Export thread
Four-Motrin day?
#1
mystreba
mystreba
Three hours mowing on the tractor. Another hour with push mower and string trimmer. Fixed the $%#& broken deck adjustment gear 
Cleaned the tractor. Took a tree down. Cleaned up 4 perennial beds. Hard-raked the gravel pathway. Transplanted some yucca plants. Finished opening the pool.
What an awesome day! (I feel bad for you folks dealing with rain)
Cleaned the tractor. Took a tree down. Cleaned up 4 perennial beds. Hard-raked the gravel pathway. Transplanted some yucca plants. Finished opening the pool.What an awesome day! (I feel bad for you folks dealing with rain)
#2
RobertBrown
RobertBrown
#3
mystreba
My question exactly. The deck adjustment gear is made of some cheap metal alloy and it sheared a gear tooth. I'm still (cautiously) optimistic though
LOTS OF WORK! Get filter element out of winter storage. Assemble filter. Remove all winter plugs. Remove antifreeze and gunk from skimmers. Assemble, prime and start pump. Load filter with diatomacious earth (DE). Remove, clean and store winter cover. Clean, lube and lock down all winter cover anchors. Scrub the deck. Get all deck furniture out of storage and clean. Get diving board out of storage and install.
And then....
- shock, shock shock (with chlorine)
- backflush filter and reload with DE
- clean robotic vacuum
- skim surface
...over and over and over again for about a week. You lucky folks in florida don't have to worry about all that! The good thing is, once it's open it isn't really all that hard to maintain. And after a hard day working in the yard, it sure feels good!
mystreba
My question exactly.
The deck adjustment gear is made of some cheap metal alloy and it sheared a gear tooth. I'm still (cautiously) optimistic though LOTS OF WORK! Get filter element out of winter storage. Assemble filter. Remove all winter plugs. Remove antifreeze and gunk from skimmers. Assemble, prime and start pump. Load filter with diatomacious earth (DE). Remove, clean and store winter cover. Clean, lube and lock down all winter cover anchors. Scrub the deck. Get all deck furniture out of storage and clean. Get diving board out of storage and install.
And then....
- shock, shock shock (with chlorine)
- backflush filter and reload with DE
- clean robotic vacuum
- skim surface
...over and over and over again for about a week. You lucky folks in florida don't have to worry about all that! The good thing is, once it's open it isn't really all that hard to maintain. And after a hard day working in the yard, it sure feels good!
#4
twall
twall
#5
RobertBrown
RobertBrown
#6
twall
twall
#7
mystreba
mystreba
#8
mystreba
You gotta add stabilizer as the temps go up, to keep the chlorine from evaporating. Pretty easy to do around here, but we obviously aren't dealing with quite the same level of sun exposure.
Ph seems like a non-issue. Haven't had to adjust mine in 5 years. Always right on the money.
I've seen pools float out of the ground - gotta keep 'em full! But most of them have weep holes in the bottom, with plugs. When you empty the pool you remove the plugs to relieve the groundwater pressure. Then you just have to pump the groundwater coming through the holes. But you should never have to empty a pool unless you're refinishing it. Mine's 35 years old, and truth be told could use refinishing. But it's low on my priority list
mystreba
You gotta add stabilizer as the temps go up, to keep the chlorine from evaporating. Pretty easy to do around here, but we obviously aren't dealing with quite the same level of sun exposure.
Ph seems like a non-issue. Haven't had to adjust mine in 5 years. Always right on the money.
I've seen pools float out of the ground - gotta keep 'em full! But most of them have weep holes in the bottom, with plugs. When you empty the pool you remove the plugs to relieve the groundwater pressure. Then you just have to pump the groundwater coming through the holes. But you should never have to empty a pool unless you're refinishing it. Mine's 35 years old, and truth be told could use refinishing. But it's low on my priority list
#9
JDgreen
IT'S WORSE HERE. I have measured SEVEN ACTUAL INCHES OF RAIN THIS MONTH, FIVE within the last two weeks.
I am already three weeks behind in yard care and garden preparation so far this spring....:thumbdown:
JDgreen
IT'S WORSE HERE. I have measured SEVEN ACTUAL INCHES OF RAIN THIS MONTH, FIVE within the last two weeks.
I am already three weeks behind in yard care and garden preparation so far this spring....
:thumbdown:
#10
RobertBrown
What is the estimated service life for a concrete /gunnite pool? How often should you resurface or repaint? How many hours a week do you spend maintaining your pool total, inculding the "Opening and Closing"? What are the annual operating costs, including electricity?
