Yes: Pools are worth it....

[Atxracer 797]

2 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

Any recommendations on pool builders in Houston? 

Not technically in Houston but we always used Rainey Pools when we were there and they are fantastic.  They are off 45 around the league city exit.  

[RedDirtTexan 209]

We have this POS pump timer. Anyone have recs on a digital version? Are any made that can be utilized with a phone app? I'm lazy AF and don't like messing with this. Thanks!

[Incredulity 11675]

Fucking Pinterest and the quarantine have got it in my wife's head that we can have a pool in within 6 weeks.

 

Furk.

 

I'm taking this one to the mat.  Nope, Nope, NOPE.

[El Tri 412]

52 minutes ago, joe dirt said:

nope. backyard build area is basically a flat, 60’x50’ rectangle of nothing but grass. we had a quick chat and he did a redesign more inline with the design aspects we discussed and within our budget. still waiting on the other 3 companies before we decide which direction to go. i’m already hating this process and we haven’t really even begun. 

it's going to be a fucking pain in the ass. things will go off-schedule, you'll run into issues. the permits and inspections will take fucking forever.

my pool was to be completed my memorial day 2019. it was finally finished at the end of september and we had a whole wasted summer.

it's all worth it now but it will be stressful

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

Be prepared for the neighbors to be dicks.  When I first married the last ex we lived in Sugar Land.  The neighbors decided to build a pool and they had the bring in the equipment between our two houses.  That meant they had to take down part of our fence and tear up a little of our lawn.  It was a little inconvenient, but the contractor put everything back like it was so no problem.  A couple of years later we decided to put in a pool.  We brought the equipment in the same place and had to take down part of their fence and tear up a little of their yard.  No problem right.  Guess again, when it was all done our contractor had to redo their fence three times and replace the grass twice because they kept bitching that it wasn't just right.  It ended up costing me about an extra $900 just to shut them up.  So fuck people, given the chance they will always be dicks and try to screw you. 

[El Tri 412]

1 hour ago, Incredulity said:

Fucking Pinterest and the quarantine have got it in my wife's head that we can have a pool in within 6 weeks.

 

Furk.

 

I'm taking this one to the mat.  Nope, Nope, NOPE.

there's zero fucking chance that will happen. you'd be lucky to have the city approve your permit within 6 weeks, and that's assuming you've already got a pool builder lined up with full architectural plans ready to submit for permit approval

[Incredulity 11675]

13 minutes ago, El Tri said:

there's zero fucking chance that will happen. you'd be lucky to have the city approve your permit within 6 weeks, and that's assuming you've already got a pool builder lined up with full architectural plans ready to submit for permit approval

oh, believe me I know.  

[Player 4575]

Any recommendations on pool builders in Houston? 

What part of town?

[williemackgarza 1826]

Just started excavation on mine yesterday.
Looking at 6 weeks build if all goes ”relatively” smoothly.
Hired a buddy pool builder.
Since I have a GC construction business will handle lots of stuff with my guys.
We already ran into issue 1 and have to move the pool a few feet after 75% of excavation complete. And breaking rock which was more than I thought would be here on the east end of round rock (east of I35}.
And yankee neighbor has already started crying. Crew started today at 7:35a and by 7:37 he was crying it was too early.
Salt, leueder coping, and concrete with that cool deck.
Would like limestone deck but with young kiddos and salt will probably go cool deck rout. My wife wanted light almost white travertine or limestone.
We can do some cool looking stamped concrete but prolly just cool deck it, unless yall have some ideas.
Hey smalls if you dont mind telling, what color is that plaster. My wife wants Jewelscapes windsurfer which is supposed to look similarly green like yours.

[Dahobbs 17534]

3 hours ago, Player said:

 

What part of town?

 

Heights. 

[Player 4575]

We used Supreme Pools

https://supremepoolsandspas.net/what-we-offer/

at our current house, and are about to use them again to build the pool at a new house. Very easy to work with, stayed on schedule, and other than having to replace various equipment over 16 yrs, we’ve never had any issues with the pool.

