Installer is RECOMMENDING Aqua Genie and Frog Salt System

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Rico Laguno

0
Aug 19, 2010
35
Nyack, NY
Guys, I need your expert advice, I have recieved a quote for a Leisure Pool (15x30 Fiberglass - Marc Sheridan swears by this brand) Anyways, he wasn't pushing them, he just recommended them instead of using an AutoPilot Salt system and 2 Anti Entrapment Main Drains.


Now I'm guessing, he recommends them not because they are better to have, but because they are cheaper/easier to install?....Can someone offer some advice.

I dont even really know what an AquaGenie is and he said it would replace the need for the drains. Also in regards to the Frog system, Im not sure what the benefits could be over the AutoPilot


Any help you guys can provide would be appreciated
 
I twitch when i hear the word aquagenie....lol

Here is my 2 cents

If you live in an area where you dont need to close your pool for the winter, then your GTG
The pool retrun under the mouth of the skimmer works great, but pulling it apart year after year to winterize it strips out the threads and then you have to install larger screws. Its a real pain in the &^# not to mention the gasket behind the return drips black ink all over the place after maybe 2 years.

I probably close around 60 pools a year that have it and each year there is either a problem with a stripped screw or something wrong with the tube that feeds the chlorine box. Aquador does make a winter plate for it so i guess you could drain the pool past the return and put on that plate instead of pulling apart the return faceplate...

If i were to build my own pool i would install a regular haward skimmer and install 2 returns under it facing out and down like the aquagenie.
 
So it seems it would be safe to say that if there is a frog in your pool of any kind, you should get him out!! :mrgreen: ( I didn't know how to convey this as a serious statement but I think it is valid)
 
Thanks for the tips...

I forget to mention that the builder who is simply recommending the AquaGenie and the Frog Salt system, is also quoting me a Fiberglass pool.

In terms of fiberglass pools, does the circulation installation practices change in any way? What I mean is, do the same principles apply for installing 2 main drains, returns, etc? I wouldnt think that anything should be different. I guess I am asking because I know with the more cuts you make into a pool to add things, the more you introduce the possibility of leaks and issues down the road.

Are there any special installation or design considerations I should account for if I go the route of Fiberglass?
 

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Rico...if you are still looking at vinyl, I see a lot of Foxx pools in Dutchess County done by Charles Burger. I believe he is in Highland, NY and is fairly reasonable. He did my SIL's pool about 5yrs ago and is still holding up just fine. I have no association with him, but I do like my SIL's install work, which is just a basic roman shape and If I could have afforded to go IG, I would have had him come by.

Anyway, hope this helps.
 
bk...Im still thinking about it. In fact, I still havent even ruled out a Shotcrete pool either. Anthony & Sylvan is still aggressively chasing my business and they are quite frankly lowering their price 'close' to a vinyl install (both include 300sq ft pool, 3ft concrete patio, auto chlorinator, pump, filter,) and both are offering the same pricing on the salt system, heater, and for some reason both pushing the fiber optic color lighting.

It seems that the fiberglass installations I have quoted now seem to be the more costly of the 3 options...go figure. (With all the problems (rumors?) associated with fiberglass)


So Im not even really sure which way I want to go. Give me your thoughts...please
 
bk406 said:
I wouldnt do fiberglass. I dont like the way they look, but beyond that they can be a pain. If they are not installed correctly, they can pop out of the ground. The calcium has to be higher to keep cobalt staining to a minimum, and they can blister.
Click to expand...

WOW, there is a lot going on in just a few sentences.

I wouldnt do fiberglass. I dont like the way they look - everyone has an opinion, no issues here

If they are not installed correctly, they can pop out of the ground - a bit of a stretch in as much as this is not limited to fiberglass. Any incorreclty installed pool can pop (or have the liner move).

The calcium has to be higher to keep cobalt staining to a minimum, and they can blister - I would venture to say that having any type of pool out of chemical balance will cause problems. As I see it, blistering is not as much a problem with modern gel coats as they were in the past with less advanced coatings.

Now, if you are opposed to fiberglass, that is fine. But to speak as though fiberglass is nothing but problems is just false.
 
Its my opinion. I hate fiberglass. And yes, I believe overall they give more problems than vinyl or concrete. I didnt mean to imply they were nothing but problems, but my opinion is vinyl or concrete are easier to deal with and build. A fiberglass builder REALLY needs to know what they are doing. I just feel there are far better alternatives for a new pool build than fiberglass.
 
Well the one thing that I definitely learned from dealing with the different Fiberglass Pool manufacturers is dont go by their advertised dimmensions...they are overexaggerated sometimes by as much as 2ft. For example I was looking for a 15x30 pool and many of the fiberglass pools that advertise a 14 or a 15ft wide pool are only truly 12 to 13 ft from waterline to waterline.

I wonder if this bloated dimmension advertising is the same with Vinyl and concrete pools..., I wouldnt think so due to the lack of the lipped coping but I havent really researched those as much.

The one thing I do love about a fiberglass option is the ease at which they can bang out the entire job in a few days and your swimming. But I guess each has their pros and cons that seem to be equally balanced.
 
I don't think you'll have to worry about swimming for the next couple of months :lol: Although, if you had the pool in today you could have had 2-3" of water filled on mother nature's tab :goodjob:
 
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