Last time I checked it was "I don't think so". Between the the pets the wife and the machines, I've got enough to maintain and have time for my personnal interests.
Thanks for the help.
RobertBrown
Perhaps my information is outdated, help me out here:You gotta add stabilizer as the temps go up, to keep the chlorine from evaporating. Pretty easy to do around here, but we obviously aren't dealing with quite the same level of sun exposure.
Ph seems like a non-issue. Haven't had to adjust mine in 5 years. Always right on the money.
I've seen pools float out of the ground - gotta keep 'em full! But most of them have weep holes in the bottom, with plugs. When you empty the pool you remove the plugs to relieve the groundwater pressure. Then you just have to pump the groundwater coming through the holes. But you should never have to empty a pool unless you're refinishing it. Mine's 35 years old, and truth be told could use refinishing. But it's low on my priority list
What is the estimated service life for a concrete /gunnite pool? How often should you resurface or repaint? How many hours a week do you spend maintaining your pool total, inculding the "Opening and Closing"? What are the annual operating costs, including electricity?
Last time I checked it was "I don't think so". Between the the pets the wife and the machines, I've got enough to maintain and have time for my personnal interests.
Thanks for the help.
#11
mystreba
It's been (correctly) pointed out recently that I'm long-winded, so this ain't gonna help me on that score!
My pool is concrete/gunnite, and it's 35 years old. Still going strong, though looking a little "tired". It needs new plaster coating, tile and coping. It's a big pool so the job is $30k The previous owner covered the massive concrete deck with stone. Looks gorgeous - big mistake. Can't refinish the pool without removing the stone :confused2: $30k price doesn't include this! Previous owner also drained the pool and painted it. BIG BIG mistake. It all has to be sandblasted before refinishing, which accounts for $5k of that $30k price tag. I've been putting this off for years - truth is, when the water is crystal clear, it really don't matter.
I replumbed and replaced the pump/filter two years ago, for less than $1k (doing the work myself). I expect it to last 10 years, minimum. New setup is a dream, and the multi-port flush valve makes maintenance a breeze.
So that's the story on durability. If I installed a new pool today, I'd expect to be dead long before it needed major work.
As far as maintenance, the biggest headache is opening and closing. If you don't close the pool properly, you could lose the pool - pipes could freeze and crack and you'd have to dig it all up. Therefore I hire a professional company to close it - for $350 I prefer to let them carry the liability. Opening the pool takes a week or more, and at least one full day of focused work, but it's something I can easily do myself. It's mostly chemicals, but there's a great deal of stuff to clean off the bottom of the pool, even with a high-quality cover.
I doubt you'd have to deal with all that - a Florida pool would likely be open all year long. Even if you had a couple months where it was too chilly, you could go into "hibernate" mode with little to no maintenance - just run the filter a couple hours a day and keep an eye on the chemicals. Remember that when the temperatures dip to 70 or below, you don't need much chlorine at all since algae and bacteria don't flourish.
Daily maintenance requires just 5 minutes of time. I add chlorine tabs to the skimmers a couple times per week, and "shock" the pool each Friday evening (I usually have 20 kids in the pool on Fridays). This involves filling a 5-gallon bucket with hot water, adding three bags of chlorine shock, stirring and dumping it into the pool. I skim the pool daily. The only time it takes more than 5 minutes is when there is a storm that blows yard debris into the pool. And here's the thing - the amount of maintenance will depend greatly on how much vegetation you have around the pool. Most people I know who have pools have no trees or shrubs near their pool. I have a large maple and oak shading my pool, along with many flowering trees (dogwoods, crape myrtles, japanese cherry, etc). This increases my workload somewhat.
You gotta have a robotic cleaner. Some swear by Polaris, which runs off the pool pump and requires no electicity. Almost all pools have plumbing to run a Polaris cleaner. I prefer to use Aquabot, which is electric (low voltage). Figure $1k for a decent unit. I run it every other day for about 6 hours, and it cleans the pool, including the sides. The only thing I have to do is clean the filter bag when it's done - it takes 3 minutes. I can buy any part for the Aquabot over the Internet, and it's super easy to fix when things break. My unit must be at least 10 years old.
I used to take water samples to the pool supply store for their "free" analysis, until I realized it was a complete racket to get you to buy their chemicals. Since I stopped doing that, I rarely have to add anything but chlorine. Last year I added nothing. This year I added a pound of stabilizer. The only thing I have to buy other than chlorine are test strips. A couple times per week I dip a strip in the pool and check the color-coded tabs to make sure all chemicals are in line. Once per month during the season I backflush the filter (this blows out all the DE) and add DE back in. This takes 10 minutes.
