My wife has decided to put a pool in, and I don't know how I feel about it

[Guest]

Anybody here have a pool at their house? I feel like I hear a lot of complaints from pool owners about things like maintenance/cleaning. I'm not really looking for ANOTHER thing to have to take care of  The pool builder fellow seemed like a straight shooter, but I know next to nothing about these things and felt like that episode of Seinfeld where George was talking about going to the mechanic and them telling you they need to fix your "Johnson rod". Any tips on things to ask about, stuff to avoid, etc?

[Jason]

rich people problems

[Chris-]

We had an in-ground pool growing up and my dad hated it, it was a huge time and money sink. Comparatively above ground pools are faaaaaaaar easier to deal with.

[Ominous]

Time and money problems. So many appraisals come back with required pool repairs because they fall into disrepair.

[Jason]

2 minutes ago, Chris- said:

We had an in-ground pool growing up and my dad hated it, it was a huge time and money sink. Comparatively above ground pools are faaaaaaaar easier to deal with.

 

but above-ground is for poor people and not very #swaggy

[Bacon]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

but above-ground is for poor people

you joke but there are some very nice ones and ever since I discovered that not all above ground pools look like big kiddie pools I would now prefer to have an above ground pool if I was a rich fuck

[Brian]

10 minutes ago, Ominous said:

Time and money problems. So many appraisals come back with required pool repairs because they fall into disrepair.

My parents bought a house with a pool later in their lives and after 2 years of ownership, they stopped opening it. The cost of maintenance and upkeep was too much compared to the amount of times they used it. When they sold the house after their divorce, they had to give a pretty big credit so the new owners could fix it. Neither one would ever own a pool again.  
 

Quick edit: the house was in NJ. Pools in the Northeast are dumb in nature since summers can be short. 
 

I buy a $300 family membership to the town pool. 

Also so much for your case of not being a rich snob

[Jason]

2 minutes ago, Brian said:

I buy a $300 family membership to the town peepee pond.

 

ftfy

[Pikachu]

Definitely a lot of maintenance involved. You can buy an automated pool cleaner to make the job easier. And don't forget the tennis ball trick! Putting a tennis ball in your pool every week will make your pool cleaner.

[Kal-El814]

The house I bought a few years back has a very small one in the backyard. Maybe 18’ in diameter, only goes to about 5’ deep. Basically a big hot tub, but not hot.  So it’s not good for actual swimming but it’s great to cool off in and because it’s so tiny the maintenance is easy and it heats up quickly in the spring and fall when the weather doesn’t do that naturally in New England. 

[silentbob]

2 summers ago we did the cheap above ground pool option from Walmart. I feel bad cause my long hauler shit was bad that summer but it needed constant attention. When I have real rich people money, I would love a big in ground pool. I love swimming but the small pool was more for lounging and playing with my young nieces. Plus our little pump crapped out on us and so we just redneck disposed of the pool and gave her a good “sea” section cut too release the water. 

[Keyser_Soze]

@sblfilms is looking into doing hot tub streams on twitch

[TUFKAK]

Fiancé wants a hot tub or plunge pool, the first is way easier to deal with 

[best3444]

My brother in law bought an in ground pool and maybe a year later he was suicidal because of it. Do not get one!

[Ghost_MH]

17 hours ago, Bacon said:

you joke but there are some very nice ones and ever since I discovered that not all above ground pools look like big kiddie pools I would now prefer to have an above ground pool if I was a rich fuck

 

I have family who've made a good living just building decks around above ground pools. Well, he also builds just regular decks, but it's the one around pools that get pricey.

[Fizzzzle]

I wouldn't get an in-ground pool unless I truly had "fuck you" levels of money. Like $10k/year to maintain it isn't really a big deal.

[Captain Pickle]

17 hours ago, Pikachu said:

Definitely a lot of maintenance involved. You can buy an automated pool cleaner to make the job easier. And don't forget the tennis ball trick! Putting a tennis ball in your pool every week will make your pool cleaner.

