2010 March | Precision Pool Construction Inc.

In-ground Pool Heaters: Electric vs. Gas

By admin on March 27, 2010 / in-ground pool options, in-ground pools / 15 Comments

Every year as we drift closer to spring time in New England we start getting calls from pool owners about installing a new pool heater. When people start thinking about extending their pool season with a heated in-ground pool they want to know what their options are and what will best fit their needs.

Today there are two main options for in-ground pool heaters; gas fired heaters and electric heat pumps. Gas fired heaters have been the staple here in the north east for some time now, but with the rising costs of propane and natural gas, as well as advances in electric heat pump technology, heat pumps are starting to become more prevalent in the area.

Below I have layed out some of the major differences between the two options. I won’t go into too much technical details within the article but if you have specific questions please leave a comment below and I will be happy to answer them for you.

Gas fired heater Pros

· Heats up fast, and you only need to run pool heater when you want to swim
· Can extend the pool season in the cooler months regardless of outside temperature
· Less up front cost

Gas fired heater Cons

· Requires use of expensive propane or natural gas fuel making for higher operating costs
· If you don’t have natural gas at your home you will need to set up large propane tanks on the property
· Due to the many gas plumbing parts, maintenance and repairs tend to be expensive

Electric heat pump pros

· Lower operating costs
· Environmentally friendly
· Continuous heat flow and even temperature

Electric heat pump cons

· Higher upfront costs
· Does not heat up fast must run continuously to maintain temperature
· Can not run in cooler weather months, average temp must be above 45 degrees to operate

Over the last couple of pool seasons we have been installing more and more heat pumps on in-ground pools, but that does not mean people are abandoning gas pool heaters altogether. How you heat your pool all depends on how your pool is used throughout the year.

Due to the speed at which a gas pool heater can raise the temperature of the pool water, you may opt for a gas heater if your pool only gets used on weekends or, just a couple times a week. This way you only have to run the heater when you want to use the pool, just fire it up in the morning and enjoy a comfortable swimming temperature for your afternoon fun. In this case the higher operating costs won’t be much of a factor because you are not running the gas heater that frequently. Also if you really want to extend your pool season and enjoy your pool from April to November the gas option might work for you, as when the temperature drops in these cooler months the heat pump will not maintain the pool water nearly as well as a gas heater.

From Sta-rite Max-e-Therm Gas heater

If your pool gets a lot of use and people are in and out daily or many times a week, the lower operating costs of the electric heat pump might be more beneficial for you and your family. Your heat pump would be running almost continuously to heat the outside air and raise the pool temperature, but it would maintain a continuous even flow of warm water into your pool so you don’t have to plan ahead every time you want to swim. Using a gas fired pool heater in this manner would get very expensive very fast. Because of this we now often install electric heat pumps over gas heaters for our new in-ground pool customers as these families anticipate lots of use of their new pool installation. Even though the electric heat pump is more expensive up front its value increases the more you use your pool.

From Hayward Heatpro electric heatpump

You may have noticed I did not talk about solar pool heaters in this article. At present I do not believe there is a reliable and cost effective solar heating solution available for pool owners here in New England. I suspect in years to come the technology will become more efficient and less expensive and could be a viable option for pool owners, but the technology is just not there yet in my opinion.

As with many in-ground pool options there is no better or worse here, it is all relative to how you use your pool. Take some time to think about your pool usage and decide what fits your needs best. Do you just need a fast acting gas pool heater to use on the weekends and want to extend your pool season into the cooler spring and fall months? Or do you just want to maintain temperature continuously throughout the pool season and opt for the cheaper operating costs of the electric heat pump?

We get asked these questions a lot at Precision Pool Construction and I hope this quick guide helped answer some of them for you.

Above Ground Pool Buyers Guide

By admin on March 22, 2010 / Above ground pools / 6 Comments

March is a great time to start thinking about how you can make the most out of the summer heat this coming season, and what better way to enjoy this time of year than with a new swimming pool right in your backyard!

Above ground swimming pools offer a great alternative to the high cost of an in-ground pool project while still offering a fun and refreshing relief from the hot sun.

