Just bought a new house with an in-ground pool that is at least 12 years old. It is chlorinated, uses a Polaris 380 as pool cleaner, has a Pentair Meteor Sand filter, propane gas heater and solar heater. The pool contains about 18,000 gallons of water. I have had 2 pool serviceman. The first one I dismissed because I learned that he overcharged me for a simple float that regulates automatic filling of my pool (using well water, not city water). He also told me that the head float on the Polaris needed replacement when one month later another pool serviceman told me the same thing and showed me that the float was full of water. Which one is the apparent crook--probably the guy that charged me $110 for parts and labor for the water supply float.
Now I have been recommended by Pentair to a pool service that has a variable contract based on Season and frequency of visits. Of course I will not mention the name of the company. They sent me a contract that i believe is incredibly misleading and/or terribly written. I am pasting a portion of that below. My question to the forum readers is whether or not I am totally confused and need a nursing home or is this contract outrageously written and making no sense, when one calculates the costs per year and compares one service type with another. I am still in the learning process about all aspects of the pool so I thought until I had a chance to read and understand a pool service might be an interim answer.
Pool Cleaning Service Agreement / Contract & Menu
The following is an itemization of what our monthly fees may be for Pool Cleaning Service:
Menu of Options
(please initial by the service of your choice)
____ 1. Weekly Service (Chemicals Included)...................................................................................$210.00
____ 2. Every 2 Weeks Service (Chemicals Included).......................................................................$145.00
____ 3. Two Cleanings per Month (Chemicals Included)........................................................... .......$130.00
____ 4. Variable Yearly Cleaning Service with: .................................................................................$180.00
Summer - Weekly
Spring and Fall - Every 2 Weeks
Winter - Once a Month
A.June, July, August, September.................................Weekly
B.March, April, May, October, November..................Every 2 Weeks
C.December, January, February...................................Once a Month
____ 5. Variable Yearly Cleaning Service with: ..................................................................................$125.00
Summer - Every 2 Weeks
Spring, Fall, Winter - Once a Month
A.May, June, July, August, September, October, November.....Every 2 Weeks
B.December, January, February, March, April...........................Once a Month
Above are for yearly contracts only.
When I analyze this for the cost per visit, I get $74.48 per visit for customer selecting Option 4, $93.75 per visit for option #5, and I do not see any difference between cleaning pool every two weeks versus twice a month (option 2 vs 3) and yet their fees are different. In fact, for option 2 above, at a monthly fee of $145, service every 2 weeks all throughout the year would mean $66.92 per visit. But I cannot conceive in Oregon of needing service every two weeks during the winter and perhaps even during the spring and fall.
is this totally nuts or am I losing it.
Thanks,
Stephen
Southern Oregon
Now I have been recommended by Pentair to a pool service that has a variable contract based on Season and frequency of visits. Of course I will not mention the name of the company. They sent me a contract that i believe is incredibly misleading and/or terribly written. I am pasting a portion of that below. My question to the forum readers is whether or not I am totally confused and need a nursing home or is this contract outrageously written and making no sense, when one calculates the costs per year and compares one service type with another. I am still in the learning process about all aspects of the pool so I thought until I had a chance to read and understand a pool service might be an interim answer.
Pool Cleaning Service Agreement / Contract & Menu
The following is an itemization of what our monthly fees may be for Pool Cleaning Service:
Menu of Options
(please initial by the service of your choice)
____ 1. Weekly Service (Chemicals Included)...................................................................................$210.00
____ 2. Every 2 Weeks Service (Chemicals Included).......................................................................$145.00
____ 3. Two Cleanings per Month (Chemicals Included)........................................................... .......$130.00
____ 4. Variable Yearly Cleaning Service with: .................................................................................$180.00
Summer - Weekly
Spring and Fall - Every 2 Weeks
Winter - Once a Month
A.June, July, August, September.................................Weekly
B.March, April, May, October, November..................Every 2 Weeks
C.December, January, February...................................Once a Month
____ 5. Variable Yearly Cleaning Service with: ..................................................................................$125.00
Summer - Every 2 Weeks
Spring, Fall, Winter - Once a Month
A.May, June, July, August, September, October, November.....Every 2 Weeks
B.December, January, February, March, April...........................Once a Month
Above are for yearly contracts only.
When I analyze this for the cost per visit, I get $74.48 per visit for customer selecting Option 4, $93.75 per visit for option #5, and I do not see any difference between cleaning pool every two weeks versus twice a month (option 2 vs 3) and yet their fees are different. In fact, for option 2 above, at a monthly fee of $145, service every 2 weeks all throughout the year would mean $66.92 per visit. But I cannot conceive in Oregon of needing service every two weeks during the winter and perhaps even during the spring and fall.
is this totally nuts or am I losing it.
Thanks,
Stephen
Southern Oregon