Results for "pool blanket"

Staring at a $300 solar cover and a $500 safety cover trying to decide if either one is actually worth it. We swim maybe four months out of the year and the pool loses heat overnight like crazy. Does a pool blanket really make that much of a difference or is it just another pool industry upsell?…more

Finally got a second opinion after my pool contractor insisted Texas pools should only stay open 6-7 months yearly, but something about losing half my investment doesn't add up. I moved to Texas thinking I'd be swimming constantly, but I'm honestly confused about when pools are actually swimmable here. Some neighbors say theirs are open March through November, others claim they swim year-round with heaters.

I've been debating whether to invest in a heating system since I'm paying for this pool either way. How long is the typical swimming season in Texas, and is it realistic to keep a pool open all year? I want to maximize my investment and actually enjoy this thing!…more

Finally hit my budget limit this winter but can't justify spending $3,000+ on a pool heater when the water's dropping into the 60s — any cheaper solutions for the kids? We're in the Orlando area, and I've noticed that even though it's the 'sunshine state,' our pool water gets pretty chilly during the winter months - sometimes dropping into the 60s.

I want my children to be able to enjoy the pool year-round without shivering or getting too cold, which I worry could affect their swimming ability or even be unsafe. Do most Florida families really need pool heaters to keep the water at a comfortable temperature for kids, or is this just a luxury? I'm trying to figure out if this is a worthwhile investment for our family's safety and comfort.…more

Finally it's midnight and my pool heater tripped the breaker for the third time tonight — desperately need to know if wiring both heater and pump together is causing this mess. The pool store is pushing me to hire their electrician for thousands of dollars, but I'm handy with electrical work and want to do this myself if possible.

Before I start running wiring, I need to know if there are any safety issues with putting both the heater and pump on one circuit. They're both major electrical components so I want to make sure I'm not creating a fire hazard or code violation. Anyone have experience with DIY pool electrical work?…more

Got a 15,000-gallon pool in Central Florida and my pool store is pushing a $3,000 heater just for October swimming.

The water does feel pretty chilly in the mornings and evenings now that we're in October, but I don't want to get stuck with crazy electric bills all winter. Are there any DIY heating solutions that actually work, or do most people here really invest in proper pool heaters? What temperature should I actually be aiming for to make swimming comfortable?…more

Halfway through deciding on a solar pool cover, my neighbor insists they're just glorified tarps while the pool store swears they're miracle heaters. I mean, it's just plastic with bubbles, right? How does that translate to warmer water and less evaporation? What's the actual mechanism that makes these things effective?…more

During my pool maintenance reading, I keep seeing conflicting advice about filter runtime schedules. Some sources say the filter needs to run 24/7 while others mention you can get away with just 8-12 hours daily. My pool is about 20,000 gallons and I'm using a sand filter with a variable speed pump that I installed last season. Right now I have it programmed to run from 6 AM to 6 PM, but I'm wondering if that's enough turnover to keep the water properly filtered and circulated.…more

Three summers of hauling cartridges out of my filter housing, blasting them with a hose, and letting them dry in the backyard — and I'm at my breaking point. The funny thing is it only really feels unbearable when it's above 85°F outside, because that's when the algae pressure picks up and I'm pulling the cartridges every couple of weeks instead of once a month. During the cooler shoulder season the system works fine and I barely think about it.

My neighbor runs a sand filter and swears he just backwashes it every few weeks and forgets about it. Replacement cartridges for my setup run me somewhere around $100–$150 a pop, and they don't last as long as I'd like. I'm seriously considering making the jump to sand — but I want to know what that conversion actually costs, whether I'll regret the water clarity trade-off, and whether the long-term math actually works out in my favor.

Is converting from cartridge to sand a genuinely smart move for a medium-sized in-ground pool, or am I just reacting to a hot-weather frustration? What are the real trade-offs I should be thinking through before I commit?…more