Shopping for the right above ground pool can be a daunting task with all the different sizes and options available, even I as a pool dealer get a little overwhelmed sometimes when giving a presentation due to the many different options and packages.

If your thinking about an above ground pool for 2010 I’d like to give you a few things to look for when when your out shopping.

Garden Leisure Mission 54" Hybrid resin/steel pool

1. Above ground pool sizes

The first thing you should do before you even start shopping for your above ground pool is break out the tape measure. There are many different sizes of above ground pools and it will help tremendously if you are only looking at prices and packages for 1 or 2 pool sizes.

What you should do first is decide if your yard is better suited for a round pool or oval shape pool, as these are the two shapes offered in the above ground market. If your yard has a lot of space then I recommend a round above ground pool vs. an oval shape pool. The ovals are nice for narrower yards but their elongated design leaves you with less volume than the round and less swimming area.

The best way to measure for a round pool is to place a stake in the middle of your yard where you would like to put the pool and attach the tape measure to the stake. Doing this will allow you to walk off the radius of the round pool with the yard stake being the absolute center, giving you an idea of the what size diameter you are able to fit.

Once you know what will fit in your yard you need to know what sizes are actually available to you. Some manufacturers will make pools as small as 12’ round and as large as 33’ round but generally the above-ground pool sizes go as follows.

Round Sizes	Oval Sizes
15’ round	12’ x 24’ oval
18’ round	15’ x 30’ oval
21’ round	18’ x 33’ oval
24’ round
27’ round
31’ round

oval shape above ground

As you can see there are quite a few pools to choose from so its good to know what size pool you are looking for before you set out to find the best deal.

2. Above-ground pool construction – What’s this pool made of?

Above-ground pools generally come in 3 types; Aluminum, steel, and resin plastic. When your out searching for the best pool to fit you budget and needs you are going to have to compare pools made of all three materials and then compare pools made of like materials ( it’s a good thing we’re only looking at one size pool now isn’t it?)!

First you have aluminum wall above-ground pools, “the no rust solution”. It is indeed true that aluminum pools will not rust over time but they do corrode and oxidize. The extruded aluminum wall panels are softer and more flexible which is good for handling the movement of 10,000 gallons of water inside your pool. The problem is when left to the mercy of the weather and moisture the aluminum does break down via oxidation and often times even faster than a standard steel wall will rust out. Higher end aluminum wall pools are coated to help prevent this but are generally much higher priced then their steel counterparts. Also the extruded wall aluminum is made up of multiple panels riveted together and if one rivet is not sealed correctly it can be a real problem, this is extremely rare case but something that does happen with aluminum walls.

Steel wall above-ground pools come many different ways. In order for steel wall pools to hold up to the environment and moisture and compete with aluminum wall pools many steel wall pools are dipped and coated in many protective layers. What you want to look for in a steel wall above-ground pool is a hot dipped Zinc galvanized steel wall. Your steel uprights and top rails should also have this coating to maximize its protection against corrosion. Also anything with a resin coat and epoxy coating on the inside wall to seal it from moisture behind the liner is also important. Steel is naturally rigid and tough as we all know which makes for great structural integrity, but if you don’t go with a quality built steel wall pool you could end up replacing it a lot sooner than you would have hoped. Please make sure the steel pool you are looking at is adequately sealed for a long pool life.

The Resin plastic above-ground pool could be your best bet for pool longevity. The new guy on the block in the above-ground pool industry is the resin plastic pool. Resin plastic offers obvious benefits in regards to pool longevity but also comes with a few cons of its own. A resin pool needs to have a good UV coating to hold up outdoors. If a resin pool does not have a proper UV coating (which is very rare nowadays) flaking, cracking, and compete failure could occur and jeopardize the pool integrity. Luckily pretty much any resin material that is made for outdoor use is properly coated and holds up very well to the elements. Another benefit to resin pools is the top rails do not get as hot to the touch as aluminum or steel top rails when your pool is baking in the sun on a summer day.

