Unbiased Pool Owner Speaks Out Regarding Concrete vs Fiberglass Debate

As just about any pool shopper knows, there is a significant debate raging on in the swimming pool industry:

Concrete Compared to Fiberglass: Which is the Best Swimming Pool?

Understandably, this question merits serious consideration. But the truth is, just about every pool guy is quite biased when it comes to the product they sell. And no matter what any person says, they are almost always leaning one way or another when it comes to what they tend to recommend to customers.

I've mentioned many times that we try not to be 'that guy' here at River Pools---You know, the one that is so blinded by his own products and need to 'make a sale' that he completely loses track of what the customer is really looking for. In reality, the fact is fiberglass pools aren't for everyone. Nor is a concrete or gunite pool the right choice for many consumers. One has size/shape limitations. The other involves significant upkeep, chemicals, and maintenance.

But when comparing the two, the truest way to know the merits of each product is to actually ask a consumer who has owned or currently owns both products. After all, pool owners that have experience with only one type of pool only know things from their one-way perspective. Not that this is by any stretch a bad thing, it just is what it is. But when you take an individual who owns both and ask that person to compare, well then we have a serious analysis at hand.

So without further ado let's finally hear what a customer who owns both products has to say. The following video shows Ken Knull, owner of Yankee Pt marina in Lancaster Virginia. Ken owns a fiberglass pool at his marina. He also owns a concrete pool at his residence. Considering the heavy usage of his fiberglass pool, Ken is the perfect case study of someone who can shed legitimate light and understanding on such a long-standing debate:

Swimming Pools and Dogs: A Few Points to Ponder

Many of you seeing the title of this article may laugh at the idea of pools and dogs, but believe it or not for many families out there the dog(s) have just as much say in the pool as the rest of the family does. Just ask my business partner Jim with his two pugs. Heck, sometimes I think those two dogs have more say than any one in Jim’s household…..but I digress. :-)

So let’s take a look at a few common questions we get regarding pools and dogs:

What is the best type of pool for my dog?

First and foremost, vinyl liner is out of the question for most homeowners. For obvious reasons, the liner can tear or get small punctures, which then can lead to major leaking issues and headaches. On the other hand, fiberglass and concrete pools are almost never going to be damaged by dogs and are usually the right choice, depending on the needs of the homeowner. Also, keep in mind that depending on the size of the dog, a decent sized set of steps is important in terms of entry/exit points.

What is the best type of chemical to use in my pool if my dog likes to swim?

Frankly, there just haven’t been many studies on this one in the pool industry, so I’ll just explain what I’ve seen up to this point. Because just about all of our customers (1000+ inground and above ground pools) use salt, and due to the fact that many allow their animals to swim in the pool, we’ve been very pleased to see that salt chlorine generators work very well in conjunction with dogs. Because they produce a low level of natural chlorine, the chemicals aren’t harsh and the salt is easy on the skin. Up to this point, I’ve not had one of our customers say their dog had an adverse reaction to their salt chlorine generator.

Will a Dog Be Hard on My Filter System?

They say a dog is equivalent to about 50 people in the pool at one time. Crazy, huh? Notwithstanding, although their hair and such is harder on a filter system, by no means are they known to do damage either. For example, if you have a cartridge filter on your pool it may mean that you simply have to spray the filter off more often. If you have sand, you may need to backwash more often. But just as with the previous question, I’ve not heard any of our customers complain about how their animals have negatively affected their pool’s filter system.

Well I hope these questions help you dog lovers a little as your consider the process of pool ownership. One thing is for sure—If your dog likes the water, he/she will LOVE pool ownership, and in-turn will not be forced to bath in ice cubes any longer :-)

 

Happy Swimming,

Marcus Sheridan

Top 5 Salt Water Chlorine Generator Problems

Let me start off by saying that we are huge proponents of salt water chlorine generators and do recommend them to most customers.  However, there is no such thing as a perfect system.  The purpose of this article is to bring to light several of the issues we’ve seen with salt water chlorine systems after installing close to 1,000 of them over the past 8 or 9 years.  As you’ll see, most of the issues we’ve encountered haven’t been with the actual salt water systems, but with the impact that the system has on other pool components.     

