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beachgirl
LIF Adult
Member since 7/05 7967 total posts
Name:
sara
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In Ground Pool Questions
We do not have one but are seriously considering one for next summer so I have some questions:
1) Do you heat your pool during the summer and about how much do you spend on that?
2) Anyone use effective solar panelling type of heat source?
3) Anyone have a pool without a deep end - ie no deeper than 4 ft...easier to keep heated?
Anything else to share before we dig a giant hole in our back yard?
Thanks!!
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Posted 5/30/16 3:11 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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ANewDayHasCome
Love multiplies, not divides
Member since 11/12 14481 total posts
Name:
Me
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In Ground Pool Questions
It's not just the heat that gets expensive. It's the chlorine, unless you get salt water which are great but more expensive to put in.
The liners also go and you need to replace them.
Not sure where you live, but if you're near a wooded area there's field mice that get in and garden snakes. So fun.
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| Posted 5/30/16 7:39 PM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54917 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
The chemicals are what gets expensive. We constantly have to balance the water with ph up or down, alkalinity up or down and calcium hardner. One time we dumped $50 worth of chemicals in and then it rained and ruined the levels again.
Plus the added electric bill for the pump running.
Plus any repairs, liner changes etc.
Then the propane to heat it. It takes a lot of propane to heat that much water. When we open the pool tbe water can be in the high 50s. To get it warm enough to swim you have to heat it for days.
Its a lot of work and tons of money for a very short season in NY.
I love it, don't get me wrong. ...but it's definitely an expense and lot of work
Message edited 5/30/2016 8:21:30 PM.
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| Posted 5/30/16 8:19 PM |
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jteach
2 and through
Member since 9/07 3939 total posts
Name:
Jess
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In Ground Pool Questions
We got one last year. We have salt water. The company we used said they only do chlorine about 10% of the time now. We needed to get a seperate propane tank put in the yard to heat the pool (the one we had for our stove and dryer wouldn't have been big enough). I don't know what the cost is but my husband complains all the time haha. Once the pull is open we literally only havento throw a drop of salt in here and there. Our friends got the built in pool that is only 4 ft deep throughout. They enjoy it.
Message edited 5/30/2016 9:52:36 PM.
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| Posted 5/30/16 8:45 PM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54917 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Posted by jteach
We got one last year. We have salt water. The company we used said they only do chlorine about 10% of the time now. We needed to get a seperate oil tank put in the yard to heat the pool (the one we had for our stove and dryer wouldn't have been big enough). I don't know what the cost is but my husband complains all the time haha. Once the pull is open we literally only havento throw a drop of salt in here and there. Our friends got the built in pool that is only 4 ft deep throughout. They enjoy it.
Are you sure its an oil tank and not a propane tank? I have never seen a pool heater that is fueled by home heating oil...only natural gas or propane. (Or electric like a heat pump).
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| Posted 5/30/16 9:15 PM |
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jteach
2 and through
Member since 9/07 3939 total posts
Name:
Jess
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Posted by NervousNell
Posted by jteach
We got one last year. We have salt water. The company we used said they only do chlorine about 10% of the time now. We needed to get a seperate oil tank put in the yard to heat the pool (the one we had for our stove and dryer wouldn't have been big enough). I don't know what the cost is but my husband complains all the time haha. Once the pull is open we literally only havento throw a drop of salt in here and there. Our friends got the built in pool that is only 4 ft deep throughout. They enjoy it.
Are you sure its an oil tank and not a propane tank? I have never seen a pool heater that is fueled by home heating oil...only natural gas or propane. (Or electric like a heat pump).
Lol yes I meant a propane tank
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| Posted 5/30/16 9:52 PM |
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MrsT809
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 12167 total posts
Name:
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In Ground Pool Questions
My parents converted their pool to salt water a few years ago and upkeep is night and day! It's crystal clear as soon as they take the cover off and requires very little when it comes to chemicals. Beforehand it was a constant battle to keep it balanced.
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| Posted 5/30/16 9:57 PM |
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soontobemommyof2
My boys...my everything <3
Member since 4/15 3635 total posts
Name:
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In Ground Pool Questions
We have a pool but not a heated one, we haven't felt the need for it, maybe it's because we pretty much only open it during July and August and those months are pretty hot?!? I agree with NervousNell, maintenance can be pretty expensive and also the electrical bill because of the filter. We don't use anybody to do the pool maintenance, DH does it (he's very handy and loves doing things on his own), so maybe u can save some money doing it that way?
Message edited 5/30/2016 10:24:16 PM.
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| Posted 5/30/16 10:15 PM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54917 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
If you can't afford salt I would look into a mineral purifier like a Pool Frog brand.
Its awesome. Its like a Brita Filter for your pool. ..uses minerals to purify and 80% less chlorine as a result.
My pool never smells of chlorine and never needs to be shocked except when opening and closing. It stays clear all season with little maintenance. Just balancing the water occasionally
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| Posted 5/30/16 10:18 PM |
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soontobemommyof2
My boys...my everything <3
Member since 4/15 3635 total posts
Name:
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Posted by NervousNell
If you can't afford salt I would look into a mineral purifier like a Pool Frog brand.
