Thinking about buying a home that has a pool? What should you do?

www.rickrobinsonhomes.com

So you are thinking about buying a home that has a pool? What should you do?

I hear these questions often and here are some of my suggestions:

First thing you need to do is get a professional to do a complete pool inspection that includes a pressure test of all the plumbing lines. When they do a pressure test they will fill all the lines with water and get the pressure in the lines up to 10-15 lbs and they will watch to see if the pressure starts to drop this could indicate a leak in one of the plumbing lines.

An inspection will also give you an experts opinion on the condition of the pool equipment it's possible age and if there is any repairs they feel should be made right away, the biggest issues I have found is an older heater that leaks and or does not fire up. Repairs can be costly if you need to replace equipment. If you have a concrete pool then you may need to have the pool re plastered or tile and coping repairs these can be a costly repair that you should not have to be responsible for. Re plaster jobs could be in excess of $5000.00 tile and coping could be the same.

A vinyl liner pool is different as long as the vinyl liner is in tact and not leaking you should be OK a liner can fade, but this will not change the integrity of the pool itself. A new liner can run from $2000-$3000 for the liner and then another $1000 for the installation.

Once you determine that the pool is sound and you have a good report from the inspector you can go to the homeowner and ask for credit for any pool repairs needed before you close on the house.

Once you own the home take a water sample from the pool to your local pool supply center and have the water tested. They will tell you what you need to add to the water to keep it clean and safe for swimming, they can also guide you on proper maintenance and operation. A pool is a great feature to have in the backyard, it can be fun for the whole family and give your kids some great summer fun.

With a little knowledge and patience, a pool can be a great STAYCATION at home and save you a great deal of money on those costly trips to the beach.

So go ahead and buy that house and go swimming.....

Until Next Time....

Do you know that with temps above 45 degrees, your pool water could be growing algae and turning that nice clean clear water GREEN?

Rick the Spa Guy

The northeast is having a heat wave this winter and I bet you are not thinking about your closed pool are you? 


 Do you know that with temps above 45 degrees, your pool water could be growing algae and turning that nice clean clear water GREEN?

 So those of us in the North East should be popping the corners of our covers open and adding some algecide and maybe even some liquid chlorine to keep the water clear.


Spring is right around the corner (OK I wish) but it will be here soon enough and do you really want to open that cover and see a black pool or pond green water and spend 2 weeks trying to clean it up?


Do this; go to your local pool center and pick up one or two bottles of winter algecide like you did to close the pool and add them around the pool. The worst that can happen is you put in chemical that you may not have needed at that time, but if you do need it you will save yourself the aggravation of a nasty cleanup in the spring and be VERY happy you did.


This goes for all the above ground pools out there as well (if not more important). The above ground pool walls heat up from the sun on these warmer days and can also heat up the water. Remember the old saying...An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.


This is just an FYI message, I hope you heed my warnings and go check on your pool.


Until Next Time...