Looking to buy our first pool.. Wondering about pricing and options..

[PoolDoc]

So I'm thinking about buying all the parts and then having an installer install it..

Just remember that, if you do it that way, warranty problems are ALL yours.

If the installer sells the pool, and something goes wrong, he's on the hook. But if you buy the pool from a 3rd party, and there's a problem, the installer will usually say 'the problem is with the pool', and the 3rd party will say, 'the problem is with the installation'.

Just sayin'

[tbird2340]

Just remember that, if you do it that way, warranty problems are ALL yours.

If the installer sells the pool, and something goes wrong, he's on the hook. But if you buy the pool from a 3rd party, and there's a problem, the installer will usually say 'the problem is with the pool', and the 3rd party will say, 'the problem is with the installation'.

Just sayin'

Oh crap.. Really? So people don't go this route that much? I'm not sure how much pool install is but if it's under $1,000 I would save about $500.. BUT, if the above is likely to happen.. It wouldn't be worth the savings..

[PoolDoc]

Oh, I think people DO go that route fairly often. But I also think most of them don't understand the consequences till too late.

Years and years ago, when I was working as a repair plumber, Lowes began to sell water heaters at $5 - 10 more than they cost me buying them "wholesale". At the time, I was charging around $150 to swap out an electric heater, and adding about $60 to what I paid for the heater. More than a few people thought it would be a good idea to save that $50, and buy it themselves.

Initially, I got P.O.d. But I realized that it was a reasonable choice for them to make . . . based on the limited info they had. So I explained that about 5% of the heaters I installed had some sort of problem within the first month -- and that I'd correct that for free, if I sold the heater, but that it would be another service call if I had installed a heater from Lowes. And, I pointed out that maybe 2% of the heaters had a MAJOR problem within the warranty period, requiring replacement, and that (again) that replacement was free, if I sold the heater, but another $150 if they bought the heater.

Pretty much everyone decided -- once they were informed -- that saving that $50 wasn't such a good idea after all. But, they wouldn't have known if I'd just gotten mad, and not explained calmly.

When you're doing the work yourself, it makes sense to buy from the best source, so long as they'll honor basic equipment warranties. But hiring a contractor to install YOUR materials often leads to a real mess when something goes wrong.

[PoolDoc]

I probably should add, people brag about getting a great deal, but not about the stupid mistakes they make. (Me too! I still haven't told the story of the 300,000 gallon pool I turned purple, while 200 people were swimming in it!)

As a result, you tend to hear from your friends and buddies when they save money by doing it themselves, or buying it themselves, but not so much, when it all goes sour. This tends to make DIY or BIY projects sound better than they are.

We see it all the time here, where a poster will be actively posting, till it finally becomes clear even to them, that THEY were the ones that screwed up . . . at which point they disappear from the forum.

Information flow is such an interesting topic (to those of us with philosophical inclinations).

[Watermom]

I still haven't told the story of the 300,000 gallon pool I turned purple, while 200 people were swimming in it!)

Ok, Ben. I've heard mention of this story several times through the years. I think it is finally time that you spill! Whatdya think, people? We wanna hear this story, right???

[PoolDoc]

Maybe after the 4th . . .