Above ground pool... What am I getting myself into?

[Water Rat]

The best 2 days of owning a pool is the day you put it up and the day you take it down. 

[BizCT]

38 minutes ago, Water Rat said:

The best 2 days of owning a pool is the day you put it up and the day you take it down. 

extreme disagree. the best day is opening day in may each year and the worst day is closing in September each year

[mowin]

Well, it's ours. Install could be as early as middle of next week.  

Got all the info needed for electrical code. Biggest PITA is bonding the system.  I'll post pics once it's installed. 

[Larry]

There all a like. I stead of asking what is it or what's that doing there they just doing what they do and then it's your fault and then you have to fix it.

But we love them anyway 

[mowin]

So, those that have a pool, what are you using to clean it.  

This comes with a brush and a skimmer/net thingie.   No vacuum.  

Do I need to get a manual vac? Or is it worth the cost for a robot vacuum?

Edited July 7, 2022 by mowin

[Splitear]

13 minutes ago, mowin said:

So, those that have a pool, what are you using to clean it.  

This comes with a brush and a skimmer/net thingie.   No vacuum.  

Do I need to get a manual vac? Or is it worth the cost for a robot vacuum?

I’ve had coworkers tell me that the robot vacs are really worth it. However, getting half an hour to myself to listen to audiobooks on a Saturday morning is priceless. “Honey, can you watch the girls, I’m going to vacuum the pool so we can use it this afternoon.”

[The_Real_TCIII]

I love the robot vac but will occasionally bust out the hose for all the reasons stated above.


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[BizCT]

I’ve had coworkers tell me that the robot vacs are really worth it. However, getting half an hour to myself to listen to audiobooks on a Saturday morning is priceless. “Honey, can you watch the girls, I’m going to vacuum the pool so we can use it this afternoon.”

I’ve always manually vacuumed. But now the prior owner of my new house left me one of those dolphin robot things. Ive throw it in for 2 hours a few times this year. But I feel like most pools mid season only get a little debris in the same spot so manual works fast and easy


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[LET EM GROW]

I installed a pool for  my mother in law and one for my brother in law last summer. ITs a fun project and much better than waiting months for installation. and much cheaper lol. Just have to make sure everything is tamped and frame leveled and supported..  Im not much into maintenance on them, but i know once the water is clean and clear its really only a vacuum once or twice a week and a little shock here and there.. 

[sbuff]

I have a dolphin robotic cleaner but more often then not I use this pool blaster.  Works great .

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pool+blaster+max+li&adgrpid=55468167305&gclid=CjwKCAjwq5-WBhB7EiwAl-HEkmfxR7tJONJ9vQwWl-7Fx43mARKAq0wfpVD9oi9zCxwSWjO5sWTfPxoChjMQAvD_BwE&hvadid=274673097594&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9004664&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9836736275351414328&hvtargid=kwd-315031013180&hydadcr=4064_9615877&tag=hydsma-20&ref=pd_sl_918quxmdic_e

[fasteddie]

My wife and I installed our pool . It was a 27' round . We had to hand dig down a bit to level the area . Then I put down 19 three inch patio blocks . My neighbor came over with his transit level and we set all 19 blocks . Wanted a deep end . Started digging and found out the property map was wrong and there were leech lines there so we dug a trench between them . Had a load of sand brought in and we spread that out . Then we started the wall and a female neighbor helped . I put clothes pins on the wall , fastened light ropes to tent stakes to hold up the wall until we got it bolted together . Next was the liner . That was a pain in the butt . Put some water in the liner to keep it from shifting so I could put up the wall rails . I was nervous about cutting the liner to install the skimmer but that worked out fine . Filled the pool , hooked everything up and it worked fine . We had a diatomaceous earth filter . In almost 30 years of having the pool , we went through 3 or 4 deck designs . 

It was a lot of work each year . There was a lot of Cottonwood trees around and that would plug up the skimmer . Went through 3 motors . We always knew where our kids were in the summer . Later grand kids got to use it . The pool was called Aluma-Wood . When I took it down , I took it to Alpco in Macedon and got some scrap money for the aluminum .

