Buying house with my first pool

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E

E795

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Jan 23, 2017
30
Alamo, CA
We're buying our first house with a pool. I know nothing about pool ownership or maintenance. But I've found lots of great information on this site -- thanks to everyone for sharing.

The pool inspection says that everything is in good or fair shape, except that one of the lights does not work and the filter (Pentair CCP520) is leaking at bulkhead assembly. We'll get both of these fixed. Any other suggestions for short/long term changes?

Thanks
 
Welcome to TFP! Good to have you here and congratulations on the new house :)

Yep, get one of those test kits soonest.

If the previous owners didn't leave these sort of things, you need a telescoping pole with leaf scoop and brush attachments.

Next thing to know is how the pool is chlorinated.
 
Got a quote for fixing the light: "the approximate cost for an led light install (wiring, grounding, potting, etc.) is $800. (for white). Approximately $1250. (color changing)."

A few questions:

1. Do these estimates seem right?; and,
2. Do people use colors or just a gimmick? LED is more expensive and I'll have to update my controller to use. Worth it?

Thanks!
 
You mention that ONE of the lights does not work. Are you only planning to fix the non-working one? What kind of light is the other one? I'd be interested in having them match. Certainly if I were going color, I'd want two color lights. But two color lights are spendy, especially if you have one working light. That said, if they are halogen, you would be wise to upgrade to LED for energy savings and also because it will last possibly until you move.

Also, how do you intend to use your lights? Some folks that have pools close to the house have their lights on every night as part of their landscaping decor. If so, I would get the LED's in a heartbeat (and would yearn for color). And you cannot underestimate (IMO) the impact colored lights have on the backyard atmosphere. They look amazing and why not look at them all the time - not just when swimming.

I work and so during the week, if I'm swimming after dinner, the lights are on. So they are on routinely. But really, the color when you are swimming actively isn't that important. I don't notice it that much then. It's when I'm sitting out back, or enjoying the view from inside (though our pool is far away from our house) that colored lights really shine.
 
bmoreswim said:
You mention that ONE of the lights does not work. Are you only planning to fix the non-working one? What kind of light is the other one? I'd be interested in having them match. Certainly if I were going color, I'd want two color lights. But two color lights are spendy, especially if you have one working light. That said, if they are halogen, you would be wise to upgrade to LED for energy savings and also because it will last possibly until you move.

Also, how do you intend to use your lights? Some folks that have pools close to the house have their lights on every night as part of their landscaping decor. If so, I would get the LED's in a heartbeat (and would yearn for color). And you cannot underestimate (IMO) the impact colored lights have on the backyard atmosphere. They look amazing and why not look at them all the time - not just when swimming.

I work and so during the week, if I'm swimming after dinner, the lights are on. So they are on routinely. But really, the color when you are swimming actively isn't that important. I don't notice it that much then. It's when I'm sitting out back, or enjoying the view from inside (though our pool is far away from our house) that colored lights really shine.
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Only the deep end light is out. Not sure what kind of light is in the shallow end. I suspect it'd not LED.

The pool is close enough to the house that we would see it as part of the landscaping. I take your point about making it a focal point at night.

Anyone with a recommendation for pool fixes/upgrades in Contra Costa County, California?

Thanks
 

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Let the fun begin. When you have a second take a picture of the water looking down at the steps. Make sure to date it as the first pic of your new pool BEFORE we got a hold of it! LOL Make sure to share that picture here so we can see what we are dealing with.

Buy and put some chlorine in that pool asap!

Everything else we can work with for right now. Once we see the water then we will be able to come up with a plan.

Kim:kim:
 
E795 said:
We're buying our first house with a pool. I know nothing about pool ownership or maintenance. But I've found lots of great information on this site -- thanks to everyone for sharing.

The pool inspection says that everything is in good or fair shape, except that one of the lights does not work and the filter (Pentair CCP520) is leaking at bulkhead assembly. We'll get both of these fixed. Any other suggestions for short/long term changes?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I would recommend purchasing a whole-house warranty (like American Home Shield) for at least teh first year. Yes, it's an additional $60 monthly expense with pool equipment coverage (and no more than $100 co-pay for any repair -- if an item is beyond repair they will replace). We had the pool heater thermocouple fail and developed a pump problem in our first few months of ownership. The best part for us is that the guy who repaired the pump lingered for another 1/2 hour giving us a detailed tutorial on our equipment and what to watch for.
 
Update: the water is clear again. Here are the current numbers:

FC: 4
CC: 1
pH: 7.5
CH: 225
TA: 80
CYA: Less than 20

Any suggestions on what to do now?

Also, silly question: what do I do with the test tube water that has the reagents in it? Drain, pool, garden?
 
When you say the water is clear again, I didn't see in your prior posts where you stated anything but that the water wasn't looking too good.

If your pool went cloudy or greenish, you likely need to SLAM.

Follow the instructions here:
Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

Edit - I pour out my tested water in the river rock next to the pool. I think most here would agree you don't want to dump it back into the pool.
 

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