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Tom-NJ2AS

In ground pool opinions

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I woke this morning with that exact thought. I am a project manager and have managed very large jobs so I am sure I cans sub out the work myself. After some research it looks like most if not all pool companies sub out the work anyway. I have a mason I have given a lot of work to over the years so its payback time. I have a friend who is an electrician, and have multiple sources for excavating. I can also buy all of the plumbing materials at cost. I will definitely look into this. If I go this route I can probably go with concrete instead of vinyl and still be at around 20,000 or less depending on what I can get thrown in

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If you want it done wrong then buy a kit, supervise it yourself, and hire day labors off the corner to build it.  This is not an attack on your skills as a project manager, rather you have never built a pool and there are tricks that you learn over time to do this better, cheaper and faster.

 

I would highly recommend you get a company based on recommendations and avoid any that do massive advertising.  Also you want a company that does not sub out anything with the possible exception of electrical work.  There is an art to doing this well.  When I had mine built about 16 years ago I got three estimates and picked a guy that I was very comfortable with.  He was the owner of the company, had all his own people and did not sub stuff out.  He was a mason years ago, and he was the one that actually operated the backhoe and dug the pool himself.  They showed up on time, did the work well, and I did not pay them a cent until the work was done.  I asked the guy about that and he explained he was a good judge of people - very surprising to have a company work that way.  In any case, he had some health problems a few years ago and sold the company to two of the guys that worked for him.  They are operating it under the name Riverside Pools out of Somerville NJ http://riversidepoolsnj.com/ , I don't know if they would do anything that far away but its worth a try.  The original owner got tired of being retired and is now working as a sales person for them.

 

When I needed to replace the 15 year old liner I called them and the two owners came to show me liners and measure the pool.  They remembered me from when they worked building the pool and actually had all the original papers with exact dimensions as the pool was built.  The entire liner on the 20'x40 pool was done perfectly in one day.  I have several friends that have had liners replaced and they all have loose areas and wrinkles, while mine looks like it is the original liner.  Bottom line, don't try to save a couple of dollars and end up with a problem down the road.  Go with recommendations and don't try to do the first one yourself.

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That price for concrete is a big steal. I have been in the pool industry for 13 years, ( my father owns a pool business lol ).

 

Any question shoot me a PM or anything.

 

If your looking at vinyl compared to concrete, do NOT let any company sell you on the "warranty" of the linear, warranties mean NOTHING in the pool industry, they cover the slightest things that rarely happen.

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That price for concrete is a big steal. I have been in the pool industry for 13 years, ( my father owns a pool business lol ).

 

Any question shoot me a PM or anything.

 

If your looking at vinyl compared to concrete, do NOT let any company sell you on the "warranty" of the linear, warranties mean NOTHING in the pool industry, they cover the slightest things that rarely happen.

Good point on the warranty issue.  There are lots of companies that charge more and give great warranties, the only problem is I know several that have fallen for that and then good luck getting the people to ever return a call or show up when you have a problem.

 

Honesty is key in picking a company.  When I first installed mine I asked about the thicker liners, and did the same thing when I replaced one.  The honest people told me not to waste my money unless I had really badly behaved kids that would abuse the liner.  The guys with the warranties told me I was crazy not to get the thicker liner as the normal ones would only last five years.  What I did go with, after talking with an engineer at a company that actually manufactures the liners, was one with enhanced additives and extra UV inhibitors.  That is money well spent as the sun baking down on the liner does deteriorate it over time.

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I would definitely get the liner with the UV. As far as hiring any guy off the corner, I would not do that. For the actual pool installation I would use the same guys any other pool companies use after I checked their references. This is still just a thought in my mind so a lot could change by the time we are ready to pull the trigger

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My in-laws are redoing their house and in ground pool. They switched over to a salt water pool and it seems that it is the new thing to do. The time savings alone with all the chemicals seems like its worth it. He was always messing with the chemicals...it just seems so annoying

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 does having a pool effect your insurance rates?

A pool, no, not really.

 

A diving board or slide might.

 

I should clarify.  The presence of a dive board or slide doesn't have a direct rate impact but could otherwise prohibit issuance of a policy from one company to another, and that could affect how much a homeowner pays.  It might cost more to find a company who will issue a policy to someone with a dive board, as an example. 

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Fiberglass - i have had mine for 12 years now, may be a little expensive also and restrictive in size typically.

 

Mine was done on all clean fill because my yard was low and sloped, if anthing the ground has actually heaved a little but not the pool, but something to think about.

 

No liner, no resurfacing.

 

Very little chemicals annually, at least for me, 20 lbs of alkalinity increase and some calcium because of heater when i open it and 25 lbs of chlorine that is it. I add chlorine every two weeks, throw in a Polaris 360 in May and I am done until close up time.

 

And whatever you plan on spending for the pool don’t forgot additional costs for patio, furniture, fencing, landscaping and other things to make your yard to look like a resort.

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I will definitely pour my patio at the same time. I'm sure I can get the concrete work for almost nothing. Even if not for nothing I can get 4" thick over 4" stone for 3.50 sf. If I would budget a quick number for me it would be 2000-2500 for all if the concrete around the pool that I need.

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Plode, I find the water around here to run acidic (rainwater from Ohio, I don't know).  Just use Mule team Borax to move up the PH closer to neutral.  One box in the skimmer should do the trick and only costs a couple of bucks.