Whaaaat. I’m gonna try that next year. But it will just end up in the skimmer 

[TheLeon]

Get a pool boy on staff. You’re a job creator, stimulating the local economy.  Wins all around.

[Fizzzzle]

5 minutes ago, TheLeon said:

Get a pool boy on staff. You’re a job creator, stimulating the local economy.  Wins all around.

Giggity

[Biggie]

These humble brag topics are really getting old. 

[Keyser_Soze]

7 minutes ago, Biggie said:

These humble brag topics are really getting old. 

 

Future topic: "My wife can't decide on what chandelier I should buy for her"

[Captain Pickle]

Guys first class is expensive and I still have to wait to board. Should I just buy a private jet?

 

next thread: tips on installing a pool on my jet!

[Dodger]

I eagerly await your next life dilemma of whether you should get the red or yellow Ferrari. 

[Captain Pickle]

Just now, Dodger said:

I eagerly await your next life dilemma of whether you should get the red or yellow Ferrari. 

Why not both?

[Dodger]

On the real and since you don't live somewhere where summer is only one month long you're looking at another few hundred a month by the time you factor in increases to your electric and water bills and the couple hundred to have a pool guy come out once or twice a month and do all the maintenance for you since only poor people clean their own pools. I've known a lot of people with pools and have always lived in warmer areas and you do too, and it sounds like a couple hundred bucks a month gets you through most months, with some spikes when you need to fill it up or if you heat it all the time, and another couple hundred here and there for a new pump or something occasionally. I haven't heard any real horror stories because I've never lived anywhere where you would have to worry about shit freezing. 

[best3444]

3 hours ago, Biggie said:

These humble brag topics are really getting old. 

 

He's done these types of threads countless times. "Guys, should I buy a 5th LG 65in OLED to have one in my bathroom?"

 

Guy is is ridiculous. 

[SmugPrick]

I have a 25k gallon in ground pool. There is now wifi chemical measuring devices that will send a notification to your phone that your PH is too high/low, chrlorine levels, etc. Its called WaterGuru...well worth the money. In terms of maintenance, if you just keep up on things like backwashing your filter and keeping your skimmer baskets clean, youll be ok.  Avoid dumping your chlorine into the shallow end because itll fade your liner. If you live in a cold winter state, basic winterizing like blowing out your return pipes and adding anti freeze to the skimmer is important to avoid cracking and creating costly repairs.

 

All that being said, the  only thing I had to replace was the pump motor (500 bucks)…they last about 3-4 years (and when you get to that point, install yourself - super easy - just a motor swap and wiring it in for proper config (240v vs 120). I dont know what folks are talking about "time and money". The only time I waste is plugging in the pool roomba every sat morning and adding chemicals MAYBE once a week. The only money you spend is on a bucket of chlorine and your PH up and down. A decent size bucket of chroline is about $220 (itll last you a season in conjunction  with an inline chlorinator that you purchase pucks for (around 60 bucks for enough to last a season). PH up and Down is like 20 bucks for a bag.  Really the only cost is your increased energy bills for the summer (and occasionally topping off the pool from evaporation). 

 

Lastly, I highly encourage  your contractor to put screw up anchors in your poured pool deck. Critical for covering the pool. Also a solar cover (around 250-300 bucks). Itll save you on your gas bill should you want to run your pool heater for night swims. 

 

All In to run the pool this year, it cost me roughly around 1100 in chemicals and a pool motor + an increase of around 300 a month between Gas, Elec, and water. Pool was open from Memorial to late September...so lets call it another 1200...or 2300 all in for a season (minus 500 next year as I wont need to replace the pool pump). It is what you decide its worth. To me, 2300 for some damn fun memories all summer was worth it. 

[SmugPrick]

6 hours ago, Fizzzzle said:

I wouldn't get an in-ground pool unless I truly had "fuck you" levels of money. Like $10k/year to maintain it isn't really a big deal.

