Fiberglass In-Ground Pool

Anyone have one? I just signed a contract to get one installed for $32k. It is a "freeform" shape, roughly 16x35', 3'6" to 5'9" depth. Includes 150k btu propane heater, filter, 1.5hp pump, winter safety cover, solar cover, ladder, pool light, handrail, and 3x3 concrete around it. That does not include the 32x16' pool shed and pavilion we are having built around it, the fencing, or the electrical.

It will look like this:

no, no, no

your supposed to be getting the new powerwagon...  

anyway, looks nice

haha, believe it or not, Pop Pop is financing this project for the kiddos (12wk old daughter and 3yo daughter) except for the shed/pavilion, fencing and electrical and a few other concrete pads we are pouring, which we are splitting the cost. I guess you could say I am the project manager or general contractor, signing on the dotted line and spending his money!

Will make a great place to park and wash the new PW! Giddy up!

Have a similar unit, slight different construction, similar size and shape, moderate 8 foot deep end.  Rebar, concrete (gunite), with plaster finish.  No heater, low chlorine solution with 1.0 HP (1.65SF HP motor) running on 220v.  Flagstone circles the pool with concrete aggregate providing the lounge space and walkway.

My sister has a small above ground pool and uses a salt water system instead of the chemicals. From what she says, it is a lot less maintenance although it can be hard on the pump parts.

Salt versus chlorine was a consideration for us as well. Low chlorine applications uses balance .5 to 1 ppm chlorine. Standard chlorine private pools use typically settle at 2 to 3 ppm. The low chlorine solution uses a mineral filter to destroy bacteria and controls algae using natural minerals, helps stabilize pH levels. Typically a 20lb bucket of chlorine will last us 9 months at $60 a bucket.

Not exactly sure what makes maintenance of one less than other. One you add chlorine, the other you add salt. Maintenance of filters is unchanged, baskets, skimmers all are normal up-keep.

Negatives of salt is corrosion, rust. Metals surfaces, fence bolts, hinges, chairs seems anywhere near the pool area are susceptible (evaporation).

No right or wrong. Just different method to maintain pool water.

Have done two 24' above ground pools and went with the salt water system and like it.
They are however cheap Intex pools with little to rust and if they last 5 years who cares?

Would love an in ground pool but can't justify the expense of installing it. I'd rather have a deep end in one however.

Make sure to post pics of the install!

I had an option to do the salt as well, it was $1799 for it.

Just using a fiberglass pool cuts down on chemical usage by 60%. Maintenance is reduced by 90% due to the non porous finish of fiberglass, dirt cannot adhere to the walls, so it falls down to the bottom where there are two bottom circulators that suck it up and filter it out. So less vacuuming time. The non porous surface does not harbor bacteria and does not permit algae growth. It also stays 12% warmer due to the bright interior finish and because it is not back filled with dirt, it is back filled with stone below and around it. Lastly it saves on electricity because I do not need to run the filter 24 hours a day.

Right now I am in the process of cutting about 50 trees down to widen my back yard and make room for the pool. Have a cousin coming in with a backhoe to get the stumps out next weekend. My small tractor loader backhoe isn't cut out for removing large stumps. Install should be late June or early July. I will be sure to post pics of the install. Can't wait to see the crane lift the giant fiberglass unit into place. Average install time, 5 days.

A couple advantages for salt. Salt water pools are easier on the eyes and skin that chlorine.

bones wrote:

Can't wait to see the crane lift the giant fiberglass unit into place.

Careful what you wish for,

pH that varies from nominal values is the largest factor of skin and eye irritation.

My Uncle-in-law brought this JD backhoe from work to remove the 50+ stumps I had. I handed in the keys to my little JD tractor for some seat time on this. Then I cleaned up the roots and leveled the ground using my little JD. Before and after photos below.

bones wrote:

My small tractor loader backhoe isn't cut out for removing large stumps. Install should be late June or early July. I will be sure to post pics of the install.

Nice pool!! How do you back fill it or do they pump grout underneath it? And off topic, how do you like the 1025R after having it a while? Looked at JD and Kubota and Massey is next on the list.
Been doing a little tire kicking ... hope to make a CUT or SCUT happen in the next couple of years. This beat up 60+ year old body can't do the stuff it used to. If I had a penny for every rock, dandelion, and weed around here I could afford a fleet of tractors.

They back fill it with all stone. I have a 1026R, which was the 1025R predecessor before they had to put the emissions to it, makes a whole 1HP difference. But I love it, works great for what I do with it. By far the easiest to put mower on, remove loader or backhoe over the Kubota and Massey. Mine has the 60" deck, H120 loader and 260 BH.

bones wrote:

. By far the easiest to put mower on, ...