 

I have run a 20x40 pool since 1998 and have tried a number of options (it came with the house).  Some observations:

 

I have a boring rectangle with 8.5 deep end and 3' shallow end - vinyl liner.

 

Cons: no built in steps, no fixed lighting.  I bought a drop-in stair case to replace one of the ladders.

Pros: Stock shape makes it easier to order solar covers and liners.  (but I suppose another con is that it is boring)

 

Insurance for diving board - no increase with NJM, but I do have it fenced.

 

Heater - on my third.  One gas came with the house and rotted away.  #2 was a 400k BTU gas heater that also rotted away.  #3 is an electric heat pump that runs on a 22v circuit.  It works as quickly as a gas heater - about 1 degree per hour on 35,000 gallons.  This one has a lifetime warranty on the compressor, which is typically what eats alive inside out if your water is too acidic.

 

As was said, use the BBB method and never buy anything from a pool store except liquid chlor at 12.5% strength.  The salt conversion would be nice, but for me, the break-even would take eons.  For a new pool, it might be worth it up front.

 

Refer to poolforum.com for more support, or ask me via PM if you need help.

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Robots are the only way to go for pool cleaning.  I have a Blue Pearl which is a not to expensive one and it has worked great for about five years now.  Had a Polaris unit originally which ran on a separate booster pump plus the main pump had to be on too - never cleaned as well as this unit.

 

One other thing, if you have a high water table and go with a liner you should do what my builder did for us, that is build a dry well under the deep end of the pool.  This will prevent the liner from floating.  Whenever we have heavy rains I just valve the main pump into the dry well and set it to waste and pump all the water out to keep the liner nice and tight.

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+1 on the BBB method and the dolphin robotic vacuum. I just got a Dolphin M5 cleaner that has 2 cartridges instead of one big bag, and I find it so much easier to clean out the cartridges.( had an Aquabot turbo previously)

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+1 on the BBB method and the dolphin robotic vacuum. I just got a Dolphin M5 cleaner that has 2 cartridges instead of one big bag, and I find it so much easier to clean out the cartridges.( had an Aquabot turbo previously)

I first bought a Dolphin Dynamic and had lots of problems with it.  It would walk about 10' in a straight line over and over and over and do nothing else.  I returned it and got another one and after a few weeks it did the same thing.  I got the Blue Pearl which when on sale was half the price of the Dolphin and works great.

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I first bought a Dolphin Dynamic and had lots of problems with it. It would walk about 10' in a straight line over and over and over and do nothing else. I returned it and got another one and after a few weeks it did the same thing. I got the Blue Pearl which when on sale was half the price of the Dolphin and works great.

Dolphin is now making their cleaners more user / dealer repairable. More modular. Just replace the defective modules .

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I have an old Kreepy that would work if anyone could use it.  It likely just needs replacement of the pad that surrounds the intake valve.  It can be used with your regular vacuum hose, or Walmart hose would also work fine.

 

That said, for those of you who have done liner replacements, what was the total cost all in?  For a 20x40 pool, the water replacement adds a significant amount if using city water.  I called a friend with the Fire Dept to see if they would be willing to send over a pumper truck for a donation, but he was basically not too keen on the idea.

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I have an old Kreepy that would work if anyone could use it.  It likely just needs replacement of the pad that surrounds the intake valve.  It can be used with your regular vacuum hose, or Walmart hose would also work fine.

 

That said, for those of you who have done liner replacements, what was the total cost all in?  For a 20x40 pool, the water replacement adds a significant amount if using city water.  I called a friend with the Fire Dept to see if they would be willing to send over a pumper truck for a donation, but he was basically not too keen on the idea.

 

When I was a volunteer firefighter, we weren't allowed to fill pools.  The water we filled our tankers with was from a city water source, so essentially it would be theft if we took their water and filled your pool with it. 

A donation to our FD doesn't do anything about the 20,000 gallons of water we take from NJ American Water Company to fill your pool :lol:

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For those who follow the BBB method, I am finding it hard to maintain my chlorine levels without using the tabs because I just don't have the time to check the chlorine levels every day or every other day.  I can check it every Friday and through the weekend. Any suggestions or is it OK to use the pucks in moderation?

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That said, for those of you who have done liner replacements, what was the total cost all in? For a 20x40 pool, the water replacement adds a significant amount if using city water. I called a friend with the Fire Dept to see if they would be willing to send over a pumper truck for a donation, but he was basically not too keen on the idea.

My town has a once per season special water rate for filling pools. They give you a meter to hook in line with the hose. Then give you a x amount of credit on next bill

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Love my aquabot turbo when it's working.

Salt water chlorine generator is the way to go. Just got back from 2 weeks vacation and water is clear.

Haven't put a drop of chlorine in a month and level shows a little high (I had it turned up while on vacation).

Go for sand filter though. My DE filter is a PITA.

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I will definitely pour my patio at the same time. I'm sure I can get the concrete work for almost nothing. Even if not for nothing I can get 4" thick over 4" stone for 3.50 sf. If I would budget a quick number for me it would be 2000-2500 for all if the concrete around the pool that I need.

I would not do that.  When you do the pool excavation you loosen up all the ground.  You have to totally pack everything again to be sure there is no settling.  When I had my pool built in October many years ago they built it filled it and covered it and the builder did not pour the walks.  He told me it would be much better to wait until the spring when they opened it to pour the decking as the ground would fully settle and they would tamp it and it would prevent future problems.  I guess he was right as it has been over 15 years and we have never had any cracking.

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