 

1.  Corroded handrail and ladder anchors

The high salinity level of the water does cause galvanized deck anchors to corrode prematurely.  We’ve found that within 4 to 5 years of installing a salt system that galvanized deck anchors will corrode to a point where it is difficult or impossible to remove the handrail or ladder.  The solution to this problem is to use brass anchors as opposed to galvanized steel.  If you are considering installing a salt system on an existing pool with galvanized deck anchors it would be a good idea to spray them with some type of corrosion inhibitor to slow the deterioration process.  If you are having a new pool built, make sure the contractor uses brass anchors.

 

2.  High Chorine

One of the greatest advantages of salt water systems is that you reap the benefits of a chlorine pool without the adverse effects associated with chlorine.  This is wonderful….no strong smell, no burning eyes, etc.  The disadvantage is that it’s possible to generate a high level of chlorine in the pool and never know it.  This can have an adverse effect on the pool shell, pool equipment, etc.  To keep this from happening, simply test chlorine levels on a weekly basis. 

 

3.  Cell Replacement

Although salt chlorinators typically cost less during a given season than chlorine, there will come a day when the cell, which is the component of the machine that converts salt to chlorine, will fail.  The cost of cell replacement may off-set the savings experienced over the previous years.  The average cost of cell replacement is $800-$1200 and the average life expectancy is 4-8 years.  There are many wonderful advantages of salt chlorine systems, but my experience is that cost savings is not one of them in the long run. 

 

4.  Tough on Auto Covers

There’s simply no getting around this one.  Salt systems are tough on the metal components of automatic covers.  Many of the major components of “auto-covers” such as the track system, the tube the cover rolls up on, the hardware, and the leading edge are all made of metal.  The best way to prevent premature corrosion of these components is to periodically rinse them with fresh water from a garden hose.    

 

5.  Corrodes vinyl liner pool walls

This applies to inground and above ground vinyl liner pools with metal walls.  Most vinyl pool builders today use polymer/plastic walls, so this is not so much an issue with new construction of liner pools.  However, if you are considering building a vinyl liner pool with a salt system, do yourself a huge favor and avoid metal walls like the plague!  Regarding above ground pools, it’s debatable whether the low-maintenance aspects of the system outweigh the impact that the salt water has on the metal wall structure of the pool.  After doing many liner replacements on above ground pools with and without salt water systems, I can tell you that there is a significant difference in the amount of corrosion on the wall after a very short period of time.  It’s a question of how long you want your pool to last.  In my estimation, you’ll get 10-15 years out of an above ground pool with a salt system as opposed to 20-25 years without.

 

Taking all of these issues into consideration, you need to ask yourself the question:

 

Do the benefits of salt water chlorine generators outweigh these problems?

 

In my opinion, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”  Although there are cases where salt chlorine generators may not be the best alternative, for the majority of pool owners throughout the world it’s tough to beat the superior water quality and low maintenance of a salt water pool. 

 

Thanks for visiting, comments and questions always welcome!

 

Should I Get a Salt Water System in my Pool?

Now that the summer is here, many pool owners are again facing the question that they've been asking themselves for the past few years now: Should I get a salt water system in my swimming pool?

For those readers that are already enjoying the wonders of salt, please feel free to go back to doing whatever you were doing. But for the many that have still not decided to take the plunge, please consider the following arguments to be made for such a wonderful piece of technology:

‘It Costs Too Much'

Yes, salt chlorine generators do cost a good bit of money. The average system is anywhere between $800-$2000 installed, but look at it this way: Swimming pool owners that use salt, in many cases, will spend less than $100 a year on chemicals. Yep, $100. Pretty awesome, huh? Without  salt, I've seen regular chlorine users spend well over $300 a season on chemicals. Compound this over the course of 5 years or so and you've easily paid for the system. And as for Baquacil users, the savings are monumental. It's nothing for a Baquacil user to spend over $500-$1000 on chemicals alone for just one pool season. For this reason, it is my opinion that anyone using Baquacil over salt may need a head examination.