The top pools in the above ground industry are adopting resin in some or all of their design. Most steel pools now come with resin top and bottom upright caps that go over the steel top rails and uprights to cut down on the amount of nuts and bolts needed in the design. In my opinion the best above ground pool designs out there are the resin steel hybrids. These pools are built with a resin top rail, all resin caps, and a hot dipped galvanized steel wall and upright. The other great part of these hybrids are their resin bottom track. The bottom tracking is what holds the pool wall at the base of the pool structure. The bottom rail is very important as it comes into contact with the most moisture, sits in the ground, and is the base of the entire pool. Building the bottom track with resin makes sure it will stand up to the environment and the moisture that builds up at the base of the pool.

The one drawback to resin bottom tracks come during the installation when you are trying to form the pool and get the wall in place. The resin will bend and flex unlike a steel bottom track and can make it a little tougher to form the circle. The resin manufacturers know this though and have given installers the ability to pin the bottom track into the ground to keep it from moving during installation. If you are hiring a professional above ground installation company this should not be something you have to worry about. One thing to keep in mind is that resin materials are not cheap and usually the resin steel hybrids will be on the upper end of the above ground price range.

Whether you are looking at aluminum, steel, or resin one thing to compare is the width and girth of the pool’s top rails and uprights. The top rail can range from 6” to 8” and the uprights from 5″ to 7″. The wider the supports on the pool the stronger the pool will be no matter the material, so that is an important part of your pool research.

getting the install right with a laser level

One more thing I want to mention about above ground pool construction is the pool installation. No matter what type of above ground pool you are buying proper instllation will be the number one determining factor on the longevity of the pool. Having a sturdy level base is extremely important! make sure to ask you pool installer what he uses to level the pool. Shooting the pool uprights with a laser level is the best way to ensure a proper level installation.

Oh, and please do not use stone dust or gravel for your pool bottom, your pool liner will thank you! A packed sand base will work great and if your installer insists on stone dust make sure you purchase and install a pool pad when you buy the pool to make sure no pieces of stone pop through the liner.

3. Above Ground Pool Packages – What am I getting for my money

Unless you are replacing an existing above-ground pool you will be buying a complete pool package which includes your pool pump and filter, skimmer, liner, maintenance equipment, ladder ect. Many dealers will offer tiered packages, there will be the standard package that comes with every pool and then maybe something like a silver, gold, and platinum level package offering you different upgrades and extras. When you are comparing pool prices it is important to look at what comes with the pool in order to determine the true value that the dealer is offering you.

Now going over all the different types of above ground pool equipment is probably a topic for a whole other blog post but let me gve you a rough idea of what to look for when comparing packages.

Most dealers standard above pool package will offer you; a 1hp pump with a small sand filter, over-lap plain blue pool liner, a-frame ladder, and a pool cleaning kit.

An example of an upgraded or premium above-ground pool package would be; a 1hp pump with a cartrdge or DE filtration system, ez-bead hung liner with a choice of pattern, automatic pool vac, and a drop-in wedding cake step.

Other upgrade options you could see included in pool packages are; automatic chlorine feeders, LED pool lights, pool bottom padding, winter covers and solar covers, drop in steps, and automatic pool cleaner.

As you can see above ground pool packages can vary greatly so its a good idea to shop around and compare the offers and value from a few different above ground pool dealers. With the research and time needed to find and compare different pool packages we always recommend starting your search early in the spring. March is here and spring is right around the corner, now is the best time to find the above-ground pool for your backyard.

We have started booking pools already and I know our installer is booking up for early installs, make sure you get on the list with your pool dealer/installer soon.

If your in the North Shore MA or Southern NH area and are looking for a new above ground pool make sure to check out our Above Ground Pool packages and contact us for more information.

Thanks for reading and be sure to subscribe to the pool blog so you can get more free pool tips and advice this summer. You can also subscribe by email up at the top right of this page.

Vinyl vs. Gunite an In-ground pool comparison

By admin on March 15, 2010 / in-ground pool cost, new pool owner, pool contruction, pool shapes, vinyl liner pools / Leave a comment

Often times when people are shopping us for an in ground pool, we are up against a Gunite pool installer for the job, and every time we are asked the advantages and disadvantages of both. In this post, I will outline what I feel are the most significant differences, and let you decide what pool fits you best.