Sounds like the auto connect mower deck works as advertised. Pulling the snowblower and jacking the back of the X320 up to get the mower deck under it gets less fun every year.

Yes it works as advertised IF it is setup properly at the dealer. And its usually not from most dealers. Consider stopping by greentractortalk.com in SCUT forum if you are seriously considering a JD. Much good info there and very helpful folks.

bones wrote:

Yes it works as advertised IF it is setup properly at the dealer. And its usually not from most dealers. Consider stopping by greentractortalk.com in SCUT forum if you are seriously considering a JD. Much good info there and very helpful folks.

Thanks for the link. Like you said, lots of good info and a lot of things I hadn't seen elsewhere. Looked at a JD 2520 when we bought this place seven years ago and in some ways regret not getting it then. Wound up with a JD X320 with a snow blower- it's served us well (over 700 hours on it) and it's paid for but it's limited to what it can do- we need more than mowing, snowblowing and pulling a trailer around ... our 2 1/2 acres might as well be 40.

Ya know what they say,
"If it ain't red, keep it in the shed!"

Diesel Dan wrote:

Ya know what they say,
"If it ain't red, keep it in the shed!"

No, no, it's "If it's red, you're better off dead" !

Diesel Dan wrote:

Ya know what they say,
"If it ain't red, keep it in the shed!"

LOL ...




To which I say "Nothing runs like a Deere". Could be wrong but afaik Fiat's Case IH (Farmall) has little in the SCUT market, it's almost all Kubota (BX series), Deere (1000 series) and Massey Ferguson (GC1700 series) with a little New Holland thrown in.  Deere has pushed hard in this segment for market share with a lot of new and nice features- I thought the 1025R was a lot more comfortable than some of their bigger tractors (2025R, 2032R). One thing I have noticed this year is that there is a lot more red and a lot less green in the big tractors working the fields I see driving home and right near me. Kinda strange being that there's a Deere dealer 3 miles down the road from the house. A lot more track tractors too- a Case IH Quadtrac worked the field across the road and a Challenger on another field a mile or so away.

Word from the experienced.
Do not mix tablet and liquid chlorine.

Happy Pool Partying!

rustbucket wrote:

To which I say "Nothing runs like a Deere". Could be wrong but afaik Fiat's Case IH (Farmall) has little in the SCUT market, it's almost all Kubota (BX series), Deere (1000 series) and Massey Ferguson (GC1700 series) with a little New Holland thrown in.  

Back in WI my IH 784 was red but the IH 3500A (based off *84 series) was yellow/white. Now in OH my IH Cub lo-boy(185) is a yellow/white and my JD backhoe is Yellow as well.

If I could justify a new machine I'd like a New Holland TC45D, test drove one and it was pretty nice. The super steer takes a little getting used to. Was going to buy a Century 3040(Branson rebadged) but the guy up by turtle lake sold it out from under me.

Diesel Dan wrote:

Back in WI my IH 784 was red but the IH 3500A (based off *84 series) was yellow/white. Now in OH my IH Cub lo-boy(185) is a yellow/white and my JD backhoe is Yellow as well.

If I could justify a new machine I'd like a New Holland TC45D, test drove one and it was pretty nice. The super steer takes a little getting used to. Was going to buy a Century 3040(Branson rebadged) but the guy up by turtle lake sold it out from under me.

IH Cub lo-boy(185)? ... nice tractor! Maybe it's just rapidly approaching old geezerhood but I do think that in many ways they really did build 'em better in the good old days. In 2004 (iirc) I stopped in CT to visit some friends and it turned out the parents of another childhood friend lived nearby so I stopped by. Mr. S was still using the Cub Cadet garden tractor I first saw in 1962. Those things were built like a tank with lots of cast iron and heavy gauge sheet metal. No real complaints about my JD X320 but it's a flyweight compared to that old Cub Cadet. The pic isn't of his but it will give people an idea as to how well made they were.

Well after two weeks of "vacation", IE, working to get the pool, pool house and pavilion built, we are finally swimming. Still waiting for the concrete guys to come finish their patio around the pool. Incidentally I have not had time to swim in it yet! We did the concrete for the pool shed and pavilion. Had a friend do the framing for me for a small fee. It will have vinyl siding that matches the house when finished. Had another friend run the electrical by digging a trench with my JD. Also, two mini-excavators walked the pool in to place, there was no crane. I am working on a time lapse video of it.

Here's a time lapse, its 12 minutes, I need to speed it up more.

Looking good!

Very nice. Now for a long weekend party!   

Perfect time of the year to get that project finished.

Bones very nice deal!