New Pool info overload

[noahkid]

Hi, very new here. Our family has decided to finally invest in a pool. We have basically narrowed the decision down to three manufacturers - Kayak, Wilkes and Doughboy. We chose these three because they have the option to be partially buried and also have the option of having a deep end (which I'm still not convinced is a necessity). The Kayak and Wilkes both come as turn-key operations (excavation/installation, fence, deck, filter, pump,etc) and are relatively close in price and as of yet I haven't received any quotes from Doughboy. Just wondering if anyone has any opinions on one or the other of these pools? I've never owned a pool before so I don't know if there are questions I should be asking or features I should def. be looking for. I've seen the complaints on the 'net regarding some of the Kayaks, but they seem to be a lot of installation errors. Maybe I'm missing something. Thanks for the info.

[CarlD]

I didn't know Kayaks were still being made. The alternative to Kayak, FantaSea, is, I believe, still made and parts are definitely available for both from leisureliving.com, in Grand Island, New York, near Buffalo.

[noahkid]

Kayaks website here
Wilkes pool website here

Just got a call from the local Doughboy dealer. Looking at a 16 x 32 buried pool. It's right about the same price as the other two with a deep end. Maybe just a little less. So now I guess I have to sit down and decide if I want a pool completely buried, partially buried, with a deep end or without? Lot of questions to answer. I do like the complete package deal from Kayak and Wilkes with the deck. And Kayak is aluminum walled where Wilkes is steel. Like I said - too many questions to answer tonight!!

[PoolDoc]

Be sure to look at this thread:
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...ol-quot-thread

[noahkid]

Thanks for the info. I was worried about something like that. That's why I was looking specifically at pools that were supposedly designed for this purpose. However, the three pools I am looking at are starting (ok- way past starting) to get a lot more pricey than I expected.

Kayak 16x32 with aluminum deck buried 2' = $19400 installed
Wilkes combo pool with aluminum deck 16x32 buried 2'= $18500 installed
Doughboy 16x32 completed buried no deck = $18000 installed

all the above come with winter covers, solar covers, pumps, filters, chemicals, etc. No heaters. The doughboy has a 7' deep end. $1500 more for the deep end on the Kayak and Wilkes.

I fear I am moving closer and closer to in ground pool pricing and that's what I initially tried to avoid. I think with all the options available I may have to postpone this project a little while longer until I get more info to make an informed decision.

[PoolDoc]

I'm assuming you -- or someone in your family -- actually wants to USE the pool?

If so, you might want to look at one of the larger Intex metal post pools. They'll set you back less than $1,000. They do work -- ask CarlD. And you or your family can enjoy a pool THIS summer, while you make plans for a more elaborate one later. That's pretty much what CarlD did, though I'm not sure there was a plan; it just worked out that way.

Ben

[CarlD]

I'm assuming you -- or someone in your family -- actually wants to USE the pool?

If so, you might want to look at one of the larger Intex metal post pools. They'll set you back less than $1,000. They do work -- ask CarlD. And you or your family can enjoy a pool THIS summer, while you make plans for a more elaborate one later. That's pretty much what CarlD did, though I'm not sure there was a plan; it just worked out that way.

Ben

Plan? Plan? What's a plan?

I actually started with a 15' round Intex Donut pool and we used it happily for 3 summers. You can't really swim much in it (unless you are 5 or 6 years old) but you can splash, float, or, best of all, get on a floating chair, with a nice, tall iced drink, and good tunes or a ball game on the radio! For that, it works just as well as a fancier pool. It's great for cooling down! Plus it's great for learning pool chemistry without too much pain. If you really, Really, REALLY mess up, it's not too tough to drain and refill.

BUT there's a big caveat: You must have a level place for it that deviates from the highest to lowest point by no more than 1/2" to 1"--and that's where it gets tough. I had build a small 16x16 platform that was nearly a foot high at its lowest corner and it was a good bit of work, but it worked for the 3 years. You also have to take the pool down for the winter if you live where it freezes (like here in NJ). But it was CHEAP! And the price on them has come down a lot, while the size has increased. I believe the donuts now go up 24' diameter with 52" depth (actual 48" of water).

I then went to a FantaSea, that I had made in a custom size--16'x40', which is very similar to the Kayak. Yeah, it was expensive. Again, because my yard slopes, I needed to build a base or dig down (and it's tough digging as we have more than our share of rock). The base was expensive, because it had to be bigger than the pool, had to have retaining walls on the low sides (3 of the 4, and half of the 4th). Plus I built it into my deck. But the good thing about FantaSeas is the deck around the pool is a solar panel that heats the water and the water keeps the deck cool enough to walk on in the summer heat. But the solar panels are annoyingly high maintenance. Every season it seems I have to replace one or two (each panel is 2'x4' and there are alot of them).

Actually, once I decided on the FantaSea, everything was carefully planned out, blueprints drawn, and then modified by the town's absurd rules that didn't seem to apply to my neighbors. But, OK. It's going to be its 9th season as soon as I open.

But back to Ben's point: I learned ALL about pool care on the simple, small, inexpensive Intex so when I went to the big pool, I was very comfortable with the chemistry and the mechanics. It's all the same, just bigger. Plus the big pool has a sand filter and that's lots easier for me than the little cartridge filter the Intex came with. It was in the 2nd season with the Intex that I began to post here (I think) and Ben and everyone else were a huge help. Ben was amused (I think) by the Intex Donut because he didn't know much about them (neither did I). It was a GREAT learning pool and lots of fun. I bought my first FAS-DPD test kit for it--and even with onlyh 3500 gallons it was the best investment in pool care! All my water problems vanished!

Carl

[madwil]

My first pool was also an Intex, but the steel frame model- allowed full depth water, so 48 inch pool was really 48 inch water! the first was 18 foot, maybe 10k gallons; had one in Suffolk VA and in Le Grand IA- both came down in winter, and the one in IA moved 3 times around the yard!
The final place was a pain- built 1000 sq ft deck, and moved pool right next to it- but had about 5 foot drop in 20 ft, so lots of digging was required, and I think I spent more money on landscape rocks to prevent washout/erosion than I did on the pool itself...
Sold that house, and the new owners tore out the pool- don't think they ever figured it out, and just gave up!
Have a 30 ft ABG now, in new home, 2nd season opening soon!

[TMan]

I'm replacing my steel wall abg with aluminum wall. It really didn't matter that much to me but it may help since it is sunken 2.5' on oneside and 5' on the other. I'm not using the term 'buried' anymore because I'm not 'burying' any pool unless it's an inground or aluminum 'panel' designed to be inground. The bottom rails are resin, bottom caps resin, uprights steel I think. It has an expandable liner (for deep end; you'll learn the lingo soon enough). Pool was $4220 delivered and installation will be a bit past $2k. The excavation is already done, but on a generally level yard that shouldn't cost more than $1.5k. I have pump & filter so add $400 if you need that. Around $10-12k tops on a 16x32, even in Texas! My comments about name brand pricing and local pool store mark-up can be yours if you contact me off-forum. Remember that all pools in North America come out of a handful (3?) factories and the rest are imported from Japan/China. It's just what label is stuck on the box and where it's sold at; local pool store or dropped-shipped to your home. You *can* negotiate with your local pool dealer. Keep asking questions and make a decision when you're ready but don't overthink it. It's a bucket big enough for you to swim in.

[noahkid]

Caveats: My yard is nowhere near level. Not many places in Western PA are!! Also, about the country of origin - the only one I am sure of is the Wilkes pool as it is manufactured here in PA. Even to put a "donut" in my yard would take a fair amount of excavation.