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Glenn's Take

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After you all get done with the poor jokes, we are having one put in by 8/3 at the latest. Since I will be the one doing the upkeep, what should I expect on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

I know, I'm poor but do you have any idea how much inground pools cost. I don't have an extra 40 grand sitting around with nothing to do.
 
BlueVelvetFog

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BlueRaider22

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1. Open earlier in Spring than you think. If you wait too long, it’ll be green and nasty.....then you have to play catch up. We opened ours in early May this yr. Watch a YouTube video on how to open and close one.......it’s easy.

2. Find a calculator online that can help with basic amounts of chemicals to put in regularly. Especially for open/close.

3. Weekly chemical maintenance: Assess regularly with test strips. You need to add chemicals every wk. Our pool is almost 18,000 gallons. I add 2 bags of shock (the kind with the acid) every wk. often, but not every time I’ll add 2-3 oz of clarifier and algecide. Then keep the chlorine tablets floating. As hot as it’s been, you’ll burn through chlorine fast and might have trouble keeping your levels up. Adding acid or more shock might be needed.

4. Clean skimmer basket often and keep it clean. We backwash the filter every wk for about 30 sec, but you don’t have to do it that often. We vacuum only when needed.....we usually brush liner before vacuuming.

Also check the basket on the pump on occasion to be sure it’s clean.



That’s about it for maintenance. Occasionally you’ll get mixed up on the chemicals. Find a local pool place and have them analyze the water to see what you need......but DO NOT buy their chemicals. They’ll try to get you to buy hundreds of $ of crap you don’t need.


Few tips

Doheny’s is great for home delivered pool stuff. If you live near Winchester, Rural King is nice for runs.

Absolutely get a solar cover. Ours is an upper tier one from Dohenys.....it’s currently 3 yrs old and has virtually no signs of wear. My wife and I have become spoiled on warm water. Over the last few wks the water temp has been 90-95 degrees.....you’ll burn more chemicals but man is it nice. Plus the cover helps prevent evaporation.
 
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Glenn's Take

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May 20, 2012
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BlueRaider22 said:
1. Open earlier in Spring than you think. If you wait too long, it’ll be green and nasty.....then you have to play catch up. We opened ours in early May this yr. Watch a YouTube video on how to open and close one.......it’s easy.

2. Find a calculator online that can help with basic amounts of chemicals to put in regularly. Especially for open/close.

3. Weekly chemical maintenance: Assess regularly with test strips. You need to add chemicals every wk. Our pool is almost 18,000 gallons. I add 2 bags of shock (the kind with the acid) every wk. often, but not every time I’ll add 2-3 oz of clarifier and algecide. Then keep the chlorine tablets floating. As hot as it’s been, you’ll burn through chlorine fast and might have trouble keeping your levels up. Adding acid or more shock might be needed.

4. Clean skimmer basket often and keep it clean. We backwash the filter every wk for about 30 sec, but you don’t have to do it that often. We vacuum only when needed.....we usually brush liner before vacuuming.

Also check the basket on the pump on occasion to be sure it’s clean.



That’s about it for maintenance. Occasionally you’ll get mixed up on the chemicals. Find a local pool place and have them analyze the water to see what you need......but DO NOT buy their chemicals. They’ll try to get you to buy hundreds of $ of crap you don’t need.


Few tips

Doheny’s is great for home delivered pool stuff. If you live near Winchester, Rural King is nice for runs.

Absolutely get a solar cover. Ours is an upper tier one from Dohenys.....it’s currently 3 yrs old and has virtually no signs of wear. My wife and I have become spoiled on warm water. Over the last few wks the water temp has been 90-95 degrees.....you’ll burn more chemicals but man is it nice. Plus the cover helps prevent evaporation.
Click to expand...
If I get a good solar cover how late in the year can I use it? Assuming we are going to have a football season on time I am looking forward to watching games in the pool.
 
