[another Linda]

We've been snowbirds since 2007 having bought a 2/2 CYV. I love it but have decided as we spend more time in TV I want more room ... and I think* I want a pool too. So, that prompts some questions for you pool owners.

1. During January and February, can you use your pool?
2. Can you keep it heated to about 82 degrees? (I'm a whimp)
3. What kind of heat do you have for it?
4. Any ballpark ideas of what it runs to heat during those months?
5. Do you use a solar blanket to preserve heat?
6. What maintenance is required for a saltwater pool?

I could go on, but that is enough for now.

Thanks for any help.

*Actually, I know I want a pool but DH says I only think I want a pool. So for now that is the way we'll go. I really really really think ....

[Goldwingnut]

Linda,
I have not put my pool in yet but will be shortly, however I can answer your questions as I just move here from Haines City, about 60 miles south of TV where we had a solar heated saltwater pool.
January/February - yes you can use it but it will depend on a few factors. Obviously if it is gas heated you will have no problems however if you live at the south end of TV you my have to get a tank burried in your yard as the homes do not have natural gas service. If you have a good southern exposure for solar panels then you should also be able to use it most of the time. I was in our pool on Christmas day and the water was 84. A solar blanket help a lot but is a real pain to take off and put on.
Solar heat is the least expensive after the initial cost since the heating is basically free (except for running the pump). With other heating methods it will depend on the temp of the pool and outside and if you use a solar blanket. Gas is the cheapest these days. A heatpump is also an option but it will be expensive to run. Our plan is solar with a gas heater to supplement during the winter months. If you are going to do solar don't be afraid to ask them to install an extra panel or two if you have the space, it will help during the winter months.
Saltwater pools are great, once the pool and liner fully cure there is very little needed beyond a 40# bag of salt every 6 months or so. The only other chemical I've had to add is some stabilizer which is about $2/lb. Other maintenance would be cleaning it - vacuum/brush it once a week, about 30 min a week. Every month you need to clean the filter, I've used the same one for two years without issue, just rinsed it out with a jet of water every month. The only unusual maintenance item is the cleaning of the salt cell every 3 months, it takes about 20 minutes including the time to remove and install it in the system.
Overall the pool will add about $50-$75 a month to your electric bill for the pump to run. The cost of heat will again depend on the method used. If given the option get the 30 watt LED lighting insted of the 300+ watt regular bulb, you get the savings and multiple colors. Saltwater is much easier to maintain chemistry on and is a lot more comfortable to be in. If you have a dog that likes the water and you allow them in the pool there is no chemicals in the water to bother their skin.

There are nay-sayers other there who will discourage you from putting in your own pool with the main reason being there are so many community pools near by in TV. Yes there are many positive social aspects of the community pools but having you own in the back yard is fantastic! Nothing can match a 5 AM swim followed by a cup of coffee and the newspaper in the morning or a quick late night dip under the stars to cool off. And sometimes you just want a quick 5 minute dip to bring you back to life, more difficult at a public pool.

If you have more questions just drop me a PM.

[RErmer]

A view from the "no pool" side of this issue:

We lived in South Florida for many years prior to moving to The Villages. We had a pool which we ended up using only rarely, though the times we did use it we really appreciated it. When we moved here, I was convinced we needed a pool. My husband had another point of view, that we didn't need a pool given all of the various types of pools here. After 2 years without a pool, I have to agree that my husband was right. We save money by not having a pool, and apart from that I love my water aerobics classes at the sports pool and lounging poolside at the other pools when I need a poolside "fix". We did just purchase a 2 person spa which fits on our lanai, to soothe our aches and pains. It's a perfect combination!

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

Nothing can match a 5 AM swim followed by a cup of coffee and the newspaper in the morning or a quick late night dip under the stars to cool off. And sometimes you just want a quick 5 minute dip to bring you back to life, more difficult at a public pool.

AND you don't have to wear a bathing suit.

[Serenoa]

Originally Posted by Shimpy

AND you don't have to wear a bathing suit.

It would be interesting to know how many Villagers share your preference to swim in your own pool.....sans suit.

I'd bet that most folks would be shocked at the number that do.

[rhsgypsylady]

I agree with the freedom of having your own pool to use at your leisure, especially sans suit. I use the community pools for water aerobics and that is with suit.

