"Paul R" wrote in message
ink.net...
Depends on where you live...I live in SW Fla and pools here are a
positive for those from "up North" who migrate down here on what seems
to be an hourly basis. It is also a plus for me since I enjoy swimming
and use it daily. I guess if I lived in place like Pennsylvania,
Missouri, or even South Carolina or Northern Georgia, a pool might not
be the attraction it is in year-round hot weather climates.

As for the monthly maintenance, once the pool is properly balanced, all
you do is maintain the proper free chlorine-acid balance with either a
constant load of 3-inch chlorine tabs (cost ranges from $40 to $60 for a
bucket that can last several months) in your chlorinator or by shocking
the pool with a few gallons of liquid chlorine (about $2.50 per gallon)
every few weeks. The total cost shouldn't exceed $30-$50 per month, if
even that much.

Problem comes in when the pool owner neglects the maintenance and the
water starts to turn green and show algae growth along the sides. That's
when maintenance becomes expensive since the owner usually freaks out
and calls a pool maintenance business for help. However, it's actually
quite simple to turn a dirty pool around in basically 36 to 48 hrs,
going from a leaf-laden, can't-see-the-bottom green/brown pool to a
clear blue one by simple cleaning and shocking.

Following Hurricane Charley I ended up with one of those pools that
looked like it had been abandoned by the owner, full of leaves and pine
needles blown thru breaks and tears in the pool cage's screen fabric,
lots of yellow and green algae build up since our electric was out for
12 days and couldn't run the pump. When the power came back, I poured 4
gallons of liquid chlorine to shock it (cost about $10), turned on the
pump for 24 hours, skimmed off the debris with my leaf basket and pool
vacuum, and added an algae remover I had stored, resulting in a crystal
clear blue pool again just 36 hours later.




Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen
similar
questions answered here)

You experience is a good illustration about pool maintenance. I was a
reluctant volunteer when I purchased my home. My family loved the house and
the pool that came with it. I didn't having grown up taking care of one.
However, pool maintenance is a lot easier now days. The automatic pool
vacuums are easy to install and make pool maintenance a no brainer. I
occaisionally brush and have to watch the water balance, which isn't that
difficult.

Your experience with the algae control shows the chlorine is the best
algaecide available.

My only caveate to pools is to make sure they are in good shape when you
purchase them. A pool remodel is pretty costly, especially when you factor
in upgrading pumps, filters and electrical.