‘It's Too Hard to Maintain'

Say what?? Salt water pools make for the ultimate low maintenance swimming pool experience. Most users check their water once a week to make sure the system is producing natural chlorine. Beyond that, there is very little one needs to do, other than balance the water on occasion. This is also why salt water pools are perfect for people with weekend homes or those that are constantly traveling and thus unable to attend to their pool. With its consistent feed of natural chlorine in the water, salt practically eliminates the ‘hard work' and vigilance issues that come with swimming pool ownership.

‘It Will Hurt My Eyes'

Again, almost never true. Keep in mind that salt pools are nothing like what we swim in when we're in the ocean. In fact, salt pools have 1/10 the level of salt that an ocean has. To give you an example, my son is 6 years old and he rarely uses goggles in our pool, despite the fact that he's is under water 50% of the time and always has his eyes open. And of the 1000+ systems we've installed, I've never had a customer that said their eyes were adversely affected by the salt.

‘It Tastes Funny'

Well, I guess if you like to drink pool water this could be the case....But seriously, just as I mentioned in the last paragraph, the salt levels are so low in the pool that most people don't even know they are swimming in it. Yes, you can taste it just slightly if you lick your lips while in the pool, but again, no customer has ever told me this was an issue of concern.

‘It Will Affect My Pool and Equipment'

Yes and No. There are debates in the pool industry as to the effect of salt water on concrete pools, with the majority of professionals, myself included, recognizing that a salt system will cause a concrete pool owner to resurface their pool sooner than they otherwise would have. The real debate lies in just how much quicker salt speeds up the process. As far as a fiberglass pool though, salt will have no impact on the shell's surface longevity. And as far as the general equipment is concerned, the only drawback we've been able to notice as a company is the fact that pump seals (w/the filter system), an inexpensive part to replace, wear out quicker with a salt generator.

 

So there you have it folks. If you are debating the merits of salt in your swimming pool, I do suggest you stop delaying the inevitable and make the call. I've literally had pool owners that have used Baquacil or regular chorine for years switch to salt and absolutely rave about its benefits and ease of use. After all, the whole purpose of owning a swimming pool is to relax more, not work more. Salt chlorine generators will certainly accomplish this goal.

Marcus Sheridan

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Salt Water Pools: What Type of Salt Should I Use and Why?

What Kind Of Salt Should I Put In My Pool?

By Jim Spiess

With salt becoming so prevalent in the swimming pool industry today there are a lot of questions that are arising and not always a lot of answers. The purpose of this article is meant to help you understand the different types of salt currently available for purchase and which of these is best for use with a salt chlorine generator swimming pool application.  A lot of pool companies do not even know the answers to the questions and there is very little written about this subject on the internet. Such confusion is understandable considering the rapid growth of salt within the industry as well as so few case studies to understand this important science.

Salt Trends

Pool owners in the 21^st century are quickly converting to salt because of the low maintenance and high water quality that result from this process. Fourteen percent of the pools in America are salt pools right now. Although this may not sound like a lot over 50% of the new pools that were installed last year in the United States included a salt generator. Also, in the last five year there has been a 50 to 70% increase with salt inground pools in the United States. Currently, the systems are most prominent in Florida, which is understandable with the year round swimming season and the amount of retired people that reside there who are on fixed incomes and want low maintenance.

3 Types of Salt for Pools

Although there are several different types of salt only three types should be used on your pool. Making the right choice on the type of salt you use is critical in how well your pool will maintain its water chemistry and how long your salt generator will last. It is also has an impact on whether you will have problems with staining and damage to your pool and it accessories. Salt that is high in purity will give you the least amount of trouble, and the more impurities that are in the salt you use will increase the amount of trouble you have with your pool and your salt cell.

