Do your homework before buying a pool

As a consumer, you often hear horror stories about pool companies.  It is imperative that you do your homework and know as much as possible before you begin bringing people out to your house for pool quotes. 

1.  Always check your pool company out with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). We ask that you check us out, you will find that we have never had a complaint. If you have a company that is bidding you a price for your pool, and they ask you to “pull the permits” (go to county permit departments and do the paperwork yourself) be cautious.  What they are doing is making it look like you are installing the pool and are responsible for everything, because your name is on the paperwork.  This helps them if you decide to take legal action for a bad job.  Also, if you pull your own permits, it allows the pool company to do their own electrical work, and not hire a certified electrician.  This could be VERY dangerous, and if something were to happen you are at fault, because your name is on the permits. 

2.  Find out the name of the pool kit you are interested in.  J & G sells the Sterling pool kit, it’s the best, strongest pool kit on the market and James will prove this to you when he comes out to give you a presentation.  Most pool companies will give you a standard light with your pool, we give you a pool cleaner instead.  The light you would receive from other pool companies is made out of plastic, with a plastic niche that will only last about 5 years.  These lights tend to leak very badly, and are easily broken during the backfilling process of installing your pool. The only way to repair would be to saw the concrete out of the deep end, and dig down to the light niche and replace it.  J & G refuses to sell plastic lights.  We charge extra for a light, however, the light we use has a stainless steel niche.

3. We use the most well built heavy duty steps sold today.  They are also backed by the best warranty.  These steps are so strong they do not require a brace system, because they are approximately 2-3 inches thick and have metal supports under them.  When getting prices from pool companies, always ask if the steps require a brace system.  If the answer is yes, the steps are only ¼’’- 1/2’’ thick, and very flimsy. 

4. We use a Hayward super pump and Hayward high rate sand filter.  My personal opinion, this is the best pump and filter on the market and it carries the longest warranty.  Always check with other pool companies and ask what type of pump and filter system they offer to you.

5. Liners-  When most other companies order their pool kit to be delivered they have the liner delivered with it.  This means A.  You have a limited number of choices to choose from.  B.  Your liner could have been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for years.  Our liners are custom built for your pool, which means it will last you twice as long.  You will have over 100 liners to choose from.   The liners we sell are 100% pure virgin vinyl, and they are pretreated with a UV material.  Some liners automatically come in a 27 mil, but most come in a 27mil wall and a 20 mil bottom.  A lot of competitors will tell you there is a 30 or 40 mil liner, these liners are 60% virgin vinyl and 40% recycled material.  The difference is our liners average about 20 years, whereas ones with recycled material last about five.  

6. Pool Cleaners-  Along with your pool kit, a Hayward Navigator pool cleaner is included.  This cleaner does not require a booster pump.  We also sell a Polaris 280 or a Hayward Phantom which are both top-of-the-line.  These cleaners require a booster pump, and we use a we use either the Polaris Halcyon Booster Pump or the Hayward Booster Pump, which are so quiet you can barely hear them running.  They are also backed by the best warranty.  J & G prefers the Hayward Phantom with the Polaris Halcyon booster pump, this cleaner makes the pool as maintenance free as possible by cleaning the top, bottom, walls, and steps of the pool, giving you more time to enjoy it.

7. Salt Systems-  Most competitors sell aluminum anchors to hold your handrails and ladders in place.  These usually corrode in about five years.  With the purchase of a salt system, we upgrade to bronze anchors, which do not corrode.  There are about ten different types of salt systems on the market today, and we sell the two best ones.  A- Autopilot- has one timer and one freeze protector built in it.  It is also programmed to turn the pump and filter on, gives you lots of information like when and how much salt you need to add. B-The P4 System- has 2 timers, and 2 freeze protectors.  It also comes with a 100amp outside service box, J & G runs 40amps to it, leaving you more power for additional receptacles for outside lighting, or a small refrigerator.  This system has 4 functions. 1. Timer to turn pump on and off at certain times.  2.  Turn booster pump on/off at certain times (this is your pool cleaner) 3.  Turn pool light on/off at certain times.  4.  If you do outsider perimeter lighting, it will allow these lights to turn on/off at certain times.  It also has the capability of having a remote installed with it for an additional price.

8. Since salt systems use electrolysis to produce chlorine, we use an anti-electrolysis zinc anode to eliminate plaster staining and metal corrosion due to electrolysis. In order for a Salt system to function properly the salt level should be at 3200PPM and should not exceed 3500PPM. Chlorine should be checked weekly with a test strip to ensure it is not high. High salt levels and high chlorine levels will cause corrosion even with the anti-electrolysis zinc anode that we use.

9. Pool Ladder-  Most companies sell a plastic step ladder for your deep end.  We give you what is considered a stainless steel ladder.  The bottom and sides of these steps are stainless steel, and the top is made out of a hard plastic.  This step will never break.

10. Diving board-  Most companies sell a diving board with a fiber glass base.  These have no spring and break very easily.  It’s been referred to as “diving off a rock”.   Included with your pool kit, you get an 8ft spring board that is unbreakable.  It is the only spring board on the market today.

