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OT: Inground swimming pools

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BonzoGoesToCollege

Senior
Aug 24, 2012
1,187
592
113
I currently live in Madison and am considering putting in an pool. Can anyone please share his/her experiences with installing a pool and provide names of pool installers in the Jackson area that you have had dealings with, both good and bad? Still don't know whether I'll go gunnite, vinly, fiberglass....would appreciate comments on this as well.

Thanks
 
Dawgbite

Dawgbite

All-American
Nov 1, 2011
8,822
9,442
113
Catalina Pools in Memphis, all fiberglass pools made and installed buy the mfgr. Mine is 20 years old and minimal trouble. A fiberglass pool uses a fraction of the chemicals as a gunnite or vinyl liner pool, dont ask me why but they do. I use 1-1.5 3 inch chlorine pucks a week in a floating dispenser and vacuum it once a week. There are 4-5 of these pools in my area (Amory) and all have had minimal trouble and most are about the same age. At the time I bought, they only made 3 models but that could have changed. Family run business, Father and Son make them in the winter and install them in the summer. Daughter runs the office. I do recommend you go ahead and spend the extra for the safety cover, solid with the mesh drain in the middle.
 
O

o_swimdog

Redshirt
Aug 23, 2012
28
4
3
Salt is on the way out. Does a lot of damage the homeowner does not know about. We sell them and I have one, but would not recommend one unless you fully understood it. 3 times more expensive in the long term. Pools built correctly are all about the same, has to do with what your wanting to spend. Gunite is the most expensive, fiberglass, and then liner pools. Gunite is usually twice as much (plus some) as a liner. We build some $50,000 liner pools and they can be done very upscale. Fiberglass for the money is not a good deal. Its really all about the construction and the company that builds it. I'm in north ms and been in the pool business for over 25 years but will be glad to answer any questions you have. I can ask some suppliers for recommendations, who pays their bills is usually a good sign and how long they have been doing business. It can be a great thing or a nightmare, do your homework !!!
 
A

AssEndDawg

Freshman
Aug 1, 2007
3,183
54
48
DO NOT DO SALT! They are starting to show their flaws. The promise of lower maintenance is pretty ridiculous with the products they have out now for a chlorine pool. I may take 2 more minutes on the pool compared to salt but the equipment damage and costly repairs of salt aren't worth the tradeoff. This is not just coming from me, a friend of mine who maintains pools for a living STRONGLY cautioned me against switching to salt. The only thing he likes about them is that he's making a fortune off the owners now.

I have a gunnite pool and highly recommend it. It's low maintenance, lasts a loooong time with a little routine scrubbing and just plain looks better. It also does a better job of heating up in the spring and regulating heat during the summer. More up front costs but less down the road.
 
Drebin

Drebin

Heisman
Aug 22, 2012
21,520
25,093
113
swimdog said:
Salt is on the way out. Does a lot of damage the homeowner does not know about. We sell them and I have one, but would not recommend one unless you fully understood it. 3 times more expensive in the long term. Pools built correctly are all about the same, has to do with what your wanting to spend. Gunite is the most expensive, fiberglass, and then liner pools. Gunite is usually twice as much (plus some) as a liner. We build some $50,000 liner pools and they can be done very upscale. Fiberglass for the money is not a good deal. Its really all about the construction and the company that builds it. I'm in north ms and been in the pool business for over 25 years but will be glad to answer any questions you have. I can ask some suppliers for recommendations, who pays their bills is usually a good sign and how long they have been doing business. It can be a great thing or a nightmare, do your homework !!!
Click to expand...

I have a salt system and like mine fine. I've had to replace some things sooner than I probably would've with chlorine (I had to buy a new pump this year and last year I had to replace the salt cell system), but it's worth it for me, because maintenance is extremely low (just add a bag or two of salt when the counts get low, and no worry about other chemicals), and I don't come out of the pool smelling like I took a bath in chlorox.
 
O

Optimus Prime 4

Redshirt
May 1, 2006
8,560
0
0
-100 on natural pools. I find enough frogs n critters in mine as it is. I've got about 40,000 gallons in a concrete pool with a liner, I didn't do it the damn thing is over 50 years old, but it still works fine. I also recommend being a job creator, and just hiring someone to clean and do the chemicals, it's worth it. I will say that I love having a pool, I use it 4-5 times a week, and it makes the heat bearable. I've heard a lot of problems with salt lately, things like chairs, patio furniture and even windows and sliding doors rusting from it, but have no firsthand experience.
 
