Need advice regarding swimming pool maintenance

[PaulGH]

Thanks, everyone, for the information. I called a local pool company a little while ago, and they are going to come out some time in the next couple of weeks to get the pool cleaned up for us, and to check all the equipment and to show us how to maintain it. We are going to give it a try for this summer, unless we find out there is some problem with the pool that is too expensive to fix.

 

[dixieagle]

I just want to point out that you will want to be sure that you have a way to keep neighborhood children from wandering into the pool and suffering injury or drowning.

There are often regulations about fencing, etc., but might vary depending upon whether it’s an in-ground or above-ground pool. Something like this is an “attractive nuisance” in legal terms, and you will want to be sure that you have plenty of liability coverage, in case (not generally very expensive.)

 

[felsguy]

I’ve had a 28,000 gallon in-ground pool for 24 years…and have been in it myself about five times total …and three of those time were to paint or repair it when it was empty…but my kids and their friends loved it when they lived at home…and my wife who swims daily in the summer credits it with keeping her alive after some serious heart problems.

Anyhow, assuming that there are no major mechanical issues, maintaining your pool should not be all that difficult once you get it in shape as long as you’re willing to learn at least the basics of pool chemistry and can spend a little time on a regular basis to keep it clean. There is a wealth of printed and on-line material available and I’ve found my local pool supply store to be extremely helpful with free information and problem solving.

Pool size will affect the costs of chemicals and the amount of labor required. Mine requires $400-500 a season and 2-3 hours a week plus at least a full day to open and close it.

Finally, if you go on vacation or away for any length of time be sure to get a friend or neighbor to at least add the basic chemicals…otherwise you’ll be back in the soup…literally.

 

[CradleJourney]

Sounds like you got some great answers and have a plan

Just wanted to add my experience to the mix - we had an above ground pool and got rid of it.

The reasons:

1. We had small children - which meant if they were in the pool, I had to be in the pool. But someone always had to go to the bathroom, or the baby woke up, or something - so when I got out, had to make all of them get out. Definitely a PITB.
2. We had mature hardwood trees - lots of them which meant two things - first, having to vacuum and skim the pool several times a week (leaves, twigs, seeds, walnuts, etc.) and second, the water temperature was rarely above 70 degrees - very cold water for everything except the very hottest days.
3. It was rather small (4’ x 14’, I believe) and so the bigger kids actually got bored with it rather quickly when it was warm enough to get in.
4. We always removed the ladder when not in use, but still always worried about neighbor kids getting in there and possibly drowning.

So several hours of maintenance plus the $ for only a few hours of enjoyment a week during the season made it definitely not worth it for us.

Hopefully with what sounds like a warmer climate, you’ll have better success and much enjoyment from yours!

 

[PaulGH]

I just want to point out that you will want to be sure that you have a way to keep neighborhood children from wandering into the pool and suffering injury or drowning.

There are often regulations about fencing, etc., but might vary depending upon whether it’s an in-ground or above-ground pool. Something like this is an “attractive nuisance” in legal terms, and you will want to be sure that you have plenty of liability coverage, in case (not generally very expensive.)

Thanks for the concern. That is already taken care of. The pool is built on a hillside. On the side where the ground is higher, there is a deck with a fence which blocks access to the pool, and we have a padlock on the gate. On the side where the ground is lower, someone would have to climb the side of the pool, which is about 5 feet high, so it is unlikely that a little kid would be able to do that. Also, we live out in the country, with few close neighbors. So I think the main safety issue will be watching our own kids in the pool, and keeping the gate locked so that our own little ones don’t wander into the pool unsupervised. Also, I am pretty sure that our homeowner’s insurance has us covered for liability.

 

[christopher1992]

Hi Paul,
Maintaining an above ground pool is pretty easy. So I am recommending you to choose the first option. You don’t need to pay huge bills for maintenance and cleaning. If you can schedule weekly maintenance then it will be best for you. If you don’t have much knowledge about swimming pools, then you should seek some advice from professionals who have experience in this field. It will help you to get better idea about pool maintenance procedures. First of all you need to hire a swimming pool maintenance companies like ferraripools.com for a complete pool inspection.