Above ground pools

[lynnae]

Hi,

I have a question . Has anyone used the blue above ground pool with the blow up ring? If you have u know what I am talking about. I am thinking of getting one. You can get great exercise in water. Its fun and u don't even really realize you are exercising. I am thinking of getting a smaller one. One large enough for a pump, but nothing huge. Are these good pools? Are they worth the money? How hard are they to put up and take care of ? Any other sugestions will be greatly apreciated.

Thanks

Lynnae -_-

[Jokelly]

Nope, but we did have a regular above ground pool for about 27 years. We got it when I was three and used to every year. And I mean rough use. Three kids constantly in it with friends daily swimming three months of the year. Last year we tore it down and tried to give it away, but nobody would take a free pool so we ended up taking it to the junk yard for scrap. My dad got a couple hundred dollars for it. It was an Ester Williams that had interlocking aluminum panels. It was nice because it could be used above or below ground. My uncle had the same pool below ground and it's still in use after about 35 years. I've heard of so many people's above ground pools breaking or rusting, but if I was ever to get another it would only be an Ester Williams brand.

Pools are a lot of work. Between the daily chlorine testing, skimming, sweeping. If you use it daily then it's great. Our problem was I was the only one left to use it and it was a pain taking the solar cover off and then cleaning just for me. It wasn't worth it. Also, check with your municipal codes. I know my municipality now has very strick pool codes and takes multiple inspections before you're allowed one. We were grandfathered because it was so old, but now it's just not worth it to put one in.

I loved it, though, and if I had kids wouldn't think twice about getting a pool. Most of my summertime memories revolve around the pool. It was probably one of the best things my parents ever bought.

[Jeffrey]

i have a pool like jokellys but one year a skunk decided to crawl under the cover and drown during the winter and then disintegrate when my dad tried to scoop him out with a bucket so then we had to drain all the water and scrub the liner which then shrunk from the sun because there wasnt enough water in it... which meant a new liner which was delivered and was the wrong size so we had to wait longer... needless to say the "real" pool was never ready to use that summer and we got one of the ones lynnae is talking about as temporary pool that summer.

WELL to answer your question they are extremely easy to install, i believe the instructions say to put down sand or a tarp where you are going to put the pool but we didnt. (if this will be your actual pool and not a temp like it was for me i would follow that step) also make sure the area is relatively level, then you just lay it out, blow up the ring and fill it up. we enjoyed it but keeping it clean is nothing like a real pool. you just get the skimmer net and use that. you can use it to clean the whole thing by making a whirlpool and once all the stuff moves to the middle of the pool just skim it out with the net. as for algea you will probably have to keep up with your chemicals to keep that at bay because im not sure if those pools work with pool vacuums. for the amount of money they cost i would say they are worth it but they just do not compare to a real pool (above or in ground) im not really sure what the pump was for but we ended up taking it apart and using it to make a homemade water heater for the permanant pool.

[Esther]

I had one of those pools. I put it up for three years in a row. the third year, I had to patch a couple of holes in the bottom of the pool. I haven't put it up since mainly because I was the only one using it and I got tired of monitoring the chlorine levels and scooping out dead bugs, etc.

[heidiiiii]

I am asking just for clarification..Are you asking about those pools you can buy for like $100-200 that have a pump and ladder that you can take down every year?

The only thing I know about them is that in our area (check yours first before buying) the city made a big stink about them. The city considered them like real pools and you had to get a permit, and have a fence installed for safety purposes. That is partly why I never bought one. I didnt want the hassle of the building inspector making a visit...he visited one of our neighbors and they took it down.

[nechee]

My SIL has one of those pools and they are very worth it. They are great for cooling off and great for getting a little exercise. my kids adore this pool and I can hardly get them away from my SIL house when she has it up.

[Intrinsicat]

Also consider the average daily temperature in your area and size of the pool you are considering. My aunt's neighbor got a realtively small-sized one and by mid-July the water was hot as bath water and not enjoyable at all on a 95 degree day.

[UVsaturated]

I had a 12' one. The first season we realized the filter/pump was under rated. We invested in a larger pump and sand filter. That made a big difference in the water quality, and the ability to maintain chlorination. The blow up ring leaves a lot to be desired. Ours had a hole that we could not find, so we constantly had to blow it up.

The vinyl used for the bottom and sides seems to be ok. You really need to spend the time to make sure it is level. Either use some form of extra padding underneath if you set it up on concrete or spend some money on sand if you are setting it up in dirt/grass. That will protect the bottom quite a bit.

Other than that I used mine for 3 seasons. Covering the entire thing and cleaning it each spring is also a good idea to make it last.

[Jeffrey]

I am asking just for clarification..Are you asking about those pools you can buy for like $100-200 that have a pump and ladder that you can take down every year?

The only thing I know about them is that in our area (check yours first before buying) the city made a big stink about them. The city considered them like real pools and you had to get a permit, and have a fence installed for safety purposes. That is partly why I never bought one. I didnt want the hassle of the building inspector making a visit...he visited one of our neighbors and they took it down.

here heidi

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_9...amp;sName=Pools

[Gayle]

Something else you might want to consider. Check with your homeowner's insurance. A swimming pool is considered an "attractive nusiance" which is the reason for a fence. Wouldn't want someone else's kids getting in when you're not there.

[lynnae]

Thanks everyone,

I think I have decided to get a 10 or 12 foot one. I have been doing alot of research and I think I can handle it. It will be behind a fence, and they are all over town. I am still going to call city hall before I go buy one. Thanks for all the help. we will see how this goes. lol

[4miniloves]

Let us know how it goes. I have been looking at thase too. It is a lot cheaper than a membership, which seems like the only way to do it in this town. I am unsure about the ladders... my husband and I are far from being considered liliputian. I fear them breaking and having big problems getting in and out.

[lynnae]

I am only getting a 30 in deep, so that I don't have to use the ladder. The little alumin ladder that comes with them, the weight capacity is 150 lbs.

I got stuck in a pool like that. lol I went to a friends house and they have a 4 foot deep pool. There was three of us. Everyone went in no problem. We hung out and swam. One person got out no problem. Well when the second person got out the ladder totally colasped on him. So here I am stuck in the pool. I am probally in here for a good hour before they got me out. lol :lol: Finally they calmed down and listened to me. I put a chair in the pool and then stepped out into another. No problem. After that I believe they got a better ladder. If this one isn't a huge problem to keep up with. Then next year I will get a deeper one and have my brother build me some stairs and a little deck for it.

[rodentraiser]

I think I had the 12ft one and really, they're not as deep as they look. You will have to invest in a larger filter because the one they come with is not adequate. Some of the larger ones come with a cover, if not, you can order one from the company. There is a lot of water that's wasted filling those too because of the ring. And don't set it level - make sure there's a little dip to the side where the drain is or you'll never be able to drain the thing completely unless you fancy picking it up with a foot of water still in it.

It would defintely pay to put a fence around it because of small animals and I'm not talking about just the kids. ;) Nobody in our nieghborhood had fences around their pools, so I didn't either (my big mistake), but when my neighbor's dog had puppies, all of them would run through the yard and try to climb into the pool. It only took a couple days (neighbors with loose running dogs are idiots and you can't talk to them about anything!) for the dogs to rip a hole in the ring of the pool and what the dogs didn't ruin, my cat finished off. Something about those rings look like a nice spot for a cat to sit and watch the water.

My next pool is going in a covered dog kennel.

[heidiiiii]

Here is an article that was posted in my local paper today... Pool Owners.

It is about those inflatable pools being considered like regular pools. If you havent bought one yet, you still might want to make sure you are not violating any building codes.