T

Topgundawg

Redshirt
Oct 23, 2010
864
0
0
I have a vinyl pool and it looks great every 5 years. That's because you have to replace it about that often. Fire ants are hell on mine in the winter....
 
coach66

coach66

Junior
Mar 5, 2009
12,692
314
83
The only thing I've noticed from my salt water pool is it has done a number

on my rod iron fence. It hasn't impacted my metal furniture that much but the fence which was coated to prevent rust has rusted in spots. I love the low maintenance aspects of the salt water pool, I literally don't touch it for weeks at a time besides cleaning out the filters on the side of the pool and pouring in a little salt and muratic acid every now and then. It really isn't much trouble.
 
C

Crazy Cotton

All-Conference
Aug 26, 2012
3,647
1,405
113
If I had the choice, I would do an above ground and put the damn thing on Craigslist when I'm tired of it.

I have an inground, and it's just one more damn thing to do. Any of you that have pools, do yourself a favor and google the BBB method. It has cut my maintinence costs by 70%, my pool has never looked better, and I haven't visited those idiots at the pool store in 3 years. And I know exactly what is in my water, and what isn't. Plus, when you go to walmart and buy 14 gallons of bleach and 5 boxes of borax every spring, you can tell the cashier that looks at you funny that "it's good for gettin out blood... did I say that out loud?"
 
R

ronpolk

All-Conference
May 6, 2009
9,158
4,762
113
coach66 said:
on my rod iron fence. It hasn't impacted my metal furniture that much but the fence which was coated to prevent rust has rusted in spots. I love the low maintenance aspects of the salt water pool, I literally don't touch it for weeks at a time besides cleaning out the filters on the side of the pool and pouring in a little salt and muratic acid every now and then. It really isn't much trouble.
Click to expand...

I have an old chlorine pool and have never done much research on salt. I hear people all the time talk about how it's less maintenance. I don't understand how though. I have a chlorine feeder, so all I really ever do is shock the pool and adjust the ph with acid or alkalinity. Every now and again I will have to put calcium chloride in it. So, with a salt pool do you not have to worry with the PH?
 
coach66

coach66

Junior
Mar 5, 2009
12,692
314
83
Ron, I seldom check the chlorine level or the ph level. I do make sure the salt

level is kept at the acceptable range. I adjust the chlorine production dial as the temperature changes and pretty much have that committed to memory.

As long as the salt is right and the pool is crystal clear with no algae then I don't worry about ph and chlorine levels.
 
coach66

coach66

Junior
Mar 5, 2009
12,692
314
83
I would suggest BlueHaven, I think they call themselves Acqa something now.

They are the most expensive but you can depend on them which is not something that is normal with a lot of these pool guys out there, no offense to the poster in this thread. I have had a great relationship with BlueHaven.
 
coach66

coach66

Junior
Mar 5, 2009
12,692
314
83
Probably so! Man that was a classic.

as Jethro would say the cement pond*
 
Yossarian39

Yossarian39

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2008
50
0
6
Advice from a high end design / builder

I am a partner at a landscape architecture design/build firm that specializes in high end ($100,000 - $500,000 & up) custom pools.

Here is my two cents:

1) Gunite is the only option. Fiberglass has a 15-20 year life span & looks cheap, because it is. Vinyl is a step up from fiberglass, but is more widely used in cold climates. Gunite is pneumatically applied concrete that should have a compressive strength around 7,000 psi. A properly built gunite pool will last much longer than you or I will.

2) There is a time & place for all types of commercially available sanitation systems including traditional chlorine, salt water chlorine generator, copper ionization, bio-filtration, etc. A lot of it depends on the materials chosen for coping, tile, decking, etc. For residential pools I typically recommend a Nature 2 (or similar) chlorine tab feeder/ionizer to be used in conjunction with a Delzone Total Eclipse ozone generator with mixing / degassing vessel. You can upgrade your ozone generator to a Pentair Intellizone, but they are much more expensive & are more typically used in commercial applications. I am happy to provide more information on any of these items or how they work if you like.

If you go with salt just remember that it is very corrosive. It will shorten the life span of all of your equipment. It will eat any limestone, cast aluminum, or steel in close proximity. Don't use limestone coping or cast aluminum furniture with a salt water pool. It makes the water feel very soft, but it is not typically the best solution for many residential applications.

3) If you get a spa go with either a separate filtration system (pump, filter, heater) or at the very least use a variable speed pump.

4) Make sure your pool is VGBA compliant. This is a requirement for commercial pools, but should be for residential as well. Ask to see the certification of any suction fitting used in your pool. I recommend Paramount or Waterway.