[bernorange 8362]

22 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

Any recommendations on pool builders in Houston? 

https://aquasportpools.com/

[MonkeyDoughnut 10240]

On 5/19/2020 at 10:08 AM, Dahobbs said:

Any recommendations on pool builders in Houston? 

Grand Isle building ours as we speak, but from day 1 has been great to work with.  They came highly recommended to us as well from neighbors.  

http://www.grandislepools.com/

[HouTex 1867]

Just started excavation on mine yesterday.
Looking at 6 weeks build if all goes ”relatively” smoothly.
Hired a buddy pool builder.
Since I have a GC construction business will handle lots of stuff with my guys.
We already ran into issue 1 and have to move the pool a few feet after 75% of excavation complete. And breaking rock which was more than I thought would be here on the east end of round rock (east of I35}.
And yankee neighbor has already started crying. Crew started today at 7:35a and by 7:37 he was crying it was too early.
Salt, leueder coping, and concrete with that cool deck.
Would like limestone deck but with young kiddos and salt will probably go cool deck rout. My wife wanted light almost white travertine or limestone.
We can do some cool looking stamped concrete but prolly just cool deck it, unless yall have some ideas.
Hey smalls if you dont mind telling, what color is that plaster. My wife wants Jewelscapes windsurfer which is supposed to look similarly green like yours.

At least once a week during swim season I would hose off my coping and decking to wash off any salt residue. I recommend you do that. Also, add borates (unless your kids or dogs drink a lot of pool water). The water feels great and even smells great. Check out the forums at troublefreepool.com.

[freyguy 4273]

I would worry about the longevity of your generator.  Don’t skimp on that, nor the pool cleaner, and make sure the jet hookup is far away from any steps or ledges.  You don’t want to spend $400-600 on one, only to have it get stuck in a corner or on a step most of the time.  I stuck with chlorine because I didn’t want my deck falling apart.

[Gator Dave 14]

Has anyone had an existing pool enlarged? House shopping now, really want a pool, but the pools at houses in our area trend on the smaller side. Just curious if that's even feasible, and how cost effective it would be, cheaper or more expensive than building one from scratch, because I could see it both ways.

And I don't mean a complete renovation of the whole thing, I mean trying to keep as much of the existing pool as possible, and just extending one end or side to better maximize pool space.

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Gator Dave

[Incredulity 11675]

2 hours ago, Gator Dave said:

Has anyone had an existing pool enlarged? House shopping now, really want a pool, but the pools at houses in our area trend on the smaller side. Just curious if that's even feasible, and how cost effective it would be, cheaper or more expensive than building one from scratch, because I could see it both ways.

And I don't mean a complete renovation of the whole thing, I mean trying to keep as much of the existing pool as possible, and just extending one end or side to better maximize pool space.

 

I would be suspicious of anyone who told you that doing so would be any easily achievable feat and not almost as expensive as a whole pool.  Any expansion of a masonry pool is going to have to be reinforced structurally into the existing  rebar reinforcement system, so its not as simple as additional area work.  

[tbone_ 14125]

Yea that’s gonna be a huge pita for not much benefit.

[Horn of Gabriel 1614]

3 hours ago, Gator Dave said:

Has anyone had an existing pool enlarged? House shopping now, really want a pool, but the pools at houses in our area trend on the smaller side. Just curious if that's even feasible, and how cost effective it would be, cheaper or more expensive than building one from scratch, because I could see it both ways.

And I don't mean a complete renovation of the whole thing, I mean trying to keep as much of the existing pool as possible, and just extending one end or side to better maximize pool space.

 

I actually looked into this.  Our pool is decently sized but the wife wanted it bigger (phrasing!).  I called a few pool companies about knocking a wall out and extending it, and they all basically said the same thing: bad idea.  Most wouldn't even entertain it because of the liability - if something fails when you merge the old and new construction they can't really warranty that.  Second, you don't really gain a whole lot, because they're going to need to redo plumbing for the pool when it's bigger (meaning they have to go under the pool most likely), and meshing the who-knows-how-old construction with the new is a real issue.  They all recommended that if you want a bigger pool, demo out the old one and start fresh.  Problem there is that  it's going to be 20k+ just to demo the old pool, and yes you get a hole in the ground but you can dig the hole in the ground for a lot less than that.  So bottom line: it's risky and expensive to add real estate to an existing pool and most won't do it.  You can dig it up and start over for a billion dollars.  We ended up standing pat.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10240]

With Samsung news that they now offer outdoor rated TVs, what's everyone's opinion on these outdoor TVs?  Crazy expensive, I know many using indoor units and just replacing every few years.