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BankerCat12

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Sep 21, 2012
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Glenn's take said:
After you all get done with the poor jokes, we are having one put in by 8/3 at the latest. Since I will be the one doing the upkeep, what should I expect on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

I know, I'm poor but do you have any idea how much inground pools cost. I don't have an extra 40 grand sitting around with nothing to do.
Click to expand...

I don't think you can find an in ground pool worth a damn for $40k now.
 
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BlueRaider22

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Glenn's take said:
If I get a good solar cover how late in the year can I use it? Assuming we are going to have a football season on time I am looking forward to watching games in the pool.
Click to expand...


Depends on the yr.....and how low of water temp you can take. Usually water temp above 82-83 is considered fairly comfortable. And the solar cover can get you 10 deg fairly easily. So theoretically if you had about 3 days of mid 70 temperatures you can still have fair pool temp.
 
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Drcats2025

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Nov 13, 2012
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BlueRaider22 said:
1. Open earlier in Spring than you think. If you wait too long, it’ll be green and nasty.....then you have to play catch up. We opened ours in early May this yr. Watch a YouTube video on how to open and close one.......it’s easy.

2. Find a calculator online that can help with basic amounts of chemicals to put in regularly. Especially for open/close.

3. Weekly chemical maintenance: Assess regularly with test strips. You need to add chemicals every wk. Our pool is almost 18,000 gallons. I add 2 bags of shock (the kind with the acid) every wk. often, but not every time I’ll add 2-3 oz of clarifier and algecide. Then keep the chlorine tablets floating. As hot as it’s been, you’ll burn through chlorine fast and might have trouble keeping your levels up. Adding acid or more shock might be needed.

4. Clean skimmer basket often and keep it clean. We backwash the filter every wk for about 30 sec, but you don’t have to do it that often. We vacuum only when needed.....we usually brush liner before vacuuming.

Also check the basket on the pump on occasion to be sure it’s clean.



That’s about it for maintenance. Occasionally you’ll get mixed up on the chemicals. Find a local pool place and have them analyze the water to see what you need......but DO NOT buy their chemicals. They’ll try to get you to buy hundreds of $ of crap you don’t need.


Few tips

Doheny’s is great for home delivered pool stuff. If you live near Winchester, Rural King is nice for runs.

Absolutely get a solar cover. Ours is an upper tier one from Dohenys.....it’s currently 3 yrs old and has virtually no signs of wear. My wife and I have become spoiled on warm water. Over the last few wks the water temp has been 90-95 degrees.....you’ll burn more chemicals but man is it nice. Plus the cover helps prevent evaporation.
Click to expand...
That’s a little too warm for my liking. On hot days, I’d prefer it be closer to 78 degrees or so. As a kid, I’d swim in as cold as 66-67 degrees lol
 
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BlueRaider22

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drcats2013 said:
That’s a little too warm for my liking. On hot days, I’d prefer it be closer to 78 degrees or so. As a kid, I’d swim in as cold as 66-67 degrees lol
Click to expand...


As a kid, I swam in creeks and lakes.....very cold. They say below 70 and hypothermia is possible....not likely, but possible. Olympics and swim competitions like it chilly due to the activity....80-82 deg. Most people prefer 82-85....so I understand why you’d think low 90s would be too much. Hot tubs are usually 100-104.
 
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cricket3

cricket3

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May 29, 2001
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Pools are supposed to be refreshing and a break from the heat, 90 degrees is neither of those. Therapy pools typically stay around 85, 90 is just bath water.

It’s your pool, so whatever, but it sounds miserable.
 
Blu-ish

Blu-ish

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I have a 20 foot diameter above ground pool. My pool maintenance got MUCH easier once I replaced the sand filter with a cartridge filter. I have fewer problem and use less chemicals.

I don't do any special maintenance when I close the pool. I close before the leaves fall and open early even though the pool will not be used.

This year, I shocked the pool twice with liquid shock early in the year and have not shocked since. I used chlorine tablets placed in a float.

