Maintenance question

[canbonbon]

Hello All,

We are still trying to decide between a Gunite vs Liner pool. So we have started taking quotes for both PBs. Yesterday a line PB came and told us that maintenance costs of a Gunite pool are about 2-3 times the cost of a liner pool. (Ignoring the liner change and eventual plaster redone/fix) he was talking more about daily maintenance costs. He said to maintain proper PH balance, we have to put much more chemicals than we would in a liner pool. It would require more heating too because Gunite does not offer any insulation properties, etc. Since this is the first time we are doing this, we have no idea how to quantify this.

Can someone give us some estimate of if this is actually true? Why would we have to use so much more chemical to maintain the PH balance? Would that be safe for us? And also in terms of maintenance costs, how much are we talking per month? If we use SWG, are we talking $500/month during months of its operation? Or more. We are in the North East near Boston, MA. We getting a little confused withe the sales talk

 

[Texas Splash]

Why would we have to use so much more chemical to maintain the PH balance?

The only time this would be an issue is initially when the new plaster is curing. New plaster takes a few months to completely cure, so as it does, it tends to make the pH rise which in-turn requires muriatic acid to lower it back to a normal range. Is it a permanent situation? ... no. Should it sway your decision? .... no. All pools will require some muriatic acid to control normal pH rise over time, and as you learn TFP management we show you how to minimize that pH movement. A bottle of muriatic acid varies from about $7 per bottle (give or take).

As for the SWG, there is not much cost to operating it each month. There is the initial investment to obtain the SWG, then adding salt to your water, but after that it's not much expense at all. It's role is simply to convert salt into Free Chlorine (FC) which basically is a maintenance-free way of eliminating the need to carry a jug of bleach to the pool each day. The initial expense to install an SWG compared to buying bleach each week over time span of about 5 years is quite similar, so it boils-down to personal preference and lifestyle.

Hope this helps.

 

[allinspector]

I think cost is the biggest argument for a liner pool. Cheaper/faster to build, cheaper/faster to renovate, cheaper to demolish if needed.

You can patch a minor leak in a liner pool without draining it. It's smooth on your feet. Smooth surface means less surface area for algae to hide. (no tireless wall brushing)

Natural stone/exposed aggregate does tend to need more acid than a vinyl liner. However the extra chemical cost in minor. Don't let that be a deciding factor.

That being said, gunite pools add more value to your home. Generally look better (no fake tile waterline, less visible skimmers, no plastic stairs.) And are generally preferred by most everyone.

There is a ton of info here on the forum to help with your decision.