There are multiple solutions to use indoor units and case/cover/replace, but they tend to be..well... butt ugly.

Anyone actually spend the bucks on an outdoor unit?  Worth it or not?  

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/21/21266136/samsung-terrace-4k-qled-outdoor-tv-specs-price

[Hate 20108]

Imo, it’s not worth it unless there is absolutely no cover above where the TV will hang. And if that’s the case, the only time you will want to sit out there anyway is when the weather is nice. May-Oct you won’t be able to sit in the sun in Texas and watch TV.

[Dahobbs 17534]

1 hour ago, Hate said:

Imo, it’s not worth it unless there is absolutely no cover above where the TV will hang. And if that’s the case, the only time you will want to sit out there anyway is when the weather is nice. May-Oct you won’t be able to sit in the sun in Texas and watch TV.

Yup, this. Not worth it. The only real advantage this might have is being brighter, but my experience is that plenty of LED screens offer the necessary brightness so long as you have some cover over it. 

[freyguy 4273]

You can't beat deals at Target, Best Buy, etc for 55" smart TVs <$400.  Every piece of electronic is going to degrade outside.  Go with cheap.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10240]

Thanks, that's what I was hoping. I've got cover so would much rather go cheap and see how goes.

[Poolflood 845]

12 hours ago, Gator Dave said:

Has anyone had an existing pool enlarged? House shopping now, really want a pool, but the pools at houses in our area trend on the smaller side. Just curious if that's even feasible, and how cost effective it would be, cheaper or more expensive than building one from scratch, because I could see it both ways.

And I don't mean a complete renovation of the whole thing, I mean trying to keep as much of the existing pool as possible, and just extending one end or side to better maximize pool space.

 

Don't do it

[hornbri 1398]

1 hour ago, freyguy said:

You can't beat deals at Target, Best Buy, etc for 55" smart TVs <$400.  Every piece of electronic is going to degrade outside.  Go with cheap.

Just adding another one to this. I have always used cheap tv's from target or Costco and they have worked out fine for outside. 

[Hate 20108]

Also, make sure you get a sound bar with a bluetooth bass speaker.  It's perfect for playing music by the pool or for watching TV.  I probably watch TV more outside than inside these days.  I watched most of the "The Last Dance" from the spa.  Early season football games and big golf tournaments are also great from the pool. 

[williemackgarza 1826]

Going with a small slide/grotto with jump rock for the kids. 2-3ft drop off rock to water. Minimum depth? Pool guy says 6, but had to loose some depth by moving a wall over so maybe closer to 5 ft. If i go deeper i may loose some shallower swim area.

[rage-a-holic 4401]

10 minutes ago, williemackgarza said:

Going with a small slide/grotto with jump rock for the kids. 2-3ft drop off rock to water. Minimum depth? Pool guy says 6, but had to loose some depth by moving a wall over so maybe closer to 5 ft. If i go deeper i may loose some shallower swim area.

Unless your family consists of crippled old people, go as deep as you can. I have neighbors that come over from their dinky 5 foot sport pools just so they can do a real dive off a diving board in mine. They all got the same spiel from their builders about how great shallow sport pools are (shallow sport pools are the easiest money makers for pool builders in Austin).

[Lobwedgephil 1139]

5 hours ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

With Samsung news that they now offer outdoor rated TVs, what's everyone's opinion on these outdoor TVs?  Crazy expensive, I know many using indoor units and just replacing every few years.

There are multiple solutions to use indoor units and case/cover/replace, but they tend to be..well... butt ugly.

Anyone actually spend the bucks on an outdoor unit?  Worth it or not?  

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/21/21266136/samsung-terrace-4k-qled-outdoor-tv-specs-price

I like the look of this for being very bright and the anti-reflection. At this point I would rather just get the brightest, cheapest tv and replace it three times. I will keep an eye in these in hopes for price drops in a few years, and they are cheaper than Sunbrite tv's. 