Its awesome. Its like a Brita Filter for your pool. ..uses minerals to purify and 80% less chlorine as a result.
My pool never smells of chlorine and never needs to be shocked except when opening and closing. It stays clear all season with little maintenance. Just balancing the water occasionally
Good to know for our new house! I gotta admit though, I know it's weird but I kinda like the chlorine smell, it reminds me of my swimming lessons when I was a little girl.
Message edited 5/30/2016 10:29:46 PM.
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| Posted 5/30/16 10:29 PM |
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Momof3boys
LIF Infant
Member since 6/15 306 total posts
Name:
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Our pool is pretty small for an IGP and it has a deep end. It heats up pretty quick. If we are going in the pool, I will turn the heater on in the morning and by the afternoon it would be warm. not sure how much it costs. I think it's a gas heater and our National Grid balanced budget is under $200 a month. We pay around $350 to open and to close. Chemicals probably cost $300-500 a year.
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| Posted 5/31/16 12:28 AM |
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sameinitials
insert creative comment here
Member since 2/12 1998 total posts
Name:
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In Ground Pool Questions
My parents house has a fairly large in ground pool. They got solar heaters and after that almost never used the heating system. The solar heat works really well. They also switched to mineral filtering in part because I had really sensitive skin and the chlorine would irritate it, and t was so much more convenient, as a PP said they just had to check on the pH every now and then.
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| Posted 5/31/16 7:23 AM |
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Diane
Hope is Contagious....catch it
Member since 5/05 30683 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Posted by MrsT809
My parents converted their pool to salt water a few years ago and upkeep is night and day! It's crystal clear as soon as they take the cover off and requires very little when it comes to chemicals. Beforehand it was a constant battle to keep it balanced.
That is us. We have a salt water pool. I did run the heating lines, but never bought the heater, and to be honest, I don't know if I will get one. My pool is in direct sun, and is warm most of the time.
It is expensive, but it is so worth it. I enjoy the pool, and so do my kids.
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| Posted 5/31/16 8:15 AM |
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beachgirl
LIF Adult
Member since 7/05 7967 total posts
Name:
sara
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Thank you all so much. We will be getting saltwater if we decide to get a pool. I am a little skeeved by the animals floating as we live out east and plenty of critters running around but my DD will probably handle that for me - she is braver than I am
We have so many friends who have pools who tell us not to bother as they are so much work and for such a short period of time but then our kids LOVE pools way more than the beach and we live close to the beach.....
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| Posted 5/31/16 9:30 AM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54917 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Posted by beachgirl
Thank you all so much. We will be getting saltwater if we decide to get a pool. I am a little skeeved by the animals floating as we live out east and plenty of critters running around but my DD will probably handle that for me - she is braver than I am
We have so many friends who have pools who tell us not to bother as they are so much work and for such a short period of time but then our kids LOVE pools way more than the beach and we live close to the beach.....
I have to say as much work and money and yes, short season as it is- I still would do it again
My DD LOVES it. She was in and out of it all weekend.
I love it too- I like that I can just walk out my back door and not have to drive anywhere to swim or sunbathe etc
I like that I don't feel like we have to be always going somewhere in the summer to entertain ourselves.
I love having people over and seeing them enjoy it as well.
It makes the yard pretty too- like your own little resort.
I love just sitting by the pool and reading and jumping in to cool off it's too hot.
We still love the beach but it's a different experience...we do beach in the morning and pool in the afternoon in the summer
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| Posted 5/31/16 9:49 AM |
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mrsboss
my little love
Member since 12/09 5054 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
We put a pool in2 years ago and then wound up selling our house recently. Here we are again building another pool which starts next week. Let me tell you what we did different. We went from chlorine to salt. It's minimal upkeep, Dump a 5 lb bag of salt in, and you're done. Plus it's gentler on your skin. No chemicals. Salt was more expensive but oh well.
We also had a solar heater with panels on the roof. It got the pool very warm, but we weren't swimming in January. With solar in the winter, it couldn't get above 80ish. (I'm in FL). This time we are doing a standard heater.
And finally, this pool will be no more than 5ft. We didn't do a deep end I either pool. There was no need for it. We spend most of our time in the more shallow end.
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| Posted 5/31/16 10:05 AM |
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LiveandLearn
LIF Adult
Member since 4/10 1586 total posts
Name:
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Re: In Ground Pool Questions
Posted by beachgirl
Thank you all so much. We will be getting saltwater if we decide to get a pool. I am a little skeeved by the animals floating as we live out east and plenty of critters running around but my DD will probably handle that for me - she is braver than I am
We have so many friends who have pools who tell us not to bother as they are so much work and for such a short period of time but then our kids LOVE pools way more than the beach and we live close to the beach.....
I wouldn't worry too much about critters in the pool. We usually get one chipmunk at the beginning of the season when they don't realize the cover is no longer there.
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| Posted 5/31/16 11:51 AM |
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