Hi everyone,
I was just reading the posts in chit-chat about the hot weather and sitting with a beer by the pool :crying: It got me thinking, Martin doesn't want a pool because he thinks it will take too much maintainance, and I wasn't bothered either way, but after reading your posts, I think it's a definite must, especially when he is at work and the kids at school and there is a bottle of wine with my name on it in the fridge :lol:
So what are your opinions? Is it an unnecessary luxury or a godsend?
Liz x

Hi Liz

See this web site if you only want a small low maint pool we found this ideal $1270 inc del. http://www.affordablepools.com.au/myweb/

Regards

Nick

:o .... when we go... a pool is an absolute must!!!

I've been told that there too cold to use in the winter ??? If this is the case, is it warmed up enought with a solar heater.... for winter use???

.... Liz please tell me your not going to swim on your own especially after a few wines :D

Doug

Oh no, no chance of me swimming, I can't stand it! :lol: I just like the idea of lying on a sunlounger by the pool with a glass in my hand reading a good book. I know the reality is nothing like that, but I can dream :dance:

Hi Liz
Have a look at the Pool threads here ;)
http://z2.invisionfree.com/Adelaidebrits/i...p?showforum=242

...so you think you still might want a swim when the temperature is only a few degrees above freezing? I sure don't :P

Must admit we are enjoying ours, but it's early days (only had it a couple of months) so still a bit of a novelty. But when the day is really hot it is fantastic to be able to cool off in the water. And Liz please note - IN the water!!! It's too B***y hot on the edge :lol2:

No. :happy45: Brrrrrrr bloody freezing.
Kids go in when I wouldn't though.
A modem salt water pool in my opinion is very low maintenance.

We have a salt water pool so maintenance is low in terms of cost. Just about $12 a month for the hydrochloric acid and the blue blocks to keep the water clear. The cost in time and electricity is more, the pump has to run for several hours a day and also when you are in it, and today for example we've spent about 40 minutes out there scooping gum leaves and bark out and unclogging the skimmer box. Yesterday about 45 minutes thoroughly jet washing the filter too.

Then there's the cost of the noodles, lilos, balls and bl**dy water pistols hubby insisted on having!

I reckon we'll get about four to five months use out of it this time, and we don't have a blanket to keep the warmth in the water, or any solar heating. Must be used to cold water from all those years swimming off Worthing beach in the depths of winter!

Not disagreeing with Wizzy's post as thats obviously her experiences, but Ive found it quite different.
It may depend on your surroundings and how old your pool system is.
I have the pool put in 10 months ago.
I spend about 1/2 hour a week on it if that.
includes 5 mins emptying the skimmer box.
I guess Wizzy must have quite a few trees around where she lives so I can see how that would increase the maintenance side of things.
We chopped all ours down before the pool go put in ;)
As for chemicals, Ive spent nothing.
I was given a bottle of acid and a bag of salt by the installer.
I did use the bag of salt but was then told I didn't really need to.
and I have used 2 cups of the acid, so the bottle should last about 15 years :D
Not sure what the blue block are wizzy is on about.
I know I will now have to go and splash out on another bag of salt at $4.50 a bag but its all worth it in the end :rolleyes: .
We actually got about 7 months use out of the pool last year and that was a pretty crappy summer, sure to get more use this year the way things are going.

I think it depends on the age and the type of pool.

We have a manual chlorine pool and it is probably as old as the house - 20 years or so. Has gum trees overhanging, not covered, heated or sheltered. - It is a rented house so not in our control!

We spend ages on it and still struggle to keep it right - it needs vaccuming at least twice a week - we check the chemicals every day and probably add chlorine every second, it needs backwashing weekly (not sure if the filter is dying) and if we need to shock it, which we did this week due to the pump being out of action for 2 weeks - it can take weeks of hassle getting it back to clear.

Cash wise we have have to buy the testing strips- maybe every couple of months($7), clarifier blocks maybe 2 or 3 monthly ($6 for 2), chlorine roughly every 2/3 months ($35) ph buffer occassionally (??). Then you have the pool pump on for several hours a day - or longer when we have had problems - as above. Oh and I guess if you aren't renting there is the added water on your bill, an uncovered pool will need topping up by a couple of inches every week in this weather - more if you are backwashing.

The big cost for us is in time and its not great spending an hour or so cleaning out the pool unsheltered in this weather.

We have to use the clarifier blue blocks that wizzy was talking about or it will never go clear.

But saying that I would never want a house without a pool - we love it! If we had the choice and were building our own (and by my list I had won the lottery) - we would have a solar heated, salt chlorinated, sparkly blue fibreglass pool with a UV filter cover - possibly with surrounding pvc rollerblinds for the winter. Don't ask for much do I??