[Quagmire 2147]

Thanks, that's what I was hoping. I've got cover so would much rather go cheap and see how goes.

I’ve had one on my covered patio for 10 years, had to replace it about 2 years ago . That was only do to a crazy storm where rain was blowing sideways. Actually bought a cover for it this time so I should be good now.

[Texas St. Armadillos 1381]

About to close in my new house. Will be a first time pool owner.  Any tips or necessary reading?   Saw some Pool School videos on YouTube.  I know there will be expense and maintenance,  just dont want to get buttf$%#ed at the pool store.

[HouTex 1867]

2 hours ago, Texas St. Armadillos said:

About to close in my new house. Will be a first time pool owner.  Any tips or necessary reading?   Saw some Pool School videos on YouTube.  I know there will be expense and maintenance,  just dont want to get buttf$%#ed at the pool store.

Check out troublefreepools.com.  I was a disciple when I had my pool.  They stress using liquid chlorine or do a salt pool with a saltwater chlorine generator.  I had a salt pool and I loved it.  But don't do salt if you have soft stone around your pool.  It will erode it.  

The problem with using chlorine pucks or sticks is that they have cyanuric (sp?) acid.  As CYA is added to the pool it requires more and more chlorine as the CYA increases.  Eventually, if you don't dilute it by draining water and adding fresh water, you will likely get an algae outbreak and it will be a pain in the ass to get rid of.  The forums at troublefreepools explain this in depth.  There are some chemistry geeks on that site who seem to know what they are talking about.  

Another factor is whether you have a sand or cartridge filter.  If you have a sand filter you might get away with using chlorine pucks or sticks because you are backwashing and adding fresh water often enough to keep the CYA within manageable levels.  But if you have a cartridge filter, and especially if you don't get much rain, the CYA level will continue to increase and it will become problematic.  

I had a cartridge filter that I cleaned twice a year and a salt water chlorine generator.  I also had a Polaris 280 vacuum--it requires a dedicated pump.  The Polaris kept my pool extremely clean.  The Polaris along with the salt water chlorine generator allowed me to forego a pool guy altogether.  The one downside to the saltwater pool (other than the problem with soft stone work around the pool) is that you have to add a little muriatic acid every couple of weeks because the chlorine generation process causes the pH to rise over time.  It's nasty stuff, but it's cheap.  All in though, after the initial $800-$1000 or so investment in the salt water generator and salt, I spent about $10 per month on my pool for acid, extra salt, and CYA, and it took very little time actually dealing with the pool, like brushing the plaster and checking the skimmers.  And no matter what you do, add borates to your pool--unless your kids/pets like to drink a lot of pool water.  I really miss my pool.

[joe dirt 285]

is there a consensus on which pool equipment i should lean toward? of the 4 builders we’ve met with, 2 are pushing jandy, and 1 each for pentair and hayward.

[gyroprotagonist 2592]

On 5/23/2020 at 6:46 PM, HouTex said:

Check out troublefreepools.com.  I was a disciple when I had my pool.  They stress using liquid chlorine or do a salt pool with a saltwater chlorine generator.  I had a salt pool and I loved it.  But don't do salt if you have soft stone around your pool.  It will erode it.  

The problem with using chlorine pucks or sticks is that they have cyanuric (sp?) acid.  As CYA is added to the pool it requires more and more chlorine as the CYA increases.  Eventually, if you don't dilute it by draining water and adding fresh water, you will likely get an algae outbreak and it will be a pain in the ass to get rid of.  The forums at troublefreepools explain this in depth.  There are some chemistry geeks on that site who seem to know what they are talking about.  

Another factor is whether you have a sand or cartridge filter.  If you have a sand filter you might get away with using chlorine pucks or sticks because you are backwashing and adding fresh water often enough to keep the CYA within manageable levels.  But if you have a cartridge filter, and especially if you don't get much rain, the CYA level will continue to increase and it will become problematic.  

