Swimming pool maintenance

[altbaby]

Does anyone own a pool? If so do you employ someone to take care of it weekly? I would like to get rid of our guy cause it is $130 a month to pay him but am wondering on the cost of chemicals etc. Right now our pool is chlorine but we are thinking of converting to salt water because the cost of chemicals is much lower. But it costs about $1400 to convert. If you figure in that we wouldn't use the pool guy anymore we will have paid for that conversion in one year.

And advice in this area would be great!

Jennifer

[Missy]

We have a spa. We could get the spa dealers ppl to maintain it but we do it ourselves. saves us and our testing always comes in acceptable ranges

[PrairieRose]

We have a pool and Gripey does all the maintenance himself. Our's is bromine and we don't do the 'testing thing'. He just keeps the brominator full, shocks about every 10 days or so or after heavy use and puts algecide in about once a month or so. He backwashes the filter about 1 per week and vac's when needed. We also have an auto pool vac and if you don't have one of those and a solar blanket you HAVE to get them. They make 'our' lives (Gripey would laugh at that statement since he does all the work....snork) so much easier. There is a pool forum where you can learn all you need to know...don't know the name of it off hand but I'll bet you could google it and find it. We also do all of our own spa maintenance. Shock once per week and change water with the seasons adding the calcium out stuff.....no problemo.

[annymoll]

We have a pool maintenance company. I want those levels to test out in the proper range, especially since our family uses the pool frequently.(We have chlorine. )

[altbaby]

Yeah, I wouldn't do the chemicals myself. My husband is a chemical engineer so he should be able to figure it out darn it!

Are the chemicals expensive? Our pool guy says that with the amount of chemical he puts in our pool we would pay about the same for the chemicals as we are paying him to do it. I am a little irritated though cause our pool water really stings my eyes and when I go to a public pool, it doesn't bother my at all. Not sure what to do about that.

We do have a automatic vacuum that is great. We don't have a blanket cause we live in Austin TX and it is warm, we actually have a problem keeping the water cool!

We use the pool and hot tub (that is attached) daily so I really want to make sure that it is safe to swim in.

I'll Google around for the pool forum cause I want to know the benefits of the salt water pools.

[lwlynch]

My neighbor bought a thing that automatically chemicals the pool. Now the filter backwash and cleaning she does herself. But this little computer thing keeps it clear.

[annymoll]

I would go and price chemicals("Megalomart" has them, haven't used them but have had others tell me they are worthless.)I personally think that for 130 dollars monthly for chemicals, maintenance and the upkeep, you are getting a sweet, sweet deal. To each his own though. I would check the cost of the salt, and all required upkeep before I converted.I personally do not like the salt system, based only on one friends experience with it. That was enough for me. She has a heck of a time with the sanitation of the pool.

[bluebird728]

I maintain my own pool and it isn't that hard, nor is it that expensive.

Found this website a few months ago and it has lots of information about frugal pool maintenance. I've been following the advice here and it works great. http://www.poolsolutions.com/

[Neeley]

DH and DD do all maintenance on our pool. It is not the slightest bit difficult or time consuming. The chlorinator distributes the chlorine, the timer turns the pump on and off. All Dh or DD have to do is check the chlorinator weekly and refill with the chlorine tabs if needed. Dh shocks it weekly (that takes all of 20 from start to finish and then the kids can get right in). Since the polaris died, DD vacuums it on a weekly basis and skims it as well. DH takes a water sample to the pool company that replaced our liner about every two weeks and they check the chemical balance of the water (for free). If DH needs to add something like calcium or bring up the PH, the print out from the pool company tells him exactly what to add and how much.

The chlorine bought from places like Wal-Mart and Sam's are not as good as the ones from most pool companies. They have a lower concentration of the active ingredients (like the chlorine tabs have less chlorine for example) and they have a good bit of fillers. You should check the ingrediants list and compare before you buy from the discount stores. You may pay a little more if you get the chemicals from a pool supply store, but you are getting a better quality most times.

We never close down our pool. It stays up and running year round. We do not get much of a winter here. The kids stay in the pool from March until around mid-November.

My grandparents have a salt pool at their beach house and a chlorine pool at their house here. My grandfather does all maintenance on both. He spends about $100 a year on salt for the one pool and between $600-$700 a year for chemicals for the chlorine pool. He has never had a bit of trouble out of either pool.

We spend about the same as my grandfather on our chemicals.

[ravenmaniac]

My dad has a salt pool. I love swimming in it. It is easier on your eyes, skin, hair, and swimsuits. He has someone maintain it for him. When the comes that we are able to get a pool I want a salt system.

[baxjul]

We take care of our own pool. We don't need to cover it with a blanket, we have a cage built around it, so no big particles of junk get in it. We vacuum once a month, and shock every couple ofweeks. Never had a problem with it. DH usually does that on Sat. mornings, while I'm cleaning and vacuuming the lanai.