We used our pool last year mid November to the end of March - this year from early October I think.

Nikki
xx

We have been told one coffee cup sized dose of acid per week, every week, whether the pool is in use or not. That's from two different pool men with their own companies)

The blue blocks are for keeping the algae down and the water crystal clear, one per month no more than $10, they go in the skimmer box.

The trees are gum trees on the school oval behind the fence by the pool - so no cutting them down! Luckily gum leaves don't break down into mush in the water like English type trees do, so no grotty green goo in the bottom of the pool.

Acid should only be added IF the pH or TA levels are too high.

As for maintenance, $55 per month + chemicals, but if you have chemicals then its just $55 per month. It takes about 1 hour to clean the pool and balance water.

Regards,
Paul

Then they sell you the acid and blue blocks I take it :rolleyes:

Is that what you charge Paul ?
If so then I think Ive saved about $550 so far.

BTW my water is crystal clear with a very slight hint of salt to the taste, about as salty as a tear drop.

Is that what you would charge once a month? - our water on paper is always balanced, but we have problems keeping it clear. Could you come up and have a look? (if it is only $55!)

Nikki
xx

It is $55 per month, No problems with coming over.
Just let me know and we can arrange a time and date.

Best regards,
Paul

Hiya Nikki.

I'll recommend Paul.
He is a nice bloke - and knows what he is doing :-)

I'll add to that and recommend Paul too - he helped us get the whole pool maintenance thing sorted out when we were bemused newbies :D

We were the same at first not to bothered if we did or didnt have a pool and now we have returned and this heat, we were both WE NEED A POOL!!

I think it is a MUST!! :cool shake:

I would say it probably costs about $50 a month to run our pool. We have salt water, solar heating and solar blanket. i think the blanket is an absolute must. Not only do we hardly ever need to top up the water, but it keeps the leaves and muck out and I reckon increases the temperature by at least 5 degrees. We would not want to be without our pool. It's great! As for time spent on maintenance, I would say about 1 hour a week, no more. :D

.... OK all these posts have just generated more questions for me... :)

1) Salt water pools.... mmmm are these as salty as the sea.... I really hate sea water (well swimming in it, but only because of the salty water)....

2) If pools are not heated I undstand that you can only use them for 3 months of the year??? Is this true??

3) If you have a solar pool heater.... how much does this extend the yearly usablity of your pool?

4) Water Shortages?? as we all know the UK immiately goes into hose pipe ban mode if there are more than 3 days of sunshine in a row :unsure: ... becuase we obviously don't have enough rain throughout the year :doh: I've heard that Australia does however suffer water shortages.... how does this effect pool owners??

Doug

G'day Doug,

There is a number of threads in FAQ with more information on pools that may help with your questions try the link below...

http://z2.invisionfree.com/Adelaidebrits/i..._key=title&st=0

I believe Delboy answered this question earlier on this thread...

Guess it depends on a few factors whether you have heating, or have mad keen kids as Delboy also mentioned earlier...

See Delboys quote above he has solar heating, in saying that everyones tolerance to water temperature is different so it's a bit difficult to guage really.

Existing pools and spas must not be refilled from empty.
New pools or spas may be filled only under the authority of a permit from SA Water.
A permit will not be granted unless there is proof a cover has been purchased to prevent water loss through evaporation.
The level of water in a swimming pool or spa that has been previously filled with water may be topped up or maintained only with water from a hand held hose or bucket.
Children’s wading pools must not be filled with more than 250 litres of water.
Source: http://www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/Environm...l3_indetail.htm

Paul (username Rachel & Paul) works in the industry so if you have further questions about maintenace maybe a PM to him would be helpful to you.

Hope this helps clarify things for you.

Jet :)

Wow! Thank you all for the fantastic information. I think a pool it is then!

Here's my experience of the last 2.5 months, for what it's worth...

I'm a cold water wimp. When the pool temp was around 22 or 24 degrees when we moved in at the end of November I wouldn't dip more than a toe in. Then we got a pool blanket - and the water temp quickly rose. At 26 degrees I braved the water on a couple of warmer days. Now it has settled at 28/29 degrees I reckon that's just fine and I am in there quite a lot.

For me, the pool blanket (giant sheet of bubble wrap that sits on the surface) has made a big difference. We have yet to see how far we'll get into the autumn with decent water temps, with no solar heating, but just with the blanket it is clear we'll get a LOT more than 3 months use out of it in the year. We will eventually make a decision on solar when we see how things go this autumn.

I totaly agree with Elaine

We have no sola heating , But we have a pool blanket,Which we have been told saves about 95% of evaporation and has well heated the pool Gone from the mid 20's to well above the 30's but only on the surface about 6 inches <_< .