10k a year? on what planet? lmao

[SmugPrick]

6 hours ago, Captain Pickle said:

Whaaaat. I’m gonna try that next year. But it will just end up in the skimmer 

its a robot my guy. like the size of one of those old imacs from the late 90s

[Fizzzzle]

12 minutes ago, SmugPrick said:

10k a year? on what planet? lmao

No idea, I've never lived on that planet

[Captain Pickle]

22 minutes ago, SmugPrick said:

its a robot my guy. like the size of one of those old imacs from the late 90s

It’s called a tennis ball?

 

also I don’t think it’s all that expensive to maintain. I’m pretty sure I spend even less than you and I don’t use a cover!  I also swim with a skimmer catching all the leaves and swim while vacuuming to make it fun!

 

edit: actually I might spend a bit more

 

$200 chemicals 

$325 for a company to close

 

and I just ignore the gas and electricity bill increases

 

but, running the pump isn’t all that expensive. You put it on a timer so to only run about 10 hours a day. They say you can do 8 hours but I do 10. However I pretty much run it all weekend 

[SmugPrick]

15 minutes ago, Captain Pickle said:

It’s called a tennis ball?

 

also I don’t think it’s all that expensive to maintain. I’m pretty sure I spend even less than you and I don’t use a cover!  I also swim with a skimmer catching all the leaves and swim while vacuuming to make it fun!

 

edit: actually I might spend a bit more

 

$200 chemicals 

$325 for a company to close

 

and I just ignore the gas and electricity bill increases

 

but, running the pump isn’t all that expensive. You put it on a timer so to only run about 10 hours a day. They say you can do 8 hours but I do 10. However I pretty much run it all weekend 

dude at the pool store said I should run it 24/7...maybe its due to my filter type? I have a DE Filter. 

[stepee]

2 hours ago, SmugPrick said:

I have a 25k gallon in ground pool. There is now wifi chemical measuring devices that will send a notification to your phone that your PH is too high/low, chrlorine levels, etc. Its called WaterGuru...well worth the money. In terms of maintenance, if you just keep up on things like backwashing your filter and keeping your skimmer baskets clean, youll be ok.  Avoid dumping your chlorine into the shallow end because itll fade your liner. If you live in a cold winter state, basic winterizing like blowing out your return pipes and adding anti freeze to the skimmer is important to avoid cracking and creating costly repairs.

 

All that being said, the  only thing I had to replace was the pump motor (500 bucks)…they last about 3-4 years (and when you get to that point, install yourself - super easy - just a motor swap and wiring it in for proper config (240v vs 120). I dont know what folks are talking about "time and money". The only time I waste is plugging in the pool roomba every sat morning and adding chemicals MAYBE once a week. The only money you spend is on a bucket of chlorine and your PH up and down. A decent size bucket of chroline is about $220 (itll last you a season in conjunction  with an inline chlorinator that you purchase pucks for (around 60 bucks for enough to last a season). PH up and Down is like 20 bucks for a bag.  Really the only cost is your increased energy bills for the summer (and occasionally topping off the pool from evaporation). 

 

Lastly, I highly encourage  your contractor to put screw up anchors in your poured pool deck. Critical for covering the pool. Also a solar cover (around 250-300 bucks). Itll save you on your gas bill should you want to run your pool heater for night swims. 

 

All In to run the pool this year, it cost me roughly around 1100 in chemicals and a pool motor + an increase of around 300 a month between Gas, Elec, and water. Pool was open from Memorial to late September...so lets call it another 1200...or 2300 all in for a season (minus 500 next year as I wont need to replace the pool pump). It is what you decide its worth. To me, 2300 for some damn fun memories all summer was worth it. 

 

I read  “there is now wifi chemical” and my mind immediately jumps to “oh no here we go again” but luckily this time it was just about a product

[Guest]

Pools are totally normal middle class things in Houston, because it is HOT AF a majority of the year! Y’all goofy

[Guest]

5 hours ago, best3444 said:

Guy is is ridiculous.

This is true though