VandVsmama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2011
We recently moved a few months ago and we were so jaded after our experience with a pool at our old house that we opted to go for a house that has NO pool in the backyard.
This fascinates me. May I ask if before you had a house with a pool, did you ALWAYS wish for a house with a pool? We live in the city, and having a pool is not and never has been in the cards for us, between lack of space and a huge 100 year old plus Oak tree in our back yard, but DH and I fantasize about having a pool I couldn't imagine every leaving our yard. I'm not being sarcastic, I truly would LOVE to know your thoughts before the pool and why your feelings changed.
I hated the salt water system we inherited. Switched back to chlorine when it died. We love having the pool. Our kids are 15, 10 and 10 and they are in many hours per day in the summer. It should be said that they are all high performance swimmers though and being away from the water would be punishing for them. It’s expensive. Opening, closing, heating in the spring and fall, chemicals. We don’t find it a lot of work. DH puts the vacuum robot in and pulls it out, I’m in charge of balancing the chemicals and getting the chemicals at the store. We’ve had a pool 15 years now. I’ve had one for 46 years. Still not bored. There is nothing better than going for a run, coming home and jumping in the pool.Things I wish we'd known ahead of time before putting in a pool:
- the salt cell (that converts to chlorine) will only last a couple of years and then you'll have to replace it
- in order for the salt system to create chlorine, it had to run longer than we would have run the pool pump if we didn't have a salt system
- how much a pool guy would cost...very pricey! So we did it ourselves and we sucked at it.
- how little we would actually end up using it
- what a pain in the neck the spa/hot tub would also end up being in terms of keeping it clean. Hated that thing. Should have just gone with the pool and not added an in ground spa/hot tub, too.
People always say this, but I find we only spend about fifteen minutes a week on balancing the water. The robot cleans the pool—maybe two to three minutes a day putting it in and pulling it out.That they’re a huge PITA and time suck when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. We had one when I was a teen and keeping it in decent shape seemed never ending. Swore I’d never own one and never have.
I’m not just saying it, I lived it. For whatever reason it fell on me to take care of the pool. It was a never ending job that I’d never want to do again. More than half the people in this thread have said they wouldn’t do it again.People always say this, but I find we only spend about fifteen minutes a week on balancing the water. The robot cleans the pool—maybe two to three minutes a day putting it in and pulling it out.
All good considerations and definitely food for thought. Its no doubt a luxury item that no one *needs*, so by this logic, I'm not sure who you think the target market would be. Few are wealthy enough to not work and enjoy their pool or boat all day. Those of us here in the middle class look to those items to provide enjoyment during downtime and weekends. Not trying to live out a fantasy, per se.I think pools are in the same class of purchases as RV's, boats, time-share contracts, etc. Sometimes there is a desire to buy because you think it will be a wonderful thing and how great it will be to go swimming all the time, or vacation all the time, etc. Oh, just think of the family bonding! The fun we'll have! How great it will be to relax in our own stuff! But.. For many that remains a dream. Time doesn't magically appear to be used for swimming or vacationing. Work still runs late every night, or you have to work weekends. Family members still heed help, the house still needs work. Whatever it is, the time sucks don't magically stop when you spend boatloads on something. Or, the kids who swore they want to do this thing suddenly want to do other things or hang out with their friends and not in the pool or the camper. They get older and get summer jobs, cutting into pool time. Everyone who promised to pitch in on the maintenance finds other things to do. Life throws a curveball and suddenly the expenses are too much, or you can't use the thing. (I have a neighbor that no sooner did the pool go in, they got into a car wreck and now he's quadriplegic. Another bought an RV only to have his wife die at a young age and he no longer wanted to travel. Granted that stuff is really rare, but just an illustration.)
These things can work for some people and many people do enjoy them. But my advice is to separate the emotion and the dream from the likely reality before shelling out the money. Is this really something you want, or is it part of a fantasy of a lifestyle that work and obligations will keep you from attaining, no matter how much you may really want it. Especially with a pool. At least an RV/boat/timeshare can be sold. A pool is a sunk cost. There's no returning it, or selling it to get some money out of it, unless you sell the house.
What did you hate about the salt water system?I hated the salt water system we inherited. Switched back to chlorine when it died. We love having the pool. Our kids are 15, 10 and 10 and they are in many hours per day in the summer. It should be said that they are all high performance swimmers though and being away from the water would be punishing for them. It’s expensive. Opening, closing, heating in the spring and fall, chemicals. We don’t find it a lot of work. DH puts the vacuum robot in and pulls it out, I’m in charge of balancing the chemicals and getting the chemicals at the store. We’ve had a pool 15 years now. I’ve had one for 46 years. Still not bored. There is nothing better than going for a run, coming home and jumping in the pool.
Cleaning the cell was not pleasant. It involved soaking the cell in a strong acid—so that meant protective clothing. The chemical reaction that converts the salt involves high temperatures and toxic compounds. Our cell was coming to the end of its life when we got it. That meant more frequent cleanings. Once the cell died, replacement was going to be one thousand dollars. Converting back to chlorine—$300. Sold on the chlorine. The chlorinator does all the work. I just add pucks once a week.All good considerations and definitely food for thought. Its no doubt a luxury item that no one *needs*, so by this logic, I'm not sure who you think the target market would be. Few are wealthy enough to not work and enjoy their pool or boat all day. Those of us here in the middle class look to those items to provide enjoyment during downtime and weekends. Not trying to live out a fantasy, per se.
What did you hate about the salt water system?
I’m sorry you took offence. None was intended. I personally find the pool to be some work—of course—but nothing onerous, and nothing more than a few minutes per week. Perhaps things have changed in the intervening years.I’m not just saying it, I lived it. For whatever reason it fell on me to take care of the pool. It was a never ending job that I’d never want to do again. More than half the people in this thread have said they wouldn’t do it again.
I think this is one of the benefits to having an above ground pool. It can be fairly easily dismantled and removed. I've seen some that look like in ground pools. Creative things can be done with decking and such. Look around online.These things can work for some people and many people do enjoy them. But my advice is to separate the emotion and the dream from the likely reality before shelling out the money. Is this really something you want, or is it part of a fantasy of a lifestyle that work and obligations will keep you from attaining, no matter how much you may really want it. Especially with a pool. At least an RV/boat/timeshare can be sold. A pool is a sunk cost. There's no returning it, or selling it to get some money out of it, unless you sell the house.
All good considerations and definitely food for thought. Its no doubt a luxury item that no one *needs*, so by this logic, I'm not sure who you think the target market would be. Few are wealthy enough to not work and enjoy their pool or boat all day. Those of us here in the middle class look to those items to provide enjoyment during downtime and weekends. Not trying to live out a fantasy, per se.
I wasn’t offended.I’m sorry you took offence. None was intended. I personally find the pool to be some work—of course—but nothing onerous, and nothing more than a few minutes per week. Perhaps things have changed in the intervening years.