Wife has a project...and I need your advice (but don't tell her I asked)!

[SilverCity4]

My wife has “asked” that I look into buying an above-ground pool for “the kids” to play in this summer. Never mind the fact that it just-so-happens that her parents don’t have a pool anymore as of this year…coincidence? I think not.

Anyway, I’m trying to educate myself somewhat before I talk to a salesman because I don’t want to sound like an idiot, and I don’t want to get raked over the coals, either.

So…anybody want to throw some things at me as far as what to do and what NOT to do? I want to put this thing up myself (how hard can it be? LOL) and I’d like to know if anybody has done this.

Basically, I don’t have a freakin’ clue what I’m doing and I’ve got just enough knowledge to think it all sounds real reasonable.

Thanks.

[Halligan]

RING...RING....Hello, Mrs. Silver City? Your never going to believe what your husband did! Well he placed a message on a forum............... :p :D

[hfd66truck]

Upgrade on the liner...lasts longer.

Sand filter works well...easiest to maintain.

Walls are walls....the rolled aluminum usually are covered for20 or 30 years......vs the extruded that are covered for like 50 but cost a ton more. You have to figure out how long you want the thing.

Get a robot for cleaning..........definitely.

Feel free to email me with any other questions. I have had two above grounds and now have an inground.

Dave

husses@gis.net

[firefighter26]

I know of a department that has a 3000 gallon portable tank just sittiing in its storage that they might be willing to part with for a few cases of beer (Canadian beer) or a bottle of rum... :D :D

Anyway, we used to have an above ground pool... 15 foot diamater, 3.5 feet deep.. didn't cost much, but was a pain to put up (takes 6 people or more)... it was alright, sorta blew up one day... and no, it has never been proven that it was me or my small explosives (shut-up two-7). Back to the pool: it was one of those Walmart specials and lasted a handfull of years.

It was sorta nice to climb in after dinner when the water was just right, especially with a cold frosty something-or-other in your hand :D ....

Also made a great spot to fill our tanker from if needed:rolleyes:

[SilverCity4]

Thanks so far guys.

Reference the inflatable-type pools--sounds a little too easy. Do those things actually hold up? After some discussion on the matter last night, my wife (I mean, "the kids") just want something to cool off in. The inflatable pools are much cheaper and has the Wife's-Seal-of-Approval.

I mentioned that there are several ponds within walking distance on our place, but she didn't seem to like the idea for some reason...

[RyanEMVFD]

ya know, for some odd reason in texas we don't have ponds, we have tanks. imagine my confusion when i went to montana and they showed me a pond, i couldn't help from laughing.

[Temptaker]

Hey Silver City... are you going to build a deck around it? Makes it look great... wife will love it. Kids can be in the pool, while you are relaxing. Of course there is that little thing that if you have too much to drink it is much easier to fall in it.

Sorry don't know anything about inflatibles. Make sure no matter what you get, that the ground where you put it is level. I know it sounds like a given, but check it again before you go to put it up... trust me....

[FSRIZZIO]

Hey Silver... if you're looking at an inflatable you probably won't find one four feet deep like the doughboy types, soooooo you're in OK I see, get down to the farm and home, pick you up a 10' steel stock tank, get a filter system at Wally World. Pull that dude off the truck onto some relatively level ground, fill it, filter it, and the kids will be swimming in a couple of hours. At the end of the season drain it, put it up on it's side against the barn 'till next year and do it again.
Have fun, Frank

[truck6alpha]

Go to the station that has a portable drafting tank. Borrow it. Go to your station that has your collapse shoring stuff. Borrow some lumber from the cache and the air nailer. Take all to backyard. Nail together lumber around drafting tank. Voila- instant pool.

You could even post pictures of it and firefighters would laugh. Firehouse might even do a feature story on it. Your wife, however, might not be as impressed. On second thought...

[truck6alpha]

My chauffeur is installing a pool as we speak. He said spring for the extra and get the in-floor cleaning system (we don't know the technical term, but I'm sure any pool salesman will know what I'm referring to). It's like a yard sprinkler head on every surface under the water. It pops up and cleans the surface and all of the debris and detritus is swept magically into the drain. No muss, no fuss.:cool:

[SilverCity4]

Hey truck6alpha, (looks around to see if wife is looking) I call the shots around my house!

[hfd66truck]

........and my wife says so!

:D :D :D

Dave

[killerb]

.ya know, for some odd reason in texas we don't have ponds, we have tanks.

And, oddly enough, in Texas AND Oklahoma, we don't have tenders, we have tankers.

[FSRIZZIO]

And in Arkansas we don't have Engines... we have Pumpers.:D :D :D

[CaptainGonzo]

When it comes to household "projects", we always have the last two words in determining whether they get done or not...and the last two words are usually...

Yes, dear! :D :rolleyes:

[BURNT]

Silver,

Don't forget the 5" draft pipe!

[truck6alpha]

THE Frank Rizzo??? (Actually, I did a double take and saw the spelling was different). Do you get that a lot?

(For those not in the know, Frank Rizzo used to be the Mayor of Philadelphia and his brother Joe was the Fire Commissioner).