But when we first came to Oz, To me getting a pool was a must,Finishing work now and thinking i will jump in the pool when i get home is a big plus and now i can't imagine summer without it.

As for cleaning as the majority say about an hour a week, unless like me you forget to put the salt in and tirn the pump on for a while, it can go green very quickly then it is a bit of a Mare :crying: .

But i would always go for a pool money permitting.

All the best STEVE

Pools are well worth it if the budget allows.
We run a salt water pool.Tastes like a tear drop and is a lot better on you skin than a chlorine pool.Plus you don't feel the need for a shower after.

Pools are reasonable to run in costs - especially if you keep up to them and don't have to do a rescue job later with lots of algaecide and chemicals.
I use the blue cubes now and again - very handy but not cheap.

I go through a lot of acid to balance the PH,I'm told it is because of the concrete pool and the saltwater chlorinator.

We have solar heating and it is a godsend.I reckon we have a 6 month swimming period.

We use very few chemical apart from acid and some buffer.

The power costs I have not worked out but I reckon they can put a dint in your finances.
We run the pump/filter for 8 hours daily in summer and one hour in winter.
We have an automatic cleaner in the pool called a Klever Kleener - this goes around the bottom of the pool randomly and suck up all the bits from the bottom of the pool.

In total I spend about an hour a week - testing the PH and Chlorine levels,brushing the bits the Kleener can't get to and emptying leaves out of the traps.

The Solar heating is on an auto thermostat ans shuts off at the desired temp.
We LOVE our pool and it is a feature of the garden as well.
It gives us pleasure to see friends and their kids in it as well :-)

Yep, the blanket is brilliant to save evaporation - in the first few weeks before we had it, it wouldn't take long to go down half an inch. Since those rains a few weeks back topped it up, and with the blanket now, I don't reckon it's lost even that in several weeks.

We usually switch the pump on at least 10 minutes before getting in, and it circulates the water and saves that feeling of having a hot bath around your neck while your feet are in the antarctic :happy45:

I'd love to have one of those blankets on our pool because we get a lot of leaves blown in and we have bad evaporation probs due to the pool's position. Good job we have limitless good quality bore water to use.

Unfortunately the pool is a very irregular shape and I'd be afraid of one of our doggies walking on it and sinking.
We would have no way of securing it at one side.
My friend has a pool blanket and swears by it.

Sorry also a bit new to the pool scene.
Do i need to put a bag of salt in every month or can i use these blue tablets( something out of Quadraphinia ) Sorry ihave a fibreglass pool with salt chlorinator.

Any advise as i have limited knowledge would be appreciated.



Thanks Steve :blink: :blink: :help:

We stopped using ours mid june last year and started again mid september

so I guess we got about 9 months of use - yes we do have a blanket (although its never been used) and solar heating which is great.

We chopped 13 large conifers down that were around it and it stays cleaner for longer

Hi Steve
You could do as we did and get in touch with Paul of Paul & Rachel - go back to page one of this thread and drop him a pm, he'll come out and give you a lesson on how to care for your pool. We found it invaluable and well worth his very reasonable charge :)

Hi Steve,
The blue tablets are a clarifier, they "help" to keep the water clear....hmmm!

As for salt, you can buy salt test strips, and they tell you how much salt is in the water, when its gets down towards 4,000 ppm you will need to add a bag or 2 depending on the size of your pool.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Paul

Thank you all


Steve

Thinking of getting a pool put in. How long do fibreglass pools last ?

Ali

Good question Alison, I didnt think to ask that one :doh:
:lol: Wot a Wally.

Hi Alison,
It all depends on how they are looked after, if levels are too low or too high then the pool will react with the walls.

Reef, have a 25 year warranty with theirs.......i think.
But it like everything else in Australia......warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Regards
Paul

Trying to weigh up pro's and cons between concrete and fibreglass
Most recommendations seem to be for fibreglass so a bit stumped at the mo what to decide.

Ali

I managed to find this Ali.

What are the pros and cons of the various pool surfaces?

JP: Concrete interior-surface finishes, with different colors and textures, give the consumer free rein in designing a pool that coordinates with the rest of the backyard and the house. You can match the tile, coping and decking to achieve the desired look. Concrete finishes, however, need resurfacing every 13 years on average.

FvL: Vinyl-lined pools are smooth. It takes less effort to maintain the chemical balance, but they need to be replaced about every 10 years.

KS: Fiberglass is easy to maintain and does not need resurfacing. Fiberglass is smooth and tough, and algae can't penetrate the surface. Fiberglass is inert. Nothing bleeds out to change the water chemistry, so it is easier to maintain the pH balance. In addition, fiberglass is skin-friendly; however, it does cost a little more.

above quoted from here http://www.poolspaliving.com/shop/Issues/0...oundChoices.asp