In the fall, maintenance goes up with all the leaves falling, but again - it's just a few more minutes of skimming. Honestly, most of my maintenance is for landscaping around the pool. I have several perennial beds and more than 60 large pots of annuals. Watering alone during the summer is 30 minutes every other day.
In terms of cost, it will depend somewhat on the size of the pool. Mine is 35k gallons. I spend about $400 per year in chlorine. $50 in test strips. $200 in DE. Generally $100 for misc. Aquabot parts (mostly wear items). Every couple of years I replace the leaf skimmer @$75. I once had to replace the pool light fixture which cost about $300. That's really it. If you take good care of your deck furniture, it'll last many seasons. But I do occasionally spend money on deck-related items.
In terms of electricity, I wish I had a number for you. My house is so energy-inefficient (something I'm working on) that my bills are through the roof, and I couldn't tell you how much is for the pool. Figure running a 1.5 HP, 14 amp, 220V pump motor. I rewired my pool and put the whole thing on a timer. This allows me to shut the pump down for 8 hours per day (generally at night), peak season. A couple times per season I have to top off the water, and that requires running my well pump, but it really doesn't amount to much.
Here's the bottom line. Everyone told me I was crazy for buying a house with a pool. Especially since the property has 1.5 landscaped acres. But it really hasn't been bad! I think it is well worth the effort. Sure, I have young kids. But I enjoy the heck out of that pool!
Anyway, sorry for the manifesto :ashamed: Hope it helps...
ps - I know some folks who have salt-water pools. As a swimmer, it doesn't feel much different. As an owner, they swear they are much easier to maintain than chlorine-based pools. I have no direct experience.
mystreba
It's been (correctly) pointed out recently that I'm long-winded, so this ain't gonna help me on that score!
My pool is concrete/gunnite, and it's 35 years old. Still going strong, though looking a little "tired". It needs new plaster coating, tile and coping. It's a big pool so the job is $30k
The previous owner covered the massive concrete deck with stone. Looks gorgeous - big mistake. Can't refinish the pool without removing the stone :confused2: $30k price doesn't include this! Previous owner also drained the pool and painted it. BIG BIG mistake. It all has to be sandblasted before refinishing, which accounts for $5k of that $30k price tag. I've been putting this off for years - truth is, when the water is crystal clear, it really don't matter.I replumbed and replaced the pump/filter two years ago, for less than $1k (doing the work myself). I expect it to last 10 years, minimum. New setup is a dream, and the multi-port flush valve makes maintenance a breeze.
So that's the story on durability. If I installed a new pool today, I'd expect to be dead long before it needed major work.
As far as maintenance, the biggest headache is opening and closing. If you don't close the pool properly, you could lose the pool - pipes could freeze and crack and you'd have to dig it all up. Therefore I hire a professional company to close it - for $350 I prefer to let them carry the liability. Opening the pool takes a week or more, and at least one full day of focused work, but it's something I can easily do myself. It's mostly chemicals, but there's a great deal of stuff to clean off the bottom of the pool, even with a high-quality cover.
I doubt you'd have to deal with all that - a Florida pool would likely be open all year long. Even if you had a couple months where it was too chilly, you could go into "hibernate" mode with little to no maintenance - just run the filter a couple hours a day and keep an eye on the chemicals. Remember that when the temperatures dip to 70 or below, you don't need much chlorine at all since algae and bacteria don't flourish.
Daily maintenance requires just 5 minutes of time. I add chlorine tabs to the skimmers a couple times per week, and "shock" the pool each Friday evening (I usually have 20 kids in the pool on Fridays). This involves filling a 5-gallon bucket with hot water, adding three bags of chlorine shock, stirring and dumping it into the pool. I skim the pool daily. The only time it takes more than 5 minutes is when there is a storm that blows yard debris into the pool. And here's the thing - the amount of maintenance will depend greatly on how much vegetation you have around the pool. Most people I know who have pools have no trees or shrubs near their pool. I have a large maple and oak shading my pool, along with many flowering trees (dogwoods, crape myrtles, japanese cherry, etc). This increases my workload somewhat.
You gotta have a robotic cleaner. Some swear by Polaris, which runs off the pool pump and requires no electicity. Almost all pools have plumbing to run a Polaris cleaner. I prefer to use Aquabot, which is electric (low voltage). Figure $1k for a decent unit. I run it every other day for about 6 hours, and it cleans the pool, including the sides. The only thing I have to do is clean the filter bag when it's done - it takes 3 minutes. I can buy any part for the Aquabot over the Internet, and it's super easy to fix when things break. My unit must be at least 10 years old.
