Hi, welcome to TFP! You will be glad you joined us.
We just installed our AGP last summer and have really enjoyed it so far. The biggest thing that I wish I knew before buying a pool, was to have found this forum sooner. I'm not just saying that... its true! If nothing else, I would have been a more informed buyer. I usually want and ask for lots of details about what I am buying and I did ask the seller lots of questions. So much so that I think the salesman was just humoring me to get the sale. And I think my wife apologized to the guy at least twice. But, I didn't really have anyone to ask about what I was buying, so I really didn't know if they were selling me "headlight fluid" or if an ozone generator was needed or not. I was never taught the real concept of pool chemicals or how they work. I did look up model numbers to at least check for any major mfg issues.
Sure the seller had a "lazy mans package" full of great gadgets, and a startup class and a closing class to get all us new owners up to speed on the required chemicals and how to maintain the pool. What they don't tell you is that you don't and won't really need much of what they sell. That's fairly surprising since they are a pool $tore and all. All of what we use can be bought at a grocery store or local hardware store.
I will confess that I did buy that great sounding "lazy mans package". Not with the intent to be lazy, but because it did have the better equipment and "easiest" sanitation methods. It had a lot of the additional accessories wrapped up into one cost (ladder, steps, solar cover, winter cover, pole w/skimmer, brush, etc) and I was able to save money as a package deal. Just make sure they aren't throwing in extra "stuff" that isn't needed. You luckily have a chance to get it right, right from the start.
Be sure to ask for specific model numbers for the pump, filter, heaters, etc and ask about the various options/upgrades they offer. Feel free to post the info here and ask questions. Ask as much as you need to. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here that are more than willing to give you free, and more importantly, honest advice.
I would recommend thinking long and hard about how you plan to maintain the sanitizer level (chlorine). There are a few different ways, each with its own benefits. Don't let the salesman talk you into ozone or UV. Many here will say that they do not provide a significant benefit as a chlorine supplement is still needed. Most store will also try to sell you a tablet chlorine feeder. They sound very attractive, but do have issues of their own. Read this How to
How to Chlorinate Your Pool . It will help you understand the various methods.
Right after the pool was installed, I was so excited to get it running, I made the mistake of going to the pool store and buying a bunch of chemicals that the pool store recommended, only to find this gem of a forum 2 weeks later, reading & learning, and found that I didn't need 80% of what I just bought. Be careful with your other chemical choices. Read up on the general info in
Pool School and there is a section for
Construction .
Put some good thought into where on your property you want the pool to be. Do you want it close to the house for ease of use so that you don't have to lug your stuff to it. A bit further away to get it in a sunny part of the yard, keep it away from leaf dropping trees, for noise control?
We did buy an A frame ladder system. It works good for myself and the kids, but my wife wishes it was a bit more stable. I am now in the process of designing a desk that I'm going to build in the Spring. Also, some ladders work well with decks and some do not. Be sure to buy the appropriate type.
Definitely go with at least a 2 speed pump. You will save on electricity this way. LS most of the time, with HS to clean or if you really need to get the water moving.
But don't go too big on the pump. Oversizing the pump is not helpful. But do make sure the filter (and swg if you go this way) are oversized. This will lead to longer time between maintenance periods.
Make sure the skimmer is installed downwind, this will let the natural breeze push the debris into the skimmer and not fight it.
Use real ball valves in the piping, many come with cheap gate valves and will leak or fail.
Take some time to browse around the forum and Pool School. Hopefully it will help you with your pool buying decisions.
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Wow, that post was way longer than I thought.
I hope you made it to the end.
The deck was most of the way built and there is a pool house that was not finished. We finished everything up and called it good. Would not be without it now!
With an AGP, your set-up should be fairly simple. But a couple things I would watch for:
