POOLS: Fiberglass or concrete? Solar, gas or electric heater

[Northerner52]

Would love your experiences owning these! Leaning towards fiberglass/natural gas.

[rjm1cc]

For solar I assume you mean heating water on the roof. I am wondering if solar electric panels would be better as you will generate electricity every day (and the utility will "store" it for you if you do not use it would be better. I would think in terms of a solar system to support your total electric needs.

[graciegirl]

Would love your experiences owning these! Leaning towards fiberglass/natural gas.

We like T&D. Chose concrete. Have solar panels but they only heat when it is sunny and warm enough. We can't use them from November through February. Have a buried propane tank but rarely use it because it is so expensive.

[gatorbill1]

concrete and natural gas is best - I have owned them all over the years

[vbsheriff]

After owning several different types of pools in the past I prefer the gunite. Hayward just started manufacturing a heat pump / chiller that I purchased last year. In addition to heating, it will cool the pool up to 12 degrees in the summer. I’m keeping the pool at 85 year round. 😎

[billethkid]

T&D for design and construction.
Gunite pool and waterfall.
Solar panels plus natural gas back up.
We use the pool daily from March through December.

The gas will heat the pool in January/February, however....the night time temps get so low it cools the water to a point where it becomes too expensive to heat the water for the short use per day. Plus it is just too cold to be out in a bathing suit going in....and worse coming out.

What we save by being out of air conditioner season is used up in gas bill to heat the pool.

[kathyspear]

After owning several different types of pools in the past I prefer the gunite. Hayward just started manufacturing a heat pump / chiller that I purchased last year. In addition to heating, it will cool the pool up to 12 degrees in the summer. I’m keeping the pool at 85 year round. ������

How warm would the water get in the summer months if you didn't cool it? Enquiring minds want to know!

kathy

[Northerner52]

Good question Kathy. They water does get warm in at the public pools!
How warm would the water get in the summer months if you didn't cool it? Enquiring minds want to know!

kathy

[Northerner52]

Hard to beat these benefits: Fiberglass vs Concrete Pool Cost Comparison | Sun Pools (https://www.sunpools.com/buyers-guide/compare-maintenance/)

I like the cooling benefit of the heat pump!

[PoolBrews]

Wow -that is perhaps one of the most inaccurate comparison charts I have ever seen! I have owned a pool for over 40 years - vinyl liner for 25 years, fiberglass for 10, and gunite for 6. I would only go with gunite in Florida. If you go with a Wet Edge or PebbleTec interior, you never have to acid wash or re-marcite. They have a lifetime warranty. And they don't fade in Florida's sun... but fiberglass will. It will start to look pretty bad in about 9 years, and there are no easy fixes.

Fiberglass will cost you more initially, but it should be installed quicker - about 4 weeks faster. Chemicals are the same for both if you use a salt generator, and no issues with tiles. No idea why they list electric costs higher and pool service as not needed for fiberglass. You need the same amount for both. I'm pretty sure this chart was made by a company that likes to install fiberglass shells.

With Wet Edge and PebbleTec, your interior options are huge, but with fiberglass you are severely limited. Same for design.

Just my two cents - but please do a little more research before you decide.

[PoolBrews]

FYI... a little more factual:

Are Fiberglass Pools Better Than Gunite Pools? (http://www.swimmingpoolsteve.com/pages/fg-gunite.html)

[vbsheriff]

How warm would the water get in the summer months if you didn't cool it? Enquiring minds want to know!

kathy

I have a 30,000 gallon pool that would regularly get to 90 plus in the summer without the chiller. The pool is in full sun all day. I keep my hot tub at 102. 90 was not refreshing.

[Arubagirl33]

We like T&D. Chose concrete. Have solar panels but they only heat when it is sunny and warm enough. We can't use them from November through February. Have a buried propane tank but rarely use it because it is so expensive.

Hi Gracie ~ Can you provide additional info. about the propane tank?
Is it ok/safe to let it sit without use and how full is it?

[Arubagirl33]

Hi Gracie ~ Can you provide additional info. about the propane tank?
Is it ok/safe to let it sit without use and how full is it?

Any advice/
Response?!

[Chi-Town]

concrete and natural gas is best - I have owned them all over the yearsAgree.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[tophcfa]

Our concrete pool with waterfalls was installed by T&D and we love it. No gas where we live so we went with solar and a back up heat pump as well with a cover that stores under a small door inside our pool deck. We decided to have a rectangular shaped pool because it gives us more pool space and it is super easy and quick for one person to cover and uncover the pool. With the solar, we only need to use the heat pump during the winter months and we were very pleasantly surprised at how well it heats the pool on even the coldest days when the cover is kept on the pool when not in use. And running the heat pump in the winter costs no more than running the A/C in the summer, so our electric bill is about the same year round. Our pool is salt water, and we learned that during the winter we have to turn down the setting on the chlorineator when the cover is on because the cover holds in the chlorine and elevates the levels. The sun also reduces chlorine, so in the winter when the days are shorter and the sun is lower the pool looses less chlorine.

