above ground pools...how big should we get??

[Miss Park Avenue]

We've been wanting an above ground pool for a while now. We were thinking that we would get one in the next year or two. But someone said that they would sell us their's for a hundred dollars though. It seems great to get a pool right away, BUT....

It's 18 foot. That seems awful small. We are a family of four. How big are most pools?

Is it worth it to buy a used above ground pool? Do they weaken after a move?

And last question...How big is your pool? Do you wish you went smaller or bigger?

Thanks.

 

[mum4jenn]

How deep is it???

We used to have a steel side 18 foot pool and it was a good size. The one we have now is a 15 foot and it is a bit smaller than we would like. It is one of those you see everywhere with the blow up top ring. We like it.

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

Come to think of it...I don't know how deep it is. I'll have to find that out.

My thing is, I like to swim around a little bit. I'm not the type to just get into a pool and stand there. I'm leaning towards passing on this pool and waiting till I can afford a new, bigger one. But if it's big enough, I don't want to pass on a great deal.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Ours is 4 feet deep, and 17' X 33' oval. I call it "The Colliseum", relative to the size of our ranch house. I would have preferred an inground pool, but we have so much ledge around here, we didn't want to risk increasing the cost with blasting expenses.

We have 3 kids...15, 13, and 11, so it's a nice size to have for the 3 of them and their friends. I grew up with 24' pool and didn't want smaller than that, but for a bargain, it's amazing how much I can compromise.

 

[crz4mm2]

I had a 24' round pool. I thought it was a good size. Family of 4 here too. I could swim some in it. I don't know if an 18' would be big enough.....
Sounds like a great buy. I sold mine for just a little more than that, including the deck.

 

[Lanshark]

Things to consider. The age of the pool, what shape the liner is in and what shape the pump/filter are in. If you wait until the end of the season you may be able to find what you want at a reasonable price.

I remember my dad bought a pool like this when I was a kid. No instructions just a million pieces. He ended up throwing it away and buying a new one. Pieces were bent, missing and rusted. It was like trying to put a 1000 piece puzzle together without having a clue as to what the picture was supposed to look like.

 

[Jeanny]

we had one that was 52" high and 24' round... do you have someone to put it back together for you? $100 is a great price, but may not be worth the aggravation of putting it together.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

We have an 18 round, with 52 inch walls. If I had it to do over again I would go to at least a 24 foot. It was big enough for 2 children. but now that the family has expanded by 2 we really need somthing larger.

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

We called and asked some more questions. It may need some new brackets and a new liner. We figure this hundred dollar pool is going to run around $400.00 still better price than new. My hubby's pretty good at putting things together, but he's never tried to put together a pool.

I'm leaning more and more towards passing, but I'm thinking we could make due with a 24 foot instead of the mammoth 30+ I was thinking of at first.

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[huey duey & luey]

I have a 24 foot round, I was at a party today witha 30 ft round. If the yard is big enough and money isnt that much difference I would go with the bigger pool.
Tara

 

[candykisses]

It sounds a bit small for a family of 4. We've had a few pools over the years a 24, 28 and a 32 foot. I like the bigger pool. There was enough room to have friends over without feeling crowded.

 

[FroggyinArk]

as the owner of a 25 ft round used pool ( thats for sale cheep) and the owner of a brand new 24 ft round,, its a great size. Its was well worth the 3500 we payed pool store to bring out new pool and set it up. Especially since i am unable to set up anything right now. We had the old one given to us. We found out as we started prepping to set it back up that liners shrink and dry rot in 30 to 45 days that even well numbered and marked pieces are hard to get back in place, and that with a shovel it takes months to level a 24 ft round hole. the old pool is going to be hard to repair now, because the manufacturer is in bankruptcy and no one will carry parts, and we have discovered that pool parts are not inter changeable. So watch out buying a used one. if it has b een drained for any length of time it may be unusable.

 

[JayCT]

We have a 27 foot round, 4 feet deep. It is big enough for the kids and us, but it could be bigger. Also note that liners do shrink when the water is removed. Also depening on the age they could crack or get a hole during folding for transport. I'd go with new and have it professionally installed. Also, if the pool place ofers an up graded (thicker) liner, go for it.