Swimming pools blog

1 response so far ↓

• 1 janis_40 // Dec 28, 2004 at 7:11 am

  In a message dated 8/10/2003 5:01:53 PM Central Daylight Time,
  jmtashiro@… writes:
  You will find that no matter how many people you talk to all will never agree
  on everything.
  Gas heater or Heat pump - The initial investment on a gas heater is not
  nearly as expensive as heat pumps but depending on the price of gas in your area
  the heat pump might pay for itself in the long run. There are several things
  you need to consider before the choice is made. What part of the country are
  you in and do you intend to use the pool in the winter? The heat pump takes
  it’s heat from the ambient air and they are not very efficient when the air temp
  drops into the low 50’s so if you wanted to heat the pool in the winter the
  heat pump might require a backup heat source. The gas heater on the other hand
  just burns gas and will work anytime and how long it takes to heat the pool
  depends on the size of the heater and how cold the pool is to start with. In
  the middle of winter with a cold pool and lots of guests it is not unlikely you
  
  will burn several hundred dollars in gas over a long weekend. In either case
  a solar blanket works wonders in helping retain the heat in the pool. I saw a
  study by a heat pump manufacturer several years ago where they heated a pool
  year round and used over eight grand in gas for the year and about half that
  in electricity for their heat pumps. Of course it took two heat pumps to keep
  the pool warm in winter and by adding the solar blanket it cut the costs in
  half for both systems. With either system getting as much sun as you can on the
  pool all year round helps a great deal.
  I am not a real big fan of IG vinyl liner pools but anything that makes the
  liner more complicated will drive up the replacement costs down the road.
  The SP2610 is a Hayward Super Pump (JUNK)! Go with their Super II pump the
  3000 series as they are better built and more efficient. Stay away from the
  two speeds as well and go with a single speed with a time clock. The difference
  here is the type of filtration you are using rather than the pump. Go with
  the multi cartridge filter or if you really want to the DE filter but the DE is
  more work for just a small gain. Stay away from sand if your pool will be
  around an area that has a lot of vegetation as the sand cannot filter out the
  churned up particles of organic matter the pump sends through the system.
  As far as the deep end goes try and get the entire pool in the sun if you can
  and unless you are getting a diving board why do you need a deep end? A
  slide is much more fun for kids and only requires about four feet. A deep end
  of
  eight feet or more really adds to the gallonage of the pool and to your
  maintenance costs. It also might add in the insurance costs as well.
  If you are talking about one of the “Mineral Purification” systems that
  replaces much of the chlorine in the pool I would say yes to it but I am not
  familiar with that product as there are about a dozen or more names for the same
  type system. I am familiar with the Nature 2 or N2 system and combined with a
  chlorine generating system will make a your pool very maintenance free. Yes,
  the systems are a bit steep up front but in the long run I think you will be
  ahead in the fact you will use fewer chemicals in your pool. Remember the
  filtration system is 80% of keeping that pool clean and skimping on the system
  just
  means you will be spending more on chemicals which will make your dealer very
  happy.
  A great system for your pool would be a Hayward 1hp Super II and a 300 or 400
  square foot multi cartridge filter along with a pool cleaner and a mineral
  purification system and some type of chlorine generating system.
  Ken

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