Opinions Wanted Before We Buy!

I would greatly appreciate the opinions of current above-ground pool owners - this forum is such a wealth of information, and I know if there's something we should know before we sign on a dotted line to buy our pool, the readers here would know!

We are planning to buy an oval above-ground pool this year. We want a *large* pool, and specifically an oval pool for the length of it. (My knees are bad and swimming laps for exercise would be good therapy for me; so the longer the pool, the better.) We are not planning to dig a 'deep end'.

Our front-runner thus far is a Doughboy Desert Spring with a 54" sidewall, 21x41' oval with upgraded "Misty Falls" liner. For $8200, we'd get the pool, the "gold package" (19" Doughboy sand filter and 1.5 HP Doughboy pump, Deluxe Doughboy Thru Wall Skimmer and Return Package, 200 lbs. filter sand, Vacuum head, deluxe vauum pole, deluxe vacuum hose, deluxe leaf rake, Chlorine dispenser, deluxe chemical package, test kit, thermometer, pool care booklet, Doughboy Ultra Vac Automatic Cleaner, deluxe solar cover and deluxe winter cover, and an Aquador), an upgraded huge 'wedding cake' pool ladder/steps, two FAFCO Sunsaver Solar Panels and 2 main/bottom drains. The price above does include sales tax and comes from my local pool store, which has been around forever and a day.

I have yet to call their recommended installer (kudos to all of you who install your own pools, but my husband and I have NO desire to do it ourselves, LOL) but I think the install price (which includes sand, support bricks, etc) will come to around $2000-$2200. The only thing not included is the cost of running the electrical line underground and to code specs.

We chose solar panels, in the hopes that this will give a pool that large a little extra 'oomph' to warm up during a Michigan summer. (Gas heaters are out of the question, given the expense.) If anyone has anything positive or negative to say about the FAFCO Sunsaver solar panels, don't heistate to speak up!

We opted for bottom drains, because the size of the pool has me concerned that we'll need every advantage when it comes to circulating the water to keep it clean. We will be paying to have the pool professionally winetrized (at least for the first year) because we were told that having the bottom drains makes it imperative that we learn to winterize the pool correctly.

Eventually, we hope to build a deck around the pool, but that will have to come later. We'll be doing some additional reading and research, as well as at least two more field trips to other local pool stores...but is there anything about what I've described that jumps out to the experienced pool owners here? I would genuinely appreciate anything you might care to offer in terms of advice!

- Michelle, SE Michigan

Welcome to the forum!

It doesn't sound like a bad deal. The pump is most likely too large for your filter, see if they won't upgrade the pump to a 2 speed, downgrade it to a 1 HP or give you a larger filter (ask someone else here about matching the pump to the filter - my 'grip' on those calculations is sketchy :o )

The overuse of "deluxe" is costing you $$, but it's a package v.s. a-la-carte --

As long as the pro installers will warranty their work, ~ $2000 is reasonable for leveling the pool area, placing the blocks, putting up the walls, installing and troweling the sand and dropping and cutting in the liner.

I hope you get the pool of your dreams and that the swimming helps your knees!

Just a rough cut says about 20,000+ gallons so the pump Ted recommends, 1 HP 2 speed, would be just fine. Even with that I'd go with a 300# filter instead of the 200. You can't go too big on a filter but you can go too small. I personally would stay away from main drains but that's just my quirk because of the accessability to fix it if something goes wrong. However, manually vacuuming an AG pool is generally harder than an inground because of the reach and not being able to stand on a deck all around, unless you're planning on on a deck. Without a deck a main drain could really help.
Just my nickels worth. Hope the build goes well and you enjoy your new pool.
Al

OK, a question regarding your great advice: You say I should ensure that the pro installers will warranty their work. Can you give me an idea of what that installation warranty should specify? I am pretty clueless, still. :)

Al, thank you so much for your advice! I will ask about a larger filter, for sure. I have some of the same concerns you mentioned about main drains, and I'm still torn about whether to get them. This may be a dumb question, but here goes: Since we won't be able to afford a deck right away, is it possible to get into the pool *with* the vacuum attachment to get the middle of the pool clean? Or does that stir the water too much? I'm trying to understand whether I can reasonably care for a pool that size without a main drain, and if so, what tools I should be specifically requesting. Eventually, we will have a deck - but it won't be for a couple of years (barring a lottery win)!

You can get into a pool while vacuuming. I do it all the time. Just walk around slowly so as not to disturb the dirt.

As Watermom said you can easily vacuum while in it. However, at the ends of the season, when trees are dumping stuff, you may turn a nice shade of blue if the water is cold. So.....I didn't mention it before but I will now. If I ever build a new pool, or do major replumbing, I think I would make some contraption that drops in the deep end on a hose that would act as a main drain. Idea would be to leave it in but pull it out when swimming. Valving would be like a normal main drain. That is be able to switch betwern skimmer and MD or any combination of the two. With a little ingenuity, PVC, and a drill press, you could drill a bunch of small holes (1/4" or less) on one side of a PVC pipe, manifold a few of these together to distribute the suction over a couple square feet, hook a hose to it and drop it on the bottom with the holes down. Wouldn't be as pretty as a built in drain but it should work the same way. If it's left in when swimming then the suction concerns for long hair would have to be addressed. No big deal, just distribute the suction over a large enough area.
I've rambled enough for one night.
Al