There is a lot of work to maintain a pool but more personal enjoyment if you install it yourself . 

[wolc123]

5 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

My wife and I installed our pool . …… There was a lot of Cottonwood trees around and that would plug up the skimmer . Went through 3 motors . 

Cottonwoods are the worst.  We have a bunch of them upwind of out pool and have the same trouble.   This year haven’t been as bad, because I didn’t set the pool up until June  21, due to the cool spring.  That missed the bulk of the cotton drop.

 I am only on my second filter cartridge so far.  I change it when the pump discharge slows to a trickle.
 

I’d love to get rid of them poplar trees, but my wife likes to sit on the back deck and listen to the sound of the wind thru the leaves.  

[sbuff]

I may be Odd man out but maintaining a pool couldn't be easier . Three tablets every Saturday morning in chlorinator and clean if needed every couple weeks . Maybe it helps my wife and kids and half of the street are in it daily.  Its 84 now in it .

Check with test strip and all 4 categories are spot on. Add water as needed now and then .

[wolc123]

2 minutes ago, sbuff said:

I may be Odd man out but maintaining a pool couldn't be easier . Three tablets every Saturday morning in chlorinator and clean if needed every couple weeks . Maybe it helps my wife and kids and half of the street are in it daily.  Its 84 now in it .

Check with test strip and all 4 categories are spot on. Add water as needed now and then .

The heavy usage definitely minimizes the vacuuming needed, especially with a smaller pool like ours (15 ft dia).  
 

I am only on my second chlorine tablets in the floating dispenser so far this season.  I did have to repair the top on that dispenser with a little jb weld though. 

[sbuff]

Mines 30' so its on the bigger side of above ground pools . I'll add I get a new winter cover every two years because they dry out and rip.

[wolc123]

52 minutes ago, sbuff said:

Mines 30' so its on the bigger side of above ground pools . I'll add I get a new winter cover every two years because they dry out and rip.

Damn, that is a big one.  No wonder all the neighborhood kids are always on it.   I remember growing up, we had an 18 footer and our neighbors had a 24 footer.  That one always took longer to warm up.  We would run over and jump in that, then run back to ours, and it felt like bath water, in comparison.  

[mowin]

11 hours ago, sbuff said:

I may be Odd man out but maintaining a pool couldn't be easier . Three tablets every Saturday morning in chlorinator and clean if needed every couple weeks . Maybe it helps my wife and kids and half of the street are in it daily.  Its 84 now in it .

Check with test strip and all 4 categories are spot on. Add water as needed now and then .

What chlorinator do you use?  Getting a floater with the pool, but thinking about adding a Hayward chlorinator. 

[sbuff]

Works like a charm 

https://intheswim.com/p/in-line-chlorinator-cl200---9lb-chlorine-capacity/16208.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content={16591018468}_{}_{}&utm_term={16208}&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzqSWBhDPARIsAK38LY9Yh_XjxW3MqxS2LsqksHlxXE7l9BGUrBG58LqHJizA5BktRcA1CRQaAqRjEALw_wcB

[Robhuntandfish]

I've got a stock tank pool on my list for one of these days. It would fit perfectly in my little oasis of a backyard.

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[Otto]

38 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

I've got a stock tank pool on my list for one of these days. It would fit perfectly in my little oasis of a backyard.

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[Robhuntandfish]

 

Ohhhhhh now it's a done deal. Well played sir.

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[mowin]

3 hours ago, sbuff said:

Works like a charm 

https://intheswim.com/p/in-line-chlorinator-cl200---9lb-chlorine-capacity/16208.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content={16591018468}_{}_{}&utm_term={16208}&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzqSWBhDPARIsAK38LY9Yh_XjxW3MqxS2LsqksHlxXE7l9BGUrBG58LqHJizA5BktRcA1CRQaAqRjEALw_wcB

That's the one I was thinking about getting. They have a in-line and a off line model.