[dhsmith]

How often do you have add water to concrete pools? Also it seems that l have to add more water if l run the heat pump is this normal?
Bob

[champion6]

Our concrete pool with waterfalls was installed by T&D and we love it. No gas where we live so we went with solar and a back up heat pump as well with a cover that stores under a small door inside our pool deck. We decided to have a rectangular shaped pool because it gives us more pool space and it is super easy and quick for one person to cover and uncover the pool. With the solar, we only need to use the heat pump during the winter months and we were very pleasantly surprised at how well it heats the pool on even the coldest days when the cover is kept on the pool when not in use. And running the heat pump in the winter costs no more than running the A/C in the summer, so our electric bill is about the same year round. Our pool is salt water, and we learned that during the winter we have to turn down the setting on the chlorineator when the cover is on because the cover holds in the chlorine and elevates the levels. The sun also reduces chlorine, so in the winter when the days are shorter and the sun is lower the pool looses less chlorine.
:agree:
Completely

[champion6]

How often do you have add water to concrete pools? Also it seems that l have to add more water if l run the heat pump is this normal?
BobThis time of year (lower humidity), once or twice per week with a garden hose for about 10 minutes. During summer (higher humidity), hardly ever. The pool water evaporation seems to increase when the ambient humidity decreases.

I have not noticed any difference when using the electric heater - other than I'm using the heater more now, and the humidity is lower, so evaporation seems to increase.

[Toymeister]

Any advice/
Response?!

Propane tanks installed in TV are 250 and 500 gallons with most common being 250. The tanks are full at 80%, so 200 gallons capacity. Propane does not go bad. You can store it for years. I hope this helps.

[mulligan]

One thing that surprises me is that nobody talks about geothermal heating. I was involved with several developments in Collier County, and quite a few large condo pools and spas were heated this way. The expense in pool heating is the conversion of fuel to heat. With geothermal, the heat is removed from groundwater with the only real expense being power to run a pump.

[tophcfa]

How often do you have add water to concrete pools? Also it seems that l have to add more water if l run the heat pump is this normal?
Bob

Sorry I can’t answer your question. Our pool is only 2 and a half years old and the newer pools installed by T&D have a self-leveling system. When it rains a lot and the water gets above a certain level it drains out water and when the water gets below a certain level it automatically adds water. In the water drain area we can’t grow grass because the salt and chlorine kill all growth. We put in a rock collection area where the pool drains away from the birdcage.

[ton80]

There are two energy demands for geothermal heating. There is the water pump to bring groundwater to the surface and discharge it back to the groundwater that you mentioned. There is also a heat pump with compressor to remove heat from groundwater and transfer it to the swimming pool water. The heat pump is similar to what heats most of our homes in cooler weather. The difference is that the geothermal heat source is groundwater at temps of say 60F or so and not air which can be cooler in the winter months.
In addition the geothermal system requires underground piping which may not be practical for smaller homeowner lots. Large condo pools have more land available such under parking lots and ammenity areas that could accommodate geothermal systems.

[John_W]

I don't understand my here in Central Florida no one is offering Vinyl Pools. If I was young and wanted to start a business in this area, Leesburg to Ocala, it would be a vinyl pool business.

In 1978 I built my own home as general contractor in Pensacola and had a 16x32 vinyl pool 8' deep with steps and a ladder and decking installed. It took two weeks total and price was $5,000. Here's a photo right after installation.

https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/66832660_1342399202591275_4335892768053264384_o.jp g?_nc_cat=101&_nc_oc=AQluTFX2QyopEbTZPv082aSRQGwjhZpgQ2H73uLphfN J0J2UlP_zMfWvXAm5gAN03EA&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=c4f3b33a2269852e9c65f13251770dc2&oe=5E8D12D6

Recently I did a search on Zillow of my old address and found the home was for sale in 2012 with photos still online. Here's a picture of the same pool 35 years later, looks like it has held up fairly good and the home sold for four times the price.

https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67188022_1342400239257838_5908770260693024768_o.jp g?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQnv-O0eucuhioCUTEpq2EDXYoaOoLRGc2ro9_p8VxqqfjcUzVBcF1_ 8w_DU2DbDjfQ&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=d9c5605289142a5dd246066676cfdc80&oe=5E532F37

In 1980, two years after I built this home I sold the home and built a nicer, bigger home and used the same pool builder (Don Phillips Pools) but this time went with an 18x36 pool, with diving board and underwater lights and more decking, total price was $7700, that's hundred not thousands.

Initially my first pool was only Don's second pool he built, he started in business in '78. In the two years until he built my second pool, he had three crews working full time building pools every two weeks. In fact Don had bought himself a $300K fishing boat and was one of the top professional fisherman in the Pensacola area. So I know even though his prices were extremely low, he was making a good living. With inflation of course we'll never see those prices again but they would certainly be less than what T&D and the others are charging. A vinyl pool is much more comfortable. Your feet are walking on vinyl bottom rather than hard concrete. If your knees hit the sidewalk, the walls are cushioned with a thin layer of foam. BTW, birdcages are not used in the Pensacola area, just fenced yards around pools.

[billethkid]

How often do you have add water to concrete pools? Also it seems that l have to add more water if l run the heat pump is this normal?
Bob

Running the heat pump should not be affecting the water usage/level. The pool water just circulates through the heater in a closed system.....whether running or not.

The single biggest factor for water usage is evaporation. If you do not have auto fill just throw the hose in for an hour or two to maintain the level you want.

The auto fill is nothing more than a toilet tank filler plumbed in line.

[dhsmith]

Thanks for getting back to me on water usage l’ve been adding about 5 inches a week for the last 3 or 4 weeks. Don’t know if it makes any difference in usage,we also don’t have a pool cage?
Bbob