Solar Salt 

The first type of salt I want to talk about is solar salt. Solar salt is made by taking sea water and diverting it to a holding area where the sun evaporates the water and you are left with salt. The sea water has brine shrimp and bacteria in it. As the water evaporates and becomes more salty the brine shrimp thrive, but the more water that evaporates will create a salt level that will kill the bribe shrimp. These are also know as sea monkeys, the little things you buy when you are at the beach and then you take them home and put them in some water and watch them hatch and grow. Next the bacteria are thriving on the high salt levels too until they reach a point where it cannot survive either and it dies. Now you have dead brine shrimp and dead bacteria in your salt which causes you to have organic matter as an impurity. This means the salt generator has to work harder to create chlorine to kill the organic matter. You will have high chlorine levels in the pool just not free chlorine, and it is free chlorine that kills the bacteria that exist in the water.

Mechanically Evaporated Salt

Next there is mechanically evaporated salt. This salt is created in a similar manner to solar salt but instead of the sun evaporating the water it is done with a generated heat. This heat will kill the brine shrimp and bacteria and also burns off the organic matter. With mechanically evaporated salt you have contaminates that are more on the mineral side. You can have phosphates, nitrates, iron, copper, magnesium, silicates, calcium, and magnesia. This all depends on the area that is being used to produce the salt. Any of the contaminates that I just listed are not good to introduce to your pool. Most of the above will not affect the cleanliness of the water but will instead affect the water balance. It can also affect your salt cell and stain your pool. Staining is generally a problem with concrete pools and not fiberglass pools. Plaster and pebble tech are always curing, so when you introduce salt into a concrete pool with pebble tech or plaster you will generally get some type of reaction if the salt has mineral impurities in it. Removing metals from your pool with the typical metal removing agents is not advised and you should use sequestering agents that are designed for salt pools.

Mined Salt

Finally we have mined salt, which is the purest of the salts, some of which will come with sequestering agents in them. When putting salt in a concrete pool it is recommended that you do a couple of things different than a fiberglass pool. Salt that sits on plaster or pebble tech that has mineral contaminants in it can stain your pool in five minutes. It is recommended that you first balance your pool water before you put the salt in it and then pour it in the deep end and broom it to help dissolve the salt. Salt with high impurities dissolves much slower that a pure salt, so you may also want to add the salt a little at a time in several doses.

Your best bet when purchasing salt is to get it directly from a pool store. Although it may cost you a few more dollars per bag, it's well worth it when one considers the long term benefits.

I am not trying to scare you away from salt with this information. In fact, just about every new pool we build includes a salt chlorinator. But we also sell fiberglass pools which are much more compatible with salt, so our customers tend to have far less problems than people concrete/gunite pool owners. If you have natural rock water features with your pool you will want to apply a sealer to the rocks just like you do to your deck because the salt can leave stains on them too.

Cell Cleaning

One final tip is your salt cell should only be cleaned when necessary because acid is used to clean the cell and when you clean the salt cell you remove some of the coating that allows for the electrolysis to work , therefore slowly shortening  the life span of the salt cell. The quality of your salt system like the quality of your pool is ever so important to its performance and the life of the salt system.

Attempting to Winterize/Close Your Inground Swimming Pool? Here are the 5 Most Common Mistakes.

Each year, many pool owners throughout the world attempt to properly winterize their inground swimming pool (To watch our popular Pool Winterization Video, Click here). And unfortunately, each year many pools sustain damage over the winter because pool owners make simple mistakes when attempting this task. This being said, I wanted to write a brief article on the 5 most common mistakes we see from pool owners who attempt to close their own pool.

