LOTS of questions

[stacyanne]

My husband said we can get a pool. He is very handy, so he and family will install it. He's given me a job to do. Research the best above ground pool. He has visited some pool stores, and said there are options on the top rail size and the vertical rails on the sides of the pool. Wondering what is important in an above ground pool :?: . I've been looking at all the posts & not getting any where fast.

So far I've learned that perhaps we should use a foam base instead of sand & maybe buy online because we can get a better deal, but no info on a brand of pool or whether it is really necessary to buy the better top rails, etc.

Any advice is greatly appreciated - like any reputable online stores, brands you could recommend, etc.

 

[kimkats]

Well you have done the hard part already! Found TFP!!!!!!!! The rest is easy!

I bought my pool from http://www.nationalpoolwholesalers.com/ They had the best price for what I wanted.

Here is THE pool we bought http://www.nationalpoolwholesalers.com/ ... =KAM001552 with some upgrades.

What I looked for was resin for everything possible due to rust. I did not really care too much about the size of the top rail.

I got the best liner they had. I also got a bigger filter due to having a BIG pool (33'round). We did NOT get fancy steps due to worries about algae hiding in/under it. We also went with the 2 speed pump to save electricity.

We have a sand base that our installer had me water and water and water then he and a helper got in and troweled smooth. BUT it has formed some dimples and such over time. When we have to replace the liner down the line I am thinking I WILL get foam from Lowes to put on the bottom. Happy bottom/feet is just thick plastic so does not really help with the smoothness of the bottom.

Hummmmmmmm what else? Let me know if there is anything else you want to know.

Kim :cat:

 

[Suziqzer]

kimkats is right in that you found a great place to start!

You have the benefit of shopping around and finding what you like ... take your time to make the right decision for you. Hubby and I went shopping for a pool prior to getting our used one and I was leaning towards metal posts/rails because at one of the pool stores we visited the rails on the top of the display pools outside were very faded and almost look to be brittle. The downside is that with metal you can get rust. Which will last longer? Who knows.. The pool with the better warranty maybe ???

We worked with our pool installer and tamped the sand with a machine and had it all level and smooth. We're on our third year and now have lots of tiny wrinkles where the sand has settled into cracks in the earth during our dry summers the last two years. I would tend to lean towards the foam if I had it to do again.

Generally if you go to a pool store they will sell you too large of a pump which will kill your electric bill. Usually TFP recommends to oversize your filter and go smaller with your pump.... and whatever you do, follow the pool school methods for chlorination and don't use any sanitizer kits that the "throw in".

 

[msgtdan]

I got a used 9 year old pool, it has 9" resin top rails and everything but the wall is resin. While it is faded and brittle looking the resin is still very flexible and in good shape other than looks. The wall had one spot of rust about 2' up on the inside which I sanded out. It had been buried 18" on one side and didn't have any rust there. A lot of different brand of pools are made by Wil-Bar, including my Aqua-Leader. If you plan on using a SWG you want to make sure the warranty won't be voided. Some pools do some don't. I'd recommend a 2 speed pump, using low speed for filtering and energy savings and high speed for vacuuming.

 

[MikeInNH]

I also got a used pool. This old pool is built very well, all aluminum. All I had to buy was the liner. Amazing the deals you can find if you are willing to take the pool down and maybe fight a few bees for it. I lined the bottom with the fold-able pink insulation boards. Except for moles digging up and making tunnels under it I think it's worked out well.

BTW, you have a great start with being on this forum.

 

[Suziqzer]

Looks like so long as you get a good reputable brand, just choose your preference. I wasn't impressed with the resin at the pool store, but were probably stronger than they looked and would better withstand any salt.

All we had to buy too was a liner... and finish out deck and fencing to our town ordinances and our own tastes We have had to change out the laterals in the filter this year and I added an swg, but so far so good on the rest. Likely a pump in another year... which will probably be a 2 speed as others here have mentioned. Like the idea of running all the time w/less cost.