11. Concrete work-  We use a stronger grade of concrete than most companies.  We also mix our own fiber mesh into the concrete when the truck pulls up.  This is because a lot of concrete companies try to cheat you and not mix in as much fiber mesh.  We also use approximately 1/3 more control joints than other companies.  This helps avoid any cracking in the concrete.

12. Water Balancing-  We do a complete first time water balancing, and will not stop until your water is perfect.  Some companies charge you extra for this.

13. Most companies leave your yard at a “rough grade”.  Once all construction is done we come back out and cut all swells so that your water will drain right around the pool.  We backfill the dirt up 2 inches above the concrete, this saves you money if you have landscapers coming out because they wont need a tractor.  We are not responsible for rocks, sticks, etc.  We also pick all of the construction trash upon completion of the pool.

14. Some companies will try to get you to sign a contract before ever telling you that you may need a retaining wall, drainage systems, or dirt hauled in/out.  When James comes out to give you a quote, he lets you know if there is any chance of things like this.  We are very upfront and hide no costs, we want to make sure you can afford this pool before a contract is ever signed.

Our philosophy is to sell everything in the highest quality and nothing less.  This helps us avoid having and callbacks on a job, or you as the consumer having any problems.  We are one of the very few companies that stands behind warranties and wont make you go through the manufacture, and we can prove this by giving you a reference list of over 300 pools we have built.

 

Homework Checklist

 

Listed below are a few questions you should always ask a pool builder, feel free to print this out and use it.

 

1. Are you associated with the BBB?

2. Is the company or the customer responsible for getting the permits completed?

3. What pool kits do you offer?

4. Do the steps require a brace system?

5. What is the brand name of the pump and filter you sell?

6. Is the liner being delivered with the kit or being custom built?

7. Is the liner 100% pure virgin vinyl and is it pretreated with a UV material?

8. What is the brand name of the booster pump being sold and what warranty's are offered?

9. What is the brand name of the salt system and how long is the warranty?  What type of concrete anchors are used?  Do you get a COMPLETE first time water balancing?

10. Is the ladder a solid plastic ladder?

11. Does the diving board come with a fiberglass base?

12. What kind of light do you use? Plastic with a plastic niche? Stainless steel with a stainless steel niche?

13. In what condition will my yard be left once the job is completed?

 

MORE FOR YOUR MONEY

In an effort to give the customer a little bit more, J & G Quality Pools, Inc. offers

· In lieu of the custom liner sent with most pools kits, our employees go to the site and measure the "as-installed pool". These precise measurements are used to build the liner (20-mil 100% pure virgin vinyl) for the pool so that it fits the pool "like a glove". The homeowner also has the opportunity to pick the design pattern desired. This is done at no extra cost to the homeowner.

· We have come to expect only quality from Hayward products. Their products are warranted. Because we have such confidence in their products, we offer a two-year extended warranty on top of the original warranty. This extended warranty plus the original warranty ensures the full life of the product. This is done at no extra cost to the homeowner.

· We give our pool installation customers a complete first time water balancing at no additional cost.

· We use a 3000 or 4000 (depending on the weather) psi commercial mix concrete with fiber mesh hand-mixed into the concrete at the site (this makes for a stronger mix concrete - closer to 4000 psi - than that mixed in at the plant). Our competitors use a 3000 psi residential mix concrete.

· We form, pour, and finish additional concrete desired by homeowner at a cost of $5.25 per square foot.

· We use only the highest quality (top-of-the-line) materials on our jobs. If we use only the best materials it not only insures that there are seldom any call-backs, it gives the added bonus that our customers will spread the word about our company. Our experience has been that our customers are our best advertisement.

· We can sell you a years supply of chemicals for less than you can purchase them elsewhere. If you use our directions for operating your pool equipment and for maintaining your pool, we will guarantee that the chemicals we sell you as a "years supply of chemicals" will last for the entire swimming season; with possibly some left over...unless your get mustard algae or have some other seldom occurring problem such as well water with too much iron, etc.

· Before giving the Homeowner a firm price, we go to the pool site - looking for hidden (and visible) problems. Example of hidden problems: Probability of hitting rock, probability of hitting water when digging pool, and probability of trash pits. If we can see that there is a probable problem, we inform the Homeowner at that time. Also, we advise the Homeowner if there will be excessive grading and/or dirt removal, if there are trees and/or stumps that will have to be removed to avoid interference with the actual digging of the pool, if retaining walls will be required, etc. We also give the Homeowner an approximate price for remedying the problems located.

· Using the "honesty is the best policy" system, we advise the Homeowner that we give ourselves one (1) month to complete the job - though it usually takes us three (3) weeks. Any hold-ups are usually caused by: 1) weather, 2) permitting, or 3) getting inspections.

· The reason we can be so close in giving an accurate completion date is that we use our own equipment and our own people (the only subcontractor we use is an electrical subcontractor; and, he works closely with us and only one other contractor). The only exception to this is that if the Homeowner desires a heater with the pool - then there has to be a certified plumber to install the gas line for the Homeowner.

· Another thing we do that you will probably not find with other pool contractors is to come back at the end of the job and work with the Homeowner to dress the yard up as close as we can to his instructions.

All of the above items are done at no additional charge to the Homeowner. This includes giving the Homeowner a free estimate.