Mine is not salt, and I have a pool service. I do have a solar blanket, and yes, it is a pain in the behind. I do not have solar heat but have electric heat which I seldom use. If it's too cold to go swimming, I just don't go.

[mickey100]

We have a hot tub on the lanai, which we heat during the winter, and keep cooler in the summer. Kind of the best of both worlds. The pools we see in The Villages are for the most part just the type you use to get wet; you can't really swim in them, as in swim laps. As others have said, we have many fine pools for lap swimming or water aerobics at the rec centers.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by another Linda

6. What maintenance is required for a saltwater pool?

....

U will be surprised to learn it's NOT salt water, it's chlorine by another name

As far as pool we love ours use it a lot

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

U will be surprised to learn it's NOT salt water, it's chlorine by another name

Yes, salt is used to make chlorene and the pool is really fresh water. When I was a kid in S. Florida we'd go to the hotel pools on Miami Bch. which were really salt water, pumped in from the ocean.

[jimbo2012]

Yes those were the good old way to do it.

Thirty years ago the pool companies found a way to market chlorine as salt

Salt water chlorination is a process that uses dissolved salt (2,500–6,000 ppm) as a store for the chlorination system.[1] The chlorine generator (also known as salt cell, salt generator, salt chlorinator) uses electrolysis in the presence of dissolved salt (NaCl) to produce hypochlorous acid (HCIO) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), which are the sanitizing agents already commonly used in swimming pools. As such, a saltwater pool is not actually chlorine-free; it simply utilizes a chlorine generator instead of direct addition of chlorine.

Scientific research has shown that since saltwater pools still use chlorine sanitization, they generate the same unhealthy disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that are present in traditional pools. Of highest concern are haloketones and trihalomethanes (THMs). Among these, bromoform has been found in swimming pools at up to 13-fold higher than maximum levels set by the World Health Organization.[4]

Many people consider saltwater chlorine generators to be a new item. However, manufacturers have been producing salt chlorine generators in the United States since the early 1980s, and they first appeared commercially in New Zealand in the early 1970's (the Aquatech IG4500).[5] The use of saltwater chlorine generators has however grown greatly since the early 2000s. Many hotels and water parks have converted to saltwater systems.


In your pool they add about $700-$1000 to the cost of equip

[pbkmaine]

We have what is considered a large pool for TV, 15x30. We love it and are in it every day. We can swim, exercise and float on rafts in it. Ours is chlorinated, but very gently. I do not notice the chlorine at all. T & D built this pool, 15 years ago, and have cared for it since. It looks brand new. We pay them $100 per month for maintenance. We have only owned this house since June, so I can't speak to long-term costs. Our electric bill for the entire house for June was $241, much less than we spent in NJ or Maine at this time of year. We were astonished. We have a solar blanket, but are not using it because the pool is currently maintaining a temperature of 82 degrees on its own. The pool and birdcage have a southeast exposure.

[Happinow]

Hello. We have a pool and I am more of a wimp than you as I like my pool 88 degrees. With that said, I can swim in my pool from approximately April 1st to October 31. We have solar panels to heat it. We have a solar cover but it's way to much work to put on and take off as we have a fairly large pool. As for maintenance, we have T&D here once a week to clean and maintain chemicals. Wouldn't trade it for the world. We are extremely happy with our decision to put in a pool and after 2 1/2 years I can say I still use it multiple times a day. I say go for it!!

[Medtrans]

Bill Murray, another great guy at AT&T.

[jojo]

We are very happy with our pool but do not use it from December thru March which is OK with me. While it's obviously a choice to go to the Villages pools during those months I'm a wimp too and can't stand the idea of getting out of the water into the cold. We also have the solar panels which work well. Love having our own pool. Ours is fairly small so low electric costs. T&D built and maintains it.

[Chi-Town]

Picture this. You have a pool, good sized with a couple of waterfalls and a niced sized deck. Right now you're just lazing in the pool on a raft that also has a drink cup holder. Music of your choice is playing on your outdoor speakers and a golf game is on mute under your lanai enclosure. You get out to laze on a chaise lounge until it's time to jump in again. Repeat as necessary. That's why you want a pool.