1st timer question

[5150man]

Hoping to be a 1st time pool owner this summer. I've been lurking for the past month and have enjoyed reading everyone's experiences. I'm starting to feel the same way I do when going to the dentist, not sure if what they recommend is really what you need.
Specifically have a question about an SR Smith Turbo Twister water slide. Original quote was $3600 for pool and installation. Design guy then came back a few days later and said he'd made a mistake and that was just the cost of the slide New quote was $7400 for slide and installation. Looked online and finding retail prices of about $3100 delivered on Amazon, could go cheaper buying direct from other sellers but Amazon makes it so easy, I'm guessing the PB wholesale price is less than this. Asked the design guy about this and he said the extra $4k is for installation(footings, bonding to the swimming pool steel shell, plumbing and connection to valve and controller) and profit. I read the reviews on amazon and there are reviews of people installing the slide in 4 hours or less on their own after the pool is already built. Now I'm starting to feel like I'm at the dentist. I want a quality build and minimized troubles down the road but I haven't yet resigned myself to putting $100 bills in my wheelbarrow and dumping them in the hole as someone suggested on another thread. .
So the question is...Anyone had experience installing or having this slide installed? Does that sound reasonable for installation of pool equipment? Thanks in advance.

 

[woodyp]

4 grand just to install the slide itself you say? Not the whole pool? What kinda and size pool we talking about here? Welcome to the forum.

 

[chiefwej]

Well, I misunderstood your title. I thought you had a question about a timer. I can't help you, but welcome to TFP.

 

[sheree202]

Welcome! $7400 sounds like way to much to me...but, I'm kinda "thrifty". I would watch some youtube videos and see if you think you could handle the installation on your own.

 

[5150man]

20X44' with 8 foot shelf. Still nailing down the finer details. 9 foot on the diving end and 3.5/4 just off the shelf(still agonizing over that decision;-).



Not sure how the pics will turn out but this is the google earth shot of the house with rough pool outline. Also a picture off our existing deck where the pool will be to show the slope (pool will start where trampoline is now). Last picture shows the pool and slide with the landscaping we also plan to do. Have to put a small rock retaining wall at the edge of the pool deck due to the slope.

 

[sheree202]

I'm going with a 3'9" shallow end because I couldn't decide either!

 

[dw9000]

I have SR SMith pool ladders and they are very well made. THis slide looks like a lot of fun and likely easy assembly with the exception of running the water line,,, assuming you also need to install deck anchors - which is probably nothing more than 1/2" drilled holes in the deck.

 

[JamieP]

We did an owner build and got the TurboTwister slide ourselves for a little over $3K. We put it together ourselves, but still haven't installed it yet. My plumber ran the pipes for it and the decking guys fine tuned where the stub would come up through the concrete by having us position the slide where we wanted it to mark the spot before they poured the concrete. We could have paid them an extra $325 or something close to that to install it all the way 28 days after the concrete cured, but we will do that with the help of friends. There are youtube videos to guide you. I would say your PB is gouging you on the install and there is no way it should cost that much to put it in. You definitely could do it yourselves with the right tools (hammer drill) but planning the plumbing around it would be a good idea.

 

[5150man]

Thanks for the advice! Glad I found the site.

 

[kimkats]

OUCH! Some one is really reaching deep into your wallet on that one!

Pull up the installation manual and see how deep the footer needs to be for the slide....if you do that your will be fine!

We put in our own car lift.........we found out how deep the footer needed to be and poured to those specs. My husband used a hammer drill to put the bolts in and it is GOOD!

Kim