I had water checked at Leslies. They had me add 7 lbs and of Arm and Hammer to raise the alkilinity. Then they had me add 8 lbs of soda ash to raise the PH.

My pool is at 100% in all ranges of chemical test.

I have the filter on an auto timer that runs 3 hours at 3am and 3 hours at 3pm. I have the return pointed up and to the left so that it makes a fountain and circulates the water. I was told the fountain will help keep the water cooler during the summer. It seems to work as I was in my pool yesterday and it still has a cooling effect when you enter the pool. Not bathtub warm like many pools his time of year.

Best money I ever spent.
 
RMP82

RMP82

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Jul 5, 2001
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I would go with an above ground 10/1 over an inground. The in ground pools look nicer, but this day and age, they make some really nice above ground pools. Plus, if you build a deck around it, it can be a really nice entertainment area.

The upkeep is so much easier on an above ground. To close it, you don't have to worry about blowing lines, winterizing to the nth degree. you essentially just lower the level, plug the return, drain the skimmer/pump, and put the plugs in.

If you keep a cover on it through the winter, opening will be a breeze. Sunlight creates algae and leaves can be a *****. If you keep the cover cleaned off, and the water covered, it's not out of the ordinary to have a clean pool when it's time to open. You basically just have to put the opening chemicals to it, and fill it to the proper level.

The key to keeping a clean cover is pumping the water and brushing the leaves off throughout the closed season. Blow up a beach ball or two and put in there to keep the cover elevated towards the middle as well.
 
HagginHall1999

HagginHall1999

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Oct 19, 2018
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When I was a kid we had a Kayak brand pool and it was pretty nice. It was what my parents could afford and I have great memories of it.
 
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catsfanbgky

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I sold my house a few years ago and leased a house for 2 years. It had a above ground salt water pool. It was a very nice (for above ground anyway) pool with a deck around it. It was huge, it was the easiest pool to maintain that i have ever kept up. Just threw a bag of salt in it every so often, it had a digital push button thingy that read the levels of salt, and other chemicals in the pool. I kept a couple chlorine tablets in the backwash over flow thing, daily all I had to do was skim it for those big hard bugs and other small bugs. Loved it. It was about 5 feet deep, and perfect for getting on a float and laying out there drinking ice cold Miller Lite's all evening.
 
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awf

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We have had an 18' x 33' x 54" above ground pool for seven yrs......I use an opening kit in the chlorine dispenser.......throw a bag of shock in once every week or so....change the chlorine canister about every two weeks.....easy peasy........put the cover over it in the fall before the crap falls from the trees....open at the end of May..........I have a heater on mine......arthritis necessitates 90 degree water.....maybe even 92 degrees..........I have a robot that runs around when we are not in the pool.....it does a great job of keeping the bottom and sides clean.......after raising tropical fish for 25 yrs for wholesale.....the water chemistry was simple.....
 
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Glenn's Take

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awf said:
We have had an 18' x 33' x 54" above ground pool for seven yrs......I use an opening kit in the chlorine dispenser.......throw a bag of shock in once every week or so....change the chlorine canister about every two weeks.....easy peasy........put the cover over it in the fall before the crap falls from the trees....open at the end of May..........I have a heater on mine......arthritis necessitates 90 degree water.....maybe even 92 degrees..........I have a robot that runs around when we are not in the pool.....it does a great job of keeping the bottom and sides clean.......after raising tropical fish for 25 yrs for wholesale.....the water chemistry was simple.....
Click to expand...
I don't know what the deal is. I have the water tested at least once a week and do everything they say. We just put it in late last year and didn't have any problems. So far this year it turned green once and cloudy white once.
 
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Gassy_Knowls

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Glenn's take said:
I don't know what the deal is. I have the water tested at least once a week and do everything they say. We just put it in late last year and didn't have any problems. So far this year it turned green once and cloudy white once.
Click to expand...

How many Tampa Bay Lightning players can you fit in your above ground pool?

None. Because they are playing for a Stanley Cup. Lol, I know of one particular team that is available to swim naked with you.
 
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