I had a cartridge filter that I cleaned twice a year and a salt water chlorine generator.  I also had a Polaris 280 vacuum--it requires a dedicated pump.  The Polaris kept my pool extremely clean.  The Polaris along with the salt water chlorine generator allowed me to forego a pool guy altogether.  The one downside to the saltwater pool (other than the problem with soft stone work around the pool) is that you have to add a little muriatic acid every couple of weeks because the chlorine generation process causes the pH to rise over time.  It's nasty stuff, but it's cheap.  All in though, after the initial $800-$1000 or so investment in the salt water generator and salt, I spent about $10 per month on my pool for acid, extra salt, and CYA, and it took very little time actually dealing with the pool, like brushing the plaster and checking the skimmers.  And no matter what you do, add borates to your pool--unless your kids/pets like to drink a lot of pool water.  I really miss my pool.

yeah, i just finished lowering the CYA level by running the backwash for extended periods of time.  basically run it till the water level gets right to point where the skimmer ports are then let it fill up again.  repeat.  

my polaris just bit the dust so ordered a new 280.  The old lasted 7 years or so, but got tired of spending money on spare parts and just seeing the performance keep degrading.

Also, if you are going to do your own chems, spend the money on the Taylor test kit list this one: one with FAS-DPD for measuring chlorine levels

[Poolflood 845]

12 hours ago, joe dirt said:

is there a consensus on which pool equipment i should lean toward? of the 4 builders we’ve met with, 2 are pushing jandy, and 1 each for pentair and hayward.

They're all basically the same.  Each has their pros/cons.  Make sure your main pump is variable speed.  

[Hate 20108]

yeah, i just finished lowering the CYA level by running the backwash for extended periods of time.  basically run it till the water level gets right to point where the skimmer ports are then let it fill up again.  repeat.  
my polaris just bit the dust so ordered a new 280.  The old lasted 7 years or so, but got tired of spending money on spare parts and just seeing the performance keep degrading.
Also, if you are going to do your own chems, spend the money on the Taylor test kit list this one: one with FAS-DPD for measuring chlorine levels

I just did the exact same thing with my polaris, but we got 11 years out of it. Of course, I probably “bought” a new one over the years replacing parts.

[Poolflood 845]

Just note.  The Polaris 280 and all other cleaners have been around forever.  Next time you're ready to replace go with a robotic.

A robotic costs about as much as 280+ the booster pump.

Fewer wear and tear parts and use less electricity than the pb4 or any booster pump.

[joe dirt 285]

 

10 hours ago, Poolflood said:

They're all basically the same.  Each has their pros/cons.  Make sure your main pump is variable speed.  

we spoke with a builder at length today about the specs he provided which included a jandy 2hp stealth pump. i asked about switching to variable speed and he said that with a spa+spillover, the pump needs to run at the full 2hp to spill into the pool anyway so we’d never use less than the full speed of a variable speed. he’ll obviously put whatever i want so i just need to decide jandy or pentair, single speed or variable. 

 

7 hours ago, Poolflood said:

Just note.  The Polaris 280 and all other cleaners have been around forever.  Next time you're ready to replace go with a robotic.

A robotic costs about as much as 280+ the booster pump.

Fewer wear and tear parts and use less electricity than the pb4 or any booster pump.

each of the builders we’ve talked to have added the polaris 280. i need to read up on robotics more so i don’t end up paying for the dedicated suction line if i’m not gonna use it. 

 

anyone know anything about stamped koolcote? i’m not thrilled about the standard knockdown texture so i’m looking at alternatives that i can also use to cover the exiting patio concrete so it’ll look more cohesive. 

[Poolflood 845]

2 minutes ago, joe dirt said:

 

we spoke with a builder at length today about the specs he provided which included a jandy 2hp stealth pump. i asked about switching to variable speed and he said that with a spa+spillover, the pump needs to run at the full 2hp to spill into the pool anyway so we’d never use less than the full speed of a variable speed. he’ll obviously put whatever i want so i just need to decide jandy or pentair, single speed or variable. 

 

each of the builders we’ve talked to have added the polaris 280. i need to read up on robotics more so i don’t end up paying for the dedicated suction line if i’m not gonna use it. 