The most common dig I hear against vinyl liner pools is the old “can my dogs go in without tearing the liner” The answer is yes and no. More importantly if that’s the number one complaint against a vinyl liner pool, then there must be a lot of good about them, and there is. Some dealers use plastic steps for vinyl liner pools, and if the dog is shown where to enter and exit, there will never be an issue, seeing how I’ve yet to see a dog capable of touching the bottom with their paws! For pools with vinyl covered steps, the same logic applies; show the dog how to get in and out and there never will be an issue. I’ve only seen a couple tears due to claws, and they were easily patched. In these situations, the dog was confused on how to get out and was trying to climb out of the pool where there were no stairs, obviously this could cause a rip.

Another misconception about vinyl liner pools is the limited shape and design possibilities. This may have been the case ten years ago, but the industry has come a long way since then. Gone are the days where vinyl liner installers lost jobs because they could not duplicate a design proposed by a Gunite installer. In fact today, good vinyl liner installers can not only build any shape put in front of them, they can do it for much less money. This includes such features as bench seating; swim-out cuddle coves, sun decks and more recently, negative edge or infinity pools. Compare the two pool pictures below; they are the exact same shape, with both having a bench seat, in fact the one on the left has a larger bench seat .

Many potential customers have visited this exact pool on the right, many with the same question; “I didn’t know you installed Gunite pools?” They are surprised to find out exactly how customization we can provide them with a steel wall vinyl liner pool. I wonder what the cost difference is between these two pools? One thing I know for sure is it’s in the thousands of dollars.

Another, yet small advancement as of late is the addition of matching color faceplates for skimmer, main drains and return fittings, although simple in idea, this now allows builders to completely hide any evidence of plastics in a vinyl liner pool, so like a Gunite pool, the interior is seamless and continuous in color. If built properly with the correct coping design, matching faceplates and a little pizzazz to the shape, it becomes even harder to decipher the two pool styles apart, until you get the bill that is.

Now that shape, design, and appearance are on an even playing field, it comes down to structure. Gunite pools are basically a concrete shell, reinforced with re-bar and finished with a variety of colored materials. This does lend itself to a very strong water tight vessel. When a Gunite pools is in the ground, think of it like the hull of a boat, a boat of course is designed to float in the water. Although rare, it is possible with a gunite pool installed in a high water table area, to float, causing the shell to pop out of the ground, an almost unfixable problem.

not a fun scenario

Vinyl liner pools are not immune to ground water issues either, the difference is that with a vinyl liner, the problem is not only fixable it’s generally not an expensive fix. Usually what ends up happening is the water pools up behind the liner and forms a bubble. In most cases the water can be pumped out from behind the liner and re-set with no wrinkles. Furthermore in either case, if the installer does his job correctly, any pool installed in a high water table should fair ok.

Probably the most significant difference between vinyl and Gunite is the cost of ownership. Now most people consider their time valuable, gunite pools by nature require more time and upkeep because of their material. Low or high calcium levels in the water, for example, can cause scaling which is hard to reverse. Regular brushing of the pool walls with a stainless steel brush is required to keep the finish smooth, especially in the first year of ownership where brushing is required daily. Metals in the water can also be tough to deal with. In vinyl liner pools metals usually only effect the color of the water, whereas in gunite pools metals can stain the surface and be a real bear to remove, as it embeds itself into the porous gunite material. In severe cases draining of the gunite pool and acid washing the surface is your only solution.

Like anything in this world there will come a time with any pool that it needs a complete overhaul. Liner pools tend to go through liners every 10-15 years, at a cost of 2500-5,000k depending on the size and shape. Gunite pools too will need to have a makeover at least once in their lifetime. This generally involves resurfacing of the gunite itself, at a cost upwards on 10k.

Obviously I am partial towards vinyl liner pools, and not just because we install them, but for the overall ownership experience. It is my hope however that no matter what route you take with your pool installation, that it brings you and your family years of enjoyment.