tube.

Our builder is supposed to come out today and mark it out. He did mention the need to install a sump system/perimeter drains to handle our ground water, which I think we have ton of. Our basement has two sump pumps that run continuously during and after a good rain. I’m am a little concerned about this and hope whatever they do is sufficient.

They use a vermiculite floor/base and not concrete. He says the concrete settles too much in our area and cracks which then tears the liner. The vermiculite is more like a hard clay but soft and pliable enough that it’s not going to tear the liner. However I’ve read a high water table can bleed through vermiculite and float the liner.

I guess I really have to trust my builder here but I’m going to ask a bunch of questions during this install.

Maybe that's what it is called. it's better than a sand base. Ours is not exactly concrete but something hard and pliable. As for the chems, you can go to the pool store and have them test it every week or two to get a true reading and in between you can use the test strips. Your main ones you will adjust are chlorine and PH (from my experience)

Mikey081057

I have an automation system that controls my pump, solar heat valve, chlorinator and lighting...It works great

https://www.pentair.com/en/products/pool-spa-equipment/pool-automation/screenlogic2_interfaceforintellitouchandeasytouchautomationsystems.html

jeremymarcinko

Solar heat valve? Is that like the canuter valve for pools? I think of solar heat as the sun heating the pool, no?

Clearly I don’t know enough yet to understand that automated system.

steveinaz

It's probably a good idea to have them at least "plumb" in solar in case you want to add it later. Think of it like "solar prep" kit. It's extremely cheap, and you just bypass it with a valve until you decide you want solar.

Mikey's valve is electronically controlled.