 

anyone know anything about stamped koolcote? i’m not thrilled about the standard knockdown texture so i’m looking at alternatives that i can also use to cover the exiting patio concrete so it’ll look more cohesive. 

On the vs pump he's just flat wrong.  On lower speeds you don't get as much water but.... yeah he's just wrong.  Is he giving you the choice between jandy and pentair?  That would be odd in that 99% of builders are tied into one manufacturer or another and will push you to that.   They're all about equal. 

280's are fine. I tend to go to robotics and dont cost builder any more than a 280 + booster + electric and plumbing

[williemackgarza 1826]

Wanted something concrete but the cool deck was just meh. We do tons of concrete so cost is minimal.
Wife wanted travertine.
But this stamped koolcote has me intrigued now.
Id like to hear anyones thoughts as well

[joe dirt 285]

14 hours ago, Poolflood said:

On the vs pump he's just flat wrong.  On lower speeds you don't get as much water but.... yeah he's just wrong.  Is he giving you the choice between jandy and pentair?  That would be odd in that 99% of builders are tied into one manufacturer or another and will push you to that.   They're all about equal. 

280's are fine. I tend to go to robotics and dont cost builder any more than a 280 + booster + electric and plumbing

can’t think of any reason he’d steer me toward something that costs less if it didn’t make sense. at any rate, i‘m leaning toward variable anyway for the times we don’t run any of the water features. he mentioned that he still maintains a relationship with pentair so i could choose either one. 

[Dbeasy 15051]

Is it really possible to put in a pool that doesn’t require much maintenance involving chemicals? For my last house I just paid a service $170 per month to clean it every week, test chemicals and add chlorine or whatever else was needed. It seemed like all they ever did was add chlorine discs or shock the pool dying the summer every week. I’d rather not pay that if I put one in at my current house.

[Spaulding Smails 1552]

16 hours ago, joe dirt said:

 

we spoke with a builder at length today about the specs he provided which included a jandy 2hp stealth pump. i asked about switching to variable speed and he said that with a spa+spillover, the pump needs to run at the full 2hp to spill into the pool anyway so we’d never use less than the full speed of a variable speed. he’ll obviously put whatever i want so i just need to decide jandy or pentair, single speed or variable. 

 

each of the builders we’ve talked to have added the polaris 280. i need to read up on robotics more so i don’t end up paying for the dedicated suction line if i’m not gonna use it. 

 

anyone know anything about stamped koolcote? i’m not thrilled about the standard knockdown texture so i’m looking at alternatives that i can also use to cover the exiting patio concrete so it’ll look more cohesive. 

We were dead set on the robotics.  My pool plumber added the plumbing for the suction for a minimal extra amount (I think $200 or so).  At the urging of our pool maintenance company, we switched to the traditional Polaris due to trees in close proximity to the pool.  I'm very glad we had that plumbing in place.  I'd at least run the plumbing for that dedicated suction, even if you don't install the pump.  You never know when you may want to switch back to that style.  Plumbing is cheap until you shoot gunite.

[Hate 20108]

Is it really possible to put in a pool that doesn’t require much maintenance involving chemicals? For my last house I just paid a service $170 per month to clean it every week, test chemicals and add chlorine or whatever else was needed. It seemed like all they ever did was add chlorine discs or shock the pool dying the summer every week. I’d rather not pay that if I put one in at my current house.

I’ve done all of the chemicals for my pool myself since we’ve had it 12 years. We have a saltwater pool and it’s pretty easy. I add muriatic acid and some phosphate killer once a week, “conditioner” that prevents the chlorine from being leached out of the water by the sun about 2 times a year depending on rain, and salt once or twice a year depending on rain as well. It’s pretty easy. I have a pool company come inspect everything and clean the filters about once a year and that cost about $100. It really doesn’t require that much work and when I do have to clean it I just put on some music and “sweep” the pool while having some drinks. I also highly recommend putting a TV somewhere outside near your pool. There’s nothing better than watching sports while in your pool. I also highly recommend adding a spa.