• 1. Clean the salt generator- Over the course of a pool season, scale of some type typically develops on the metallic plates found within the cell of a salt chlorine generator. Such scale is removed my mixing a water/muriatic acid solution and letting it soak in the cell, dissolving any scale that has built up over time(see factory directions with your salt system for details). Customers will often forget to this at the end of the pool season and then find that their salt systems to not work properly in the spring.
• 2. Heater Winterization- With their long coils, heaters can easily hold water if not properly blown out and drained. If the water freezes over the winter inside a coil and it busts, the repair is very, very expensive. Do yourself a favor and do not forget this important step.
• 3. Clean the Filter: Whether it's the grid of a DE filter or the pleats of a cartridge, your pool's filter needs to be cleaned well at the end of the season. When filters of any type are allowed to set all winter with waste and debris caked within them, they are often rendered nearly useless in the Spring. This is especially true with cartridge filters.
• 4. Gizzmo in the Skimmer Line: Many pool owners put a regular plug in their skimmer line but clearly the ideal gadget for this task is a Gizzmo, which is a long, green tube that threads into the skimmer line and is hollow in the middle with a cap on top(again, see video). This inexpensive device allows for all the air to be pumped out the skimmer line without the chance of water getting back in.
• 5. Turn off all electrical components!!!: It amazes me how often I see pool owners forget to turn off the electrical to their filter system. When this occurs, the pool pump will turn on after the pool has been winterized, which in turn means the pump will run without water running through it. This burns up the motor quickly and obviously will not be covered under warranty. This is why all breakers having anything to do with the pool should be set to off position over the winter, along with the pool's timer.

Although there are many more mistakes that can be made with an inground pool winterization, these are the most common mistakes to be aware of if you decide to close your own pool. Also, because each pool is different, some pools are much more complex to winterize than others. If you have any questions or comments regarding pool closings, please don't hesitate to make a mention below.

And as always, happy swimming!

Marcus Sheridan, http://www.poolschool.us/

How to Close/Winterize a Fiberglass Inground Pool (Video)

By Marcus Sheridan, www.PoolSchool.us

The following video shows the main steps to the proper winterization/closing of an inground fiberglass pool. Because of time, the video is unable to show certain steps, so I'll just list them here first, then display the video. If you have any further questions regarding a proper pool winterization, don't hesitate to comment below:

10 Steps to a Proper Inground Pool Winterization/Closing

**Note: Before taking these steps, it's important to raise the sanitzer levels of your pool the day before you close it. This means that if you use regular chorine, you'd add enough bags of shock to get the chlorine above 10ppm. If you have a salt water system, just hit the boost button. I also recommend adding 1 bottle of Algaecide 60(make sure it's a quality version not from a Big Box store) per 15,000 gallons of pool water. Finally, it is a good idea to have the ph in a range of 7.0-7.8**

• 1. Take out eyeballs of existing returns.
• 2. Drain pool water down to bottom of skimmer (do NOT drain below this point).
• 3. Take off salt water cell and clean.
• 4. Drain pool pump and filter system (take off plugs).
• 5. Blow out return lines and plug each line (an air compressor or a shop-vac can be used to accomplish this).
• 6. Place gizmo in skimmer.
• 7. Blow out main drains and skimmer line, then plug the top of the gizmo
• 8. Cover pool
• 9. Make sure ALL electrical components are turned off (breakers should be in off position)
• 10. If you have a cartridge filter, make sure the filter is taken out and cleaned very well, then stored in a dry place.

 

Baquacil: Cloudy Water, Problems, and Why It's a Rip-Off

I was sitting with an inground pool customer last night that had owned her previous pool for about 19 years. It was a small, 12'x24' design with only about 7,000 gallons of water. She was in the process of tearing out her old pool and getting a new one, and when the subject of pool chemicals came up she mentioned to me that she had spent $700 this past summer to keep the water clear. Before she even mentioned what type of chemical she had been using, I knew there was only one that could cost so much for such a small pool for just one summer: Baquacil.

Having owned a retail pool store now for almost 10 years, there was a time when we at River Pools and Spas carried Baquacil Products. Being new to the business and wanting to offer a chlorine alternative to our customers, the representatives from Baquacil met with us and told us that not only was it a great chlorine alternative, but we could also make quite a bit of money off of its tremendous residual sales. Seeing Baquacil's popularity throughout the industry, we decided to bring in and promote the product. It did not take us long to realize, though, that the representative from Baquacil had only been partially accurate in his assessment of the product's benefits. Yes, it was quite profitable. No, it was not a good chlorine alternative. In fact, it's the type of product that hurts the swimming pool industry and gives it a bad name. Allow me to explain.

What is it?

