The wife just informed me that she is tired of living like paupers, adn by this time next year, we WILL  have a swimming pool.

I know NOTHING about them, and would like to borrow on your accumulated wisdom / experience.

She's thinking 24' round would be nice.

Pool size, pumps, filters, covers anything and everything you can tell me.

Thanx.

We have a 27' round one and its great but I would kill to have a semi-deep end in it.  Its not even chest deep but still refreshing to jump in after a long day of yard work.  I was also a pool man for a few years at a condo complex.

#1  Liquid chlorine might not be the best idea.  We have always used solid chlorine tablets set in the skimmer basket.  
#2  Get a quality chemical testing kit not just one that tests chlorine and ph.  If you can keep all your chemicals in the perscribed ranges, you will save a ridiculous amount of money on the chemicals.
#3  You will need a winterizing cover for when you close it up for the winter.  I've never been to South Carolina so I dont know if you have any freezing but you will need to disconnect, drain, and move the filter and pump into the house to keep it out of the weather.
#4  Check your local laws about fences and permits if there are any.
#5  I cant stress the testing kit enough, it might be a decent investment ($60) but it will save you 10x that in a few years.

Keving67

U ain't gonna need all that there fancy city stuff to go swimmin !!
[url=http://www.ahajokes.com/cartoon/redneck.jpg]Just this[/url].


....she'll learn to luv it.

Dont skimp on the pump or filter, if you do you will regret it.

Have a friend that 'modified' a 27' round one with two pumps/filters each one rated for the pool. (he picked up one at a garage sale, and the other one he got with the pool)  He runs one as a skimmer, the other one as a automatic bottom vac.  He says it works nicely, plus if one ever has a problem he still can use the pool.

I had a pool for awhile.

[img]http://www.lilligren.com/Redneck/redneck_wading_pool.jpg[/img]

I got rid of it when I bought my yacht.

[img]http://www.manbottle.com/pictures/redneck_yacht.jpg[/img]

If your going to be using the pool most of the year (dont know much aboutthe climate where you are), I would suggest getting a large mesh screen put around/above the pool; keeps bug, leaves, and most dirt out.

erm, also make sure you teach the kids to use the bathroom [;D]

If you just have to have a pool make damn sure you get a good and tall fence and plenty of no tresspasing signs along with good liability insurance. You just never know when your neighbor Billy, the chief window licker on the short bus, is going to come over without your permission and most likely when you're not home and hes suddenly going to forget he cant swim because hes a retard and his crash helmet he wears will make him sink like a rock and then when you come home you have a retard bobbing in your new pool. Welcome to the world of litigation.

Max_Power,  wouldn't be interested in makin a trade for that beautiful house boat ya got there would ya.  [:D]

If you're like 98% of the population, it will be unused within 2 years and huge PITA to maintain.

I'd recommend looking into getting a real pool.  That will increase the value of the house, and when you take that into account, the actual cost isn't that much more since you'll get some of it back if you move and if you don't move you'll get it back since the in ground will last so much longer.  Or at least, that's how it worked-out for my nephew when we recently went through the numbers.

Around here, you'll ended-up putting a lot of something basic, like baking soda, in the pool to keep the pH within the correct range.  Don't skimp on that, because the chlorine will last longer and you come-out ahead in the long run.  Also, I'd recommend running the pump 24/7.  That keeps the pool much easier to keep clean.  At 7 cents/kWh with a 1/2 HP motor, you'll spend about 2.5 cents per hour to keep it running.  It isn't worth the difference in money to turn it on and off.  Keeping that in mind, you know not to buy an over-sized pump.z

I have heard getting inground pools is not that great of an investment for the money.  My inground pool is about 40 feet by 20 feet. Now that I am older the water always feels too cold.  I would rather just relax in the jacuzzi.

Man I believe I caught a heck of a walleye out of that hole. If I didn't know better I would suspect that you were on top of my night fishing spot! 12Am to 5Am are the sweet hours...

1-rent a Bobcat
2-Dig hole
3-put dirt somewhere
4-put chicken wire up against the dirt- 'n stuff
5-fill with cement- and smooth
6-buy a liner and pump 'n stuff
7-connect filter
8-fill
9-pH it
10-enjoy
10a- never hire a "pool guy", they will screw your wife so I hear.

Pools can be the best or worst thing to ever happen to your backyard. After wasting four years of my life in the business, I will give you the "Scoop"
First Note** where every you buy the pool, that will most likley be the only place that has parts or pieces for that pool, just keep that in mind when dealing with a "Al's parking lot of pools"
Round pools generally cost less, and are easier to maintain than Ovals of the same gallons. Water circulates better in round pools.
While D.E. filter are going to be the best filtration wise, the work required is a bit more on your end. The powder must be replaced in the tank approx once a week, and the powder contains crystal silica which it states clearly on the bag "This has been found to cause cancer, in lab animals"

Sand is a good choice, simple and it is more forgiving on the new pool owner. It doesn't require the effort that D.E. does. Sand will get changed at the most, once a year at the beginning of the season. The more sand a tank holds= the more dirt and debris it will hold. Translation if the tank holds 150lbs of sand you may have to "backwash" it once every week, as opposed to a filter that hold 250lbs that won't have to get cleaned for 2weeks.

The pump for a 24' will be most likely a 1-1/2 horse power, you won't need more than that due to the pool being round.*****Note with filters and pumps Find and stay with either HAYWARD or JACUZZI brand******

Chemicals can be painful, but getting a good mineral system can keep the pool clean without heavy chlorine usage.