[gyroprotagonist 2592]

48 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Is it really possible to put in a pool that doesn’t require much maintenance involving chemicals? For my last house I just paid a service $170 per month to clean it every week, test chemicals and add chlorine or whatever else was needed. It seemed like all they ever did was add chlorine discs or shock the pool dying the summer every week. I’d rather not pay that if I put one in at my current house.

i think the key is vigilance.  I have done my own chems and cleaning for 8 years now, but some seasons if I get behind  or don't do a proper shock at the beginning, it feels like i am burning through too much chlorine to keep the levels right.  You can have a slight algae problem, not talking about green water, but a perfectly looking pool, but still some slight algae build up between brushings that are on the sides of the pool.  This will make you go through way more chlorine.  The solution is to hella-shock the pool (20+ppm chlorine) for 3-4 days to get rid of it all but if you are into summer already, your family does not want to hear about taking a week off for maintenance and then letting the chlorine levels get back down to normal, so it's easy to just keep getting by and sorta bandaiding it.

I have a huge pecan tree over our pool and cleaning it once a week would not work when the pecans/leaves/blooms fall, so I don't think a once a week service would even work for us.  I am sometimes cleaning out the skimmers 2x per day when those blooms are coming down.

working from home now during the 'rona, i can test it whenever and the water is in great shape now.  maybe i am the lazy exception to all the shaggy pool jockeys, but tldr is that it's easy if you always stay on it, but you can end up chasing your tail if you get behind.

 

[HouTex 1867]

I’ve done all of the chemicals for my pool myself since we’ve had it 12 years. We have a saltwater pool and it’s pretty easy. I add muriatic acid and some phosphate killer once a week, “conditioner” that prevents the chlorine from being leached out of the water by the sun about 2 times a year depending on rain, and salt once or twice a year depending on rain as well. It’s pretty easy. I have a pool company come inspect everything and clean the filters about once a year and that cost about $100. It really doesn’t require that much work and when I do have to clean it I just put on some music and “sweep” the pool while having some drinks. I also highly recommend putting a TV somewhere outside near your pool. There’s nothing better than watching sports while in your pool. I also highly recommend adding a spa.

This right here. I loved my salt pool and if I ever have another pool I would make sure I built it to accommodate a salt system. That and a good pool sweep and it’s unbelievably low maintenance.

[Poolflood 845]

9 hours ago, joe dirt said:

can’t think of any reason he’d steer me toward something that costs less if it didn’t make sense. at any rate, i‘m leaning toward variable anyway for the times we don’t run any of the water features. he mentioned that he still maintains a relationship with pentair so i could choose either one. 

Builder is old school.  And there's nothing wrong with that!  He's also buying his equipment not from pentair,  but from distribution.   This is true for 90% of poll builders in Texas.   He may also not realize his true cost on a 280 vs robotic.  He may also not be priced right on robotic.  Anyway, if you like him, his design and trust the company go for it.   The only thing I would stand firm on is the VS pump. 

[PorscheGuy 127]

Builder is old school.  And there's nothing wrong with that!  He's also buying his equipment not from pentair,  but from distribution.   This is true for 90% of poll builders in Texas.   He may also not realize his true cost on a 280 vs robotic.  He may also not be priced right on robotic.  Anyway, if you like him, his design and trust the company go for it.   The only thing I would stand firm on is the VS pump. 

I was convinced to go with a robot and can’t stand it. I spend more time cleaning out the impeller and unclogging everything then it does cleaning. There are some days I literally mess with it morning, noon and night and there are still leaves and small sticks on the bottom of the pool. And by messing with it, I have to take it apart, unscrew the covers and clean it out by hand.

I have just decided it is better use of my time to clean it with a net and brush. If you have any trees near by, robot may not be the best option.


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[Poolflood 845]

1 hour ago, PorscheGuy said:

I was convinced to go with a robot and can’t stand it. I spend more time cleaning out the impeller and unclogging everything then it does cleaning. There are some days I literally mess with it morning, noon and night and there are still leaves and small sticks on the bottom of the pool. And by messing with it, I have to take it apart, unscrew the covers and clean it out by hand.

I have just decided it is better use of my time to clean it with a net and brush. If you have any trees near by, robot may not be the best option.


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Good input.  Curious as to the manufacturer.