Baquacil, which is classified as a Biquanide, is a non bleach/halogenic product whose main oxidizing component is hydrogen peroxide. With peroxide being the main oxidizer, the problem with the system is that waste builds up in the pool water over time and eventually a pink sludge build up results in the pool's plumbing. This is also why most Baquacil users have good success with the product the first year or two, and then have to use more and more ‘Shock' to keep the water clear. Again, this phenomenon is due to the un-oxidized waste build up. Once we as a company started to realize just how ineffective and expensive Baquacil could be after a few years of usage, we started recommending to our customers that wanted to stay on the system to open the pool at least every other year with chlorine, and then they could switch back to Baquacil. Because chlorine is such a great oxidizer, it quickly cleans out any sludge and waste build up, which then allows Baquacil to work effectively again in a more cost-effective manner.

Striving for Low Cost and Low Maintenance

Notwithstanding Chorine's ability to cure this problem, after a few years of selling Baquacil we stopped recommending it to our customers. Because the goal of our business is to promote low-maintenance swimming pool ownership experiences, Baquacil clearly didn't fit the bill. Yes, it was making us a nice supplemental income but it was also leading to many trips to the pool store for our customers and hundreds and hundreds of dollars each summer for clear water. This is why we switched to salt water about 5 years ago and haven't looked back since. Not only have we installed about 700 salt chlorine generators on new pools, but we've also converted another 300-400 customers who were either using regular chorine or Baquacil to salt. Such a conversion, especially for previous Baquacil users, can be a major paradigm changing experience when they go from spending $500-$1500 a year on chemicals to, in most cases, less than $100. The feedback we've gotten since we've made the switch has been phenomenal and as owners of the company, we are happy to know that our customers are now spending very little time at our retail store and much more time as a family enjoying their swimming pool. We've also been thrilled by the fact that we almost never deal with salt customers who have algae in their pool. Baquacil is notorious for allowing algae to grow in the pool and it's incredibly expensive to remove the algae once it has started to grow with Baquacil's weak oxidizing components.

Salt: A Better Choice

To close, I'd just like to recommend to all those pool owners out there that are not currently on salt to consider the option. We've got quite a few articles about salt chlorine generators on this blog and on our website and if you have any questions regarding Baquacil or any other pool chemical for that matter, please don't hesitate to comment below and we'll answer promptly.

As always, happy swimming and don't forget to subscribe to this blog on the upper right hand portion of the page.

Marcus Sheridan, http://www.poolschool.us/

How Much Can a Mistake Cost on a Swimming Pool Purchase?

 By Jim Spiess, www.riverpoolsandspas.com

 

There are many factors to consider when purchasing a swimming pool. First- Is the type of pool you will purchase, will it be an above ground pool, or an in ground pool? Let's look at above ground pools first.

How much will our above ground pool cost, and if it is an expensive pool does that guarantee quality and durability? Just because an above ground pool is expensive does not guarantee anything, for that matter most of your more expensive above ground pools are generally cheap pools that will cost you upwards to ten thousand dollars, and only last a few years. Beware of companies that advertise on television and show a beautiful pool with a ridiculously low price. If it looks too be true it probably is. These companies will do the same with magazine ads, only to do a bait and switch when they show up. There are many good above ground pools out there, Artesian Pools and Strong Pools make great pools, but beware of the riser pool made by Strong Pools, because it has its issues. These two manufactures have a difference of about one thousand dollars in their price; both have great warranties, and will not only last for many years of enjoyment, but will keep their look over the years. How many times have you seen an above ground pool get put up in the neighborhood and a year or two later they look twenty years old? An Artesian 24 foot round pool should cost you in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars with installation, the Strong Pool would be about one thousand more. How much can you lose on an above ground pool purchase? Up to ten thousand dollars if you make a bad choice. It is not a good idea to purchase an aluminum deck for an above ground pool. I recommend a wood deck or a composite deck, which is much more attractive, more durable, and will probably cost less too.