5) Go with a quartz or hydrazzo interior finish. They wont fade or model over time & wont tear your feet up like pebble.

6) Run from Hayward equipment! Use only Jandy or Pentair.

Hire a reputable builder. Ask a lot of questions. Dont assume that because they have been building pools for a long time that they know what they are doing. Technology in pools has changed dramatically in even the last 10 years. There are many old school builders out there who are still following the same rules of thumb. Ask about water velocities in the suction & return plumbing, ask about the total dynamic head, on vanishing edge systems ask about catch basin sizing. You want to make sure that your builder understands the hydraulics involved in your particular system.

I recommend dealing with APSP certified building professionals & / or members of Genesis 3 Design group. https://apsp.org/education-certification/pool-spa-certification.aspx
http://www.genesis3.com/

Talk to Brian Brewer out of Memphis. I know he does very good work & would probably be willing to travel to Jackson http://www.brewerpools.com/

 
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O

o_swimdog

Redshirt
Aug 23, 2012
28
4
3
Yossarian39 said:
I am a partner at a landscape architecture design/build firm that specializes in high end ($100,000 - $500,000 & up) custom pools.

Here is my two cents:

1) Gunite is the only option. Fiberglass has a 15-20 year life span & looks cheap, because it is. Vinyl is a step up from fiberglass, but is more widely used in cold climates. Gunite is pneumatically applied concrete that should have a compressive strength around 7,000 psi. A properly built gunite pool will last much longer than you or I will.

2) There is a time & place for all types of commercially available sanitation systems including traditional chlorine, salt water chlorine generator, copper ionization, bio-filtration, etc. A lot of it depends on the materials chosen for coping, tile, decking, etc. For residential pools I typically recommend a Nature 2 (or similar) chlorine tab feeder/ionizer to be used in conjunction with a Delzone Total Eclipse ozone generator with mixing / degassing vessel. You can upgrade your ozone generator to a Pentair Intellizone, but they are much more expensive & are more typically used in commercial applications. I am happy to provide more information on any of these items or how they work if you like.

If you go with salt just remember that it is very corrosive. It will shorten the life span of all of your equipment. It will eat any limestone, cast aluminum, or steel in close proximity. Don't use limestone coping or cast aluminum furniture with a salt water pool. It makes the water feel very soft, but it is not typically the best solution for many residential applications.

3) If you get a spa go with either a separate filtration system (pump, filter, heater) or at the very least use a variable speed pump.

4) Make sure your pool is VGBA compliant. This is a requirement for commercial pools, but should be for residential as well. Ask to see the certification of any suction fitting used in your pool. I recommend Paramount or Waterway.

5) Go with a quartz or hydrazzo interior finish. They wont fade or model over time & wont tear your feet up like pebble.

Hire a reputable builder. Ask a lot of questions. Dont assume that because they have been building pools for a long time that they know what they are doing. Technology in pools has changed dramatically in even the last 10 years. There are many old school builders out there who are still following the same rules of thumb. Ask about water velocities in the suction & return plumbing, ask about the total dynamic head, on vanishing edge systems ask about catch basin sizing. You want to make sure that your builder understands the hydraulics involved in your particular system.

Talk to Brian Brewer out of Memphis. I know he does very good work & would probably be willing to travel to Jackson http://www.brewerpools.com/
Click to expand...

I agree with most of this , Brian is a great guy and builder, MSU guy that majored in Landscape Contracting with me. Gunite is a great pool but I wouldn't recommend putting a $100,000 pool behind a $250,000 to $350,000 house, that is why the liner market is big, there are high end liner pools and low end. We build some $50,000 liner pools, the average is $32,000 for a loaded out.
I have a different opinion on separate equipment on spa, you would double your eguipment cost using separate and energy cost. Using a automatic controller with a single system would be more efficient.
Hydrazzo is a nice upgrade ( very expensive ) on plaster but since is a polished finish, it is more prone to chemical damage and the life span is less then other finishes.
Salt systems are very corrosive but its not the salt, its the electrolysis that is going on in the ground. Then you have the homeowner that thinks because its looks good, everything is fine ( Coach ), you have to lower ph very often and check other levels. Stay away from salt !!!
 
O

Original48

Redshirt
Aug 9, 2007
3,322
0
0
Put in a saltwater pool in '07 and absolutely love it. Easy maintenance and problem free so far. I would shop around and not make Bob's and Blue Haven your only two calls. Madison County Rocks put my pool in and did a great job for much less cost. Still stays in touch too.
 
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