Newbie ? 18 Ft or 21 ft AGP

[merrysunshine74]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and have a question for all the pros out there.

We are looking to purchase an AGP in the next few days. We have been looking for a few weeks. Doing research and such. We have narrowed our search down to either an 18 ft or 21 ft 54 inch high Wilbar Resin Hybrid.

The only reason we would hesitate with the 21 foot at all is yard space. We are absolutely limited to literally one spot in our yard that this can go.

Reasons for the limitation:

1. overhead electrical service drop on the left side of backyard

2. backyard has a sewer line that runs the length of the yard that the water people need access to, so the easement is minimum 7 feet, which is the distance the shop is set back from the property line

3. one side of our yard has a 24 ft by 12ft outdoor shop

4. can not be placed center of backyard because the our sewer lateral line runs directly straight under our porch to the main sewer line at the back of the property

5. right side yard is not big enough and blocks access to yard through double gates. Plus, it is too shady and messy with an oak tree, pine tree and cherry tree.

So the plans show an 18 foot pool proposal for our permit application. It will be diagonal from a screen porch. With an 18 ft pool we will have about 6 1/2 feet from corner of the pool to the corner of the porch. If we would put a 21 ft pool it would obviously be
1 1/2 feet closer to the corner of the porch.


Now to the question. I really want a 21 foot and I think it will "fit". I do not want it to be "cramped" . The 18 ft would probably look best because it is just a bit smaller and will not " fill" the back yard in as much as the 21 footer.

Okay, now the question. Sorry. We are a family of 3. A 9 year old boy, two adults and a terrier mix. Will an 18 ft pool be sufficient? I mean we will have friends over from time to time, but the bulk of the swimming will be from our family.

We would like to add a tiered deck to tie it into our backyard.

Obviously we would like the most pool for our money but I want the pool to look good too.

Any thoughts and pictures of AGP in yards that might be a little cramped etc. would be so helpful.

Thanks so much in advance and looking forward to learning alot from everyone.


I guess I will ask on final question. This would be a non issue if it were not for our electrical service drop from the power lines to our house. If we could put the pool to the edge of that service drop the 21 footer would fit no problem. But, in our attempt to maintain a buffer between the service drop and pool we are pushing the pool further to the middle of the yard, hence closer to the porch. So frustrating.

I know our permit requirements say that " no power lines will be able to run over the pool", but I wonder if this means we can't put it right alongside the pool.

Would anyone have info or experience about that?

We live in Florida by the way so, not sure if laws are different from place to place.

Once again thanks so much!

 

[Casey]

You don't want your Pool near power lines at all!

Get the biggest pool you can fit comfortably in your yard. If the 21 takes up too much space then get the 18ft. Spray paint an 18ft n 21ft circle to envision how big or small the pool will look.

 

[jeffchap]

We regularly have 2 adults, a 19 y/o daughter and a 9 y/o son in our 16' round. Other than the boy splashing everyone, it works fine even with three of us on some fairly good sized floats.

If space allows, go for the biggest pool you can fit. But if you're limited to the 18', I think you'll find it to be plenty large enough.

 

[BellaBuggy]

I would be very afraid of the power lines. Although it isn't likely for one to fall, it happens, and that's scary stuff.

We have 5 kids so our needs are a bit different, but everything we read said that 'no one ever regrets buying a bigger pool'. And while I'm new around here, I will say I've not yet read anyone posting and wishing their pool was smaller.

We did exactly what Casey suggested - spray paint a circle in the grass and then get everyone inside the 'pool'. You get a pretty good feel for it that way I think.

 

[merrysunshine74]

Thanks so much guys!

We are going with the 18 ft for sure. Our gut was obviously telling us this, but with this kind of investment we would like to get the most we can while being reasonable and safe.

The 18 ft will get us totally within all our legal requirements. Its going to fill in the back yard and be a little closer to the corner of our porch than I would like, but we will landscape and make it work.

So excited! will post pics and progress.

 

[DarrelB]

I would be very afraid of the power lines. Although it isn't likely for one to fall, it happens, and that's scary stuff.QUOTE]

When's the last time you heard of anyone whom was swimming when power line fell into pool? In our yard, the power lines are wrapped around a steel cable, and eye bolted to the poles, so no chance of that happening unless the pole comes down too. And if that is the case, the weather was so bad one should not have been in the pool to begin with.

Saying that though, I do realize that some places may not have the strict safety standards as we do here, so I can understand why pool mfgs are mentioning not to be close to wires.

 

[BellaBuggy]

I was referring to a power line falling, period. I don't need to hear of it happening to someone else to know that I don't want to gamble on it not happening to me...

 

[Casey]

Thanks so much guys!

We are going with the 18 ft for sure. Our gut was obviously telling us this, but with this kind of investment we would like to get the most we can while being reasonable and safe.

The 18 ft will get us totally within all our legal requirements. Its going to fill in the back yard and be a little closer to the corner of our porch than I would like, but we will landscape and make it work.

So excited! will post pics and progress.

So glad you chose your pool and It will,work for you.

I did the back and forth too with a 21ft n a 24ft. It was only my husband and I and I could fir the 24ft with a few ft to spare on each side so I went for it. I wish it were bigger but I couldn't fit a 27fter.lol

 

[FUBAR]

I've made the jump from a smaller pool before and wish I would've went with the bigger one in the first place. If you're entertaining or entertained the idea of the bigger one time then you know it's a possibilty. I'd actually do it so it could be closer to the porch. If it's a ground level porch, use it to tie into the walkway of the pool so you don't get debris tracked into the pool. Or if a deck use it as part of the deck you'll build at one point for sure surrounding the pool. Don't worry about the powerlines falling. I mean sure anything could happen, but if it were to fall it could fall in any direction the distance of the height of the pole. I work in the field.

 

[f3justusc]

We are one adult and a five and eight year old and our 15 foot is fine. When their cousins come over they jump right in too. Our Terrier Mix does not get in but he's sending a shout out to his cousin.

[/URL][/IMG]