Now let's take a look at inground pools. Here we have really five types of pools to choose from: There is the natural pool which is filtered with plants and can even have fish in them, with a structure that is basically a vinyl liner pool. Initial cost can vary upon plants, type of fish, and stone work, but will generally run around thirty thousand. This is a great pool if you are more interested in a pond than a pool. Personally, I would not spend much on it because vinyl liners have a limited life to them, and it can be a mess to replace the liner on a large pond with vegetation, rocks, and fish. The cost is not that cheap because of the designing, planting, installation, and more, and your loss could be up to ten thousand after replacing liner and surroundings.

Second we have the vinyl liner pool. Its initial pool cost is around $25,000, and it falls into the category of a temporary pool. Liners today generally last between five to ten years, depending on how your pool was installed. If the pool did not have an over-dig and was put in exactly to specifications than that will increase the life of the liner. The problem is a lot of vinyl liner pool companies put the pools in fast and do a slight over-dig to make sure they do not get wrinkles in the liner. This causes the vinyl liner to get stretched and it has now had years taken off the life of the liner. Also, if the pool is put in out of square, it will shorten the life of the liner. We have people who call us to replace the vinyl liner in their pool, and they want to give us the spec sheet for the liner that came with the pool. We never go by that. We have to  measure the pool ourselves and it has not once come up to the measurements on the spec sheet of the customer. Replacing a vinyl liner will cost you between four thousand to six thousand dollars with water. This is also what will bring the value of your home down when you go to sell it. The problem with swimming pools and home sales is that three red flags come up when someone sees a pool. 1. How much maintenance is the pool going to take? 2. How much will it cost me to run that pool each year? 3. What are my future expenses on that pool? With vinyl, you have fairly high maintenance, more cost in chemicals with the pool, and future expenses. Home value can even go down ten to twenty thousand.

Third we have gunite pools or concrete pools. This is a permanent pool, which is high maintenance, high chemical cost, and elevated electrical costs. This pool will have to be resurfaced on average every 10 years, and that can cost from ten to fifteen thousand dollars depending on the type of surface. The price of gunite pools depends on the size and scope of the work, although there are large companies out there that are selling them very cheap because of the economy. My feelings on this is if you have thousands of pools that you have put in and you kept your customers happy then you should not have to cut your cost on your pools so drastically. Most reputable gunite company's pools range around thirty five to fifty thousand dollars. I would beware of the companies that are offering the same pool for ten thousand less. These pools can bring the value of your home down too, usually less than a vinyl pool, around five to ten thousand dollars. Your loss can be as much as twenty five thousand if resurfaced twice during your ownership.

Fourth we have the fiberglass pool wall with a concrete bottom. Initial cost around twenty to twenty five thousand. This pool is still a high maintenance pool due to the concrete bottom, and a lot of times I have seen these pools put in and the bottom painted with a waterproof paint, this can lead to disaster. The life of these pools is determined by the installer, but the bottom of the pool will need resurfacing at a cost of around five thousand dollars. The pool tends to look cheap and will take away from the value of your home, around five to ten thousand dollars. Your loss is around ten to fifteen thousand dollars.

Last we have fiberglass pools. There initial cost is around thirty five to fifty thousand dollars, around the same as a good reputable concrete pool installer. Maintenance is low, operation cost is low, and future cost is very low. Adds value to your home because of all the above. Your gain is extra money when you sell your home, and years of enjoyment without all the work and headaches. But going with the wrong manufacturer, or picking the wrong company, because you are basing your decision on price can cost you more than you save. For instance the pool you have chosen appears to be the same, but the cost difference between the two companies is around five thousand. Well, you could end up the loser when the concrete does not turn out right or the pool was installed improperly, etc. There are many things that could go wrong that will cost you more than the five thousand you saved. Maybe you picked the wrong manufacturer and save five to ten thousand and then find out that you really lost around twenty five thousand and now have a non functioning pool in your backyard. Pool choices are tough decisions, you are spending a lot of money, the last thing you want to do is make a mistake that will cost you even more. For more information on fiberglass pool cost go to http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/ or http://www.poolschool.us/

Salt Chlorine Generators and Swimming Pools Video

By Marcus Sheridan, http://www.poolschool.us/, http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/