[FSRIZZIO]

most of today's generation don't know about "Rizzo's Warriors", they usually associate it with the Beastie Boys... but yeah, I get it alot.
It's cool, but commonly misspelled.:D

P.S. on the subject of pools, last evening we had a call to a 23yo that dove head first into a 3' deep pool (plenty of ETOH on board), he got an expensive drunk, what with the helicopter ride, CT scan , ER bill, Radiologists, Therapy, etc. Now I ask you... what kind of dumb***** is that??
seeya, Frank

[SilverCity4]

You mean I can't dive into a 3 foot pool?!

Well, crap.

I think we're going to try on of those inflatable thingies first. That will tell me if my family is going to actually use it. If not, I'm not out as much money and it's easy to tear down.

[truck6alpha]

I've got another one- here on our lovely resort Island, we get the worst kind of idiots. Last summer we had to work a guy who was drinking and he and his buds decided to see who could hold their breath underwater the longest. Needless to say, this guy won. Being the stalwart guys we are, we resuscuitated him. Thus another story of Hilton Head Island Special Operations, and another reason why our motto is:

"We interfere with natural selection."

[Temptaker]

Hey Silver City 4

Truck6alpha mentioned I should forward this to you, it's from another thread.

A few years ago a big group (47)emergency personnel decided to go camping together on a lake, where there was nothing but an out-house way up on the hill. This event was known as 'drunk fest'. We built a kitchen, his/her hot water showers, sleeping quarters for the highest ranking man there (and his family)(everyone else slept in tents), and a hot tub. We subsequently took them down when we left.

One of the guys came up with this great idea for the hot tub. The sides and bottom are actaully made out of plywood and they are hinged, so the whole thing folds up. There are bath pillows put on the bottom and sides for seats, and then a pool liner to hold the water. To heat the water we used part of an old house radiator and hooked up hose to either end. One end went into the lake, the radiator went into the fire and the other end of the hose into the hot tub, and it had a gated "Y" to control the water flow. Voila instant hot tub. It was great. Every year there is a bunch of us that go camping or houseboating together, ever year we bring the hot tub.

We used the same hose and rad set up for the showers to, except the showers had 12 Gallon insulated containers we would fill, and you just pulled the cord when you wanted a shower.

The first time we did this, we were on a small island, the locals kept coming over and taking pictures because they couldn't believe what we had done. The wildlife guy (don't know what his actual title is) couldn't believe it when we were leaving. He came and inspected the site where we were twice, once when we had everything up and once when we were leaving. He said if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he never would have believed anyone had been there.

[SilverCity4]

I'm having trouble finding the words...

Think I'll file this away just in case I need it. Has possibilities...

[Temptaker]

Hehehe... It does at that. I thought they were nuts the first time I was told we had a hot tub. It works great, seats 6 comfortably. :D

[FlyingKiwi]

Bush Sauna.

pile river stones (the rounder the better) in amongst wood and set alight, use at least ten.

Stand away back ( at least 500 ft) due to some stones exploding, caused by airbubles inside.

Dig a 2' square by 1' deep hole and erect low tent over the top. cover the tent with fern/greenery etc.

let the fire burn down until only embers remain.

When ready, carry the hot stones using sticks and place in the hole, sit around and gently pour water over stones for a most enjoyable, sauna.

Remember to put out the fire. :D

[Temptaker]

Kiwi

Sounds interesting, but I think it might be used in one of those 'funniest video shows'. Hmm... drunk people attempting to move REALLY hot stones with sticks.

The first year we did our camping trip we ended up with a paramedic stepping into the fire pit, in the morning on his way to make coffee. Thankfully there were two of us, me being one, that were neither drunk or asleep, that threw him into the lake to cool off the burn. After that we erected a 'fence' made out of stones around the fire pit, so no one would do it again. :rolleyes:

[bfpd36]

Temptaker,
Thanks for that story! I have a friend that used to be a conservation agent. He always said he could tell a group of fire fighters long before he entered the camp. He said they always had they best set up from everyone around. Aside from the tell tale P.W. near the fire, he mentioned generators, full sized refrigerators, (usually holding the keg...the food was stored in coolers), and so on!
:cool:

[FSRIZZIO]

Hey Silver, after you setup your pool, get the kids cooling off in it. Then have your wife read these posts for comedy value... and to let her know that we really do want your kids to have as much fun this summer as we do ours.:D:cool:... matter of fact, you buy the beer and we'll probably show up to help get it setup.

[truck6alpha]

This thread really needs to be saved in perpetuity for future generations of crust-wannbes. I have to say that I have heard some of the scariest engineering feats here on this thread. Like I've always heard it said, if you locked a firefighter in a room with two ball bearings, he'd break one and lose the other.

It may require a rocket scientist to build a better mouse trap, but leave it to us to re-invent a hole filled with water.

[hfd66truck]

If gave two firefighters an anvil, they'd spend all day trying to read the instructions, then put it back broken, without telling the next shift!

:D

[FlyingKiwi]

Of course, the damn thing had no moving parts when they started.

[Temptaker]

:D

It's gets better... when we have the hot tub on the house boat, we have the coil sitting on a propane burner to heat the water.

Who was it that said "firefighters are a jack of all trades".