What's involved in owning a pool?

fill it in and make a garden out of it...

I grew up tending a pool, and will never ever own one myself.

it's kinda like a boat. more work than fun for the owner...

FWIW.

If your kids were older and could manage the pool maintenance, I'd say go for it.

The insurance considerations can be annoying.

Money (the easy answer)

Re Rockhead's idea, I've done that (or had it done in one of our projects. Got to break up the bottom to some extent so it will drain as a garden area.


Adds, pool safe fencing, different requirements for that in different locales, sometimes handled by secure gates to the backyard and alarms on doors, sometimes there is fencing required to surround the pool.

A pool, Drew, is opportunity for excellent exercise especially valuable to the oldster myself as swimming places minimal stress on the back. Once a week a few chlortabs, about 30 gurgles of algae-clari, and a bag of shock should keep it clean and blue. By all means install modern pump-sweep system, much more economical, we use Intelliflow

Slightly acidic water burns the eyes so if you like to swim underwater occasional application of a base like PhUp might be required though it makes the water hazy

There’s some evidence incidentally that if you use a solar cover to heat the pool, allowing the pump to run at low speed when it’s supposed to be off might increase its life by maintaining a more uniform chlorine level

Can’t help much with sweep as we’ve used only one kind, a typical 4-wheel device with bag and swishing tail and powered by separate pump. It effectively picks up most kinds of deposit except sand

How big is the pool? Size proportional to cost and time spent maintaining. How close is it to trees? Our new house has a small pool that I spend maybe 30 minutes a week on - never had any problems with it. It's the first time I've had to look after a pool and it's an asset - we use it a lot in the warmer months and are thinking of getting a solar heater for it so we can use it all year round.

It's part of a backyard that's like additional house space, and it looks great through the french windows in the main bedroom. The dogs love it, and it's nice to have a cocktail in after a tough day in the tropics. We're looking at a getting a tether so we can use it as a flume.

It's saltwater, so I stick a sack of salt in it twice a year, add a little chlorine and some phosphate remover every week. It probably costs me $250 a year in chemicals tops.

Also depends on where you live, here in Florida you WANT a pool. I don't find it to be that expensive, I have a pool guy that comes out once a month, doesn't charge much.

I have a deep and abiding hatred for the pool I have cared for most of the past twenty years. However, if you do end up with one, be sure to learn how to keep the water balance as perfect as possible, or hire it out to a reputable company.

Ed I don’t think that’s necessary. You can do it yourself at a considerable saving

I'm just reading. I've designed and designed around some serious pools.
Have no interest at all in producing handy tips.
I may snort once in a while, but pay no attention.

Feel free to snort

We actually changed ours over from chlorine to salt, what a difference in maintanance, including cleaning, do you know how much cleaning there is, seriously

Winter is the bugger if you are able to put a cover over it, all the better. The leaves stack up into the filter quicker.

I am pretty sure it was also the reason our elecricity bill was so high, owning a pool... so timers are important...

Can't say we didn't love it though, but the beach is really not that far from us.

Oh I forget to say we moved, too much dang work

You fellas might find this of interest

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pools/msg0718583715672.html?4

round here, ai inground pool actually reduces the market value of a home. Nobody wants em in an area where(up until the last 2 years) we would only get about 2 weeks use in a summer.

We dug a pond and its given us
1a fire insurnce rate reduction
2 irrigation water if needed
3wildlife habitat
4 bass an pumpkinseeds

Lot'sa maintenance.

Curious, Man, mayhap you’re situated in Alaska

Aside from the fact that some home pools have a sudden steep slope down, past a certain length at the shallow end, that can be dangerous for a non swimmer, the whole idea of a pool changes one's image, in my opinion. They become a "pool owner" that, in my opinion, is somewhere in the list of "possible pretentious people," based on an elitist mindset. Owning a pool might imply that one doesn't want to swim with the folks that go to the YMCA, possibly. It is also an advertisement, I believe, to anyone that can see that a pool is on the property, that someone is likely living the good life, bon vivants, if you will. At some point, homes with pools might attract someone that is up to no good, perhaps. A pool, in my opinion, screams ostentatiousness. Can a person with a pool ever claim they are quite humble in one's life?

From a hygienic standpoint, I would never have a pool, due to the thought of all the birds that likely used the pool for a toilet.

Foof a very profound observation and indeed one I’ve repeatedly entertained. In my own case however, it came with the property. I abhorred the maintenance at first but now at 81 I‘m grateful for the exercise

That, I am indeed

Don't drink water. Fish **** in it. And poop.

Enjoy! I do not begrudge anyone anything. I like a simple life, but that is not everyone's goal in this life. Each to his own.