I used to take water samples to the pool supply store for their "free" analysis, until I realized it was a complete racket to get you to buy their chemicals. Since I stopped doing that, I rarely have to add anything but chlorine. Last year I added nothing. This year I added a pound of stabilizer. The only thing I have to buy other than chlorine are test strips. A couple times per week I dip a strip in the pool and check the color-coded tabs to make sure all chemicals are in line. Once per month during the season I backflush the filter (this blows out all the DE) and add DE back in. This takes 10 minutes.
In the fall, maintenance goes up with all the leaves falling, but again - it's just a few more minutes of skimming. Honestly, most of my maintenance is for landscaping around the pool. I have several perennial beds and more than 60 large pots of annuals. Watering alone during the summer is 30 minutes every other day.
In terms of cost, it will depend somewhat on the size of the pool. Mine is 35k gallons. I spend about $400 per year in chlorine. $50 in test strips. $200 in DE. Generally $100 for misc. Aquabot parts (mostly wear items). Every couple of years I replace the leaf skimmer @$75. I once had to replace the pool light fixture which cost about $300. That's really it. If you take good care of your deck furniture, it'll last many seasons. But I do occasionally spend money on deck-related items.
In terms of electricity, I wish I had a number for you. My house is so energy-inefficient (something I'm working on) that my bills are through the roof, and I couldn't tell you how much is for the pool. Figure running a 1.5 HP, 14 amp, 220V pump motor. I rewired my pool and put the whole thing on a timer. This allows me to shut the pump down for 8 hours per day (generally at night), peak season. A couple times per season I have to top off the water, and that requires running my well pump, but it really doesn't amount to much.
Here's the bottom line. Everyone told me I was crazy for buying a house with a pool. Especially since the property has 1.5 landscaped acres. But it really hasn't been bad! I think it is well worth the effort. Sure, I have young kids. But I enjoy the heck out of that pool!
Anyway, sorry for the manifesto :ashamed: Hope it helps...
ps - I know some folks who have salt-water pools. As a swimmer, it doesn't feel much different. As an owner, they swear they are much easier to maintain than chlorine-based pools. I have no direct experience.
#12
twall
twall
#13
mystreba
mystreba
#15
twall
twall
#16
mystreba
mystreba
#18
twall
IF he has ONE QUESTION left about a pool, it'll be his own fault....:laughing:......heaven help him, 'cause you can't.......
twall
Let's hope RobertBrown didn't! I worked hard on that!
IF he has ONE QUESTION left about a pool, it'll be his own fault....:laughing:......heaven help him, 'cause you can't.......
#19
RobertBrown
Just got done reading that. Thanks alot, it was more than I hoped for and very insightful.
I guess in some ways pools are easier to maintain than they were 25 years ago.
I've been looking for a real estate investment recently and thought I should learn about these things as about half the homes I'm interested in have pools.
Thanks again
Oh yea one more question: Is there any thing twall doesn't complain about?
Mystreba..... another nice avatar! You have skills with that camera, you're making me think with those avatar photos. well done
RobertBrown
Let's hope RobertBrown didn't! I worked hard on that!
Just got done reading that. Thanks alot, it was more than I hoped for and very insightful.
I guess in some ways pools are easier to maintain than they were 25 years ago.
I've been looking for a real estate investment recently and thought I should learn about these things as about half the homes I'm interested in have pools.
Thanks again
Oh yea one more question: Is there any thing twall doesn't complain about?
Easy mad dog! just kiddin, don't send me another nastygram....OK?
Mystreba..... another nice avatar! You have skills with that camera, you're making me think with those avatar photos. well done
#20
mystreba
mystreba
#22
twall
twall
#23
Briana
Briana
#24
mystreba
mystreba
#26
JDgreen
JDgreen
Hello all, remember me? Mr. Sarcastic Front Porch Old Fart. Still trying to catch up on the yard after enduring all that rainfall last month. By the time I get one end of the yard trimmed, push mower, and tractor mowed, the other end needs it again. One of the obvious headaches of having a huge yard....
#27
mystreba
I hear ya. I have the same issue, and I have a small yard - tough to get caught up.
mystreba
Hello all, remember me? Mr. Sarcastic Front Porch Old Fart. Still trying to catch up on the yard after enduring all that rainfall last month. By the time I get one end of the yard trimmed, push mower, and tractor mowed, the other end needs it again. One of the obvious headaches of having a huge yard....
I hear ya. I have the same issue, and I have a small yard - tough to get caught up.
#28
JDgreen
JDgreen
#29
twall
twall