Pool Homes Sticky...

[torismom]

For us the following is important:

The View
I want either a conservation or lake view. I have no desire to be looking into someone else's pool area

2 Master Suites
With at least one having a king bed and a good mattress.

Themed rooms for the kids

Multiple Tv's

A jacuzzii or a spa is nice

A home that is somewhat soundproof from one room to the other.

A neighborhood that is kept up nicely.

Dealing with an owner who is informed and pleasant to deal with.

 

[winniedapooh]

We had rented a villa once and it was OK but the pool area was gross...when it came time to begin looking again it would have been easier to go back to the same rental agency but I really began reading the DIS boards and began exploring. We rented through what I thought was a reputable agency, NOT, and I ended up getting some good advice from my DIS family. So I went to a lot of websites, but I was time constrained. We were going Christmas week that year and they other rental fell apart in October! I looked at websites and proximity and cleanliness. That was a big factor with us. I wanted something not out in the boondocks and worked with a close DIS friend who knew the area fairly well at that time, now she knows it like she lives there! We wanted enough space for all of us, cost was a big factor, proximity to the parks, pool and jacuzzi a must, and safety was big. We found this home and have stayed there now going on 5 no 6 times. We love their homes, the friendliness, and family atmosphere. They go out of their way to make our trips the best and as long as we are renting we will always use them. I really like DISers advice on things and believe it or not gave more weight to them than a reputable agency. I guess I know that DISers tell it like it is and will jump in to help at a moments notice.
edited because I can't spell...

 

[pumba526]

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents worth in here...

We rented a pool home last year when there were 3 families traveling together (11 people total). There were lots of homes to chose from and it took a lot of time and research to find one that suited our needs (location, # of bedrooms, tv's, spa). We ended up renting a large home from a woman in the UK, who was very nice and charged very reasonable rates. The home was very clean and exactly as it was described on the website. The only issue we had was that we had to pay extra for pool/spa heat, which we gladly did since we were looking forward to relaxing in the spa after a long day in the parks. What we found was that the spa never heated more then lukewarm...the same as the pool...now maybe we were naive, but we assumed the spa would be much, much warmer (hot!) then the pool. I mentioned this to the property management company and they said to give it another day or two to heat up, which it never did...they then told us that it's too expensive to heat spas and so they never get "hot". I would have never paid for pool/spa heat if I had known that we would get nothing more then barely warm water. I did ask the owner for a refund, but she basically just ignored my request. I don't know if this is typical w/spa heating, but if you want a spa in your rental, you might want to inquire about how warm they will heat it to.

 

[mbb]

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents worth in here...

...........we were looking forward to relaxing in the spa after a long day in the parks. What we found was that the spa never heated more then lukewarm...the same as the pool...now maybe we were naive, but we assumed the spa would be much, much warmer (hot!) then the pool. I mentioned this to the property management company and they said to give it another day or two to heat up, which it never did...they then told us that it's too expensive to heat spas and so they never get "hot". I would have never paid for pool/spa heat if I had known that we would get nothing more then barely warm water. I did ask the owner for a refund, but she basically just ignored my request. I don't know if this is typical w/spa heating, but if you want a spa in your rental, you might want to inquire about how warm they will heat it to.

Ahh yes...pool and spa heat..

Owners, please chime in here!

In the research I've done, there are basically three types of pool/spa heating:
Solar, electric and gas....and then all variable combinations of the three..

Our very first rental, we were *really * disappointed in the heating capabilities.

...so, finding out a little more about it, and how it all works became my mission for our next rental!

1) Electric...will not work if the air temps get below approxiamately 55*...they just shut off completely. So a cold snap = cold pool. If the air temps are only in the 60's, the pool still isn't going to head much above the low 70's for swimming.
2) Solar..heats the water as it moves through the piping...with the heat of the
3) Gas...the most $$$ of the pool heating options...haven't seen many pools at all that are heated with gas, but a few spas (heated separately) are.

Electric heat, and a pool blanket seem to be the favored method of pool heat for home owners..
***Electric Pool heater tutorial...if the fan on the top of your heater is not spinning, and it's warm out, the heater is non-operational. Call the management company (When the spa bubbles feature is on, the spinner usually stops)
***To get the spa warmer, the waterfall feature (part that spills into the pool, circulating the water) must be shut off. The smaller volume of water will heat up much faster. Once the waterfall goes back on, the heated spa water heats the pool more
***Water levels....as another poster mentioned, the water levels will determine whether your heater is even able to turn on...you have to make sure that the water levels don't fall below the skimmer line of the pool. There is usually a hose around the other side of the house, you can do this easily...relying on the management company to check may mean that you don't get as much enjoyment out of your pool.
***DO NOT mess with the buttons, other than what your owner has specified. If a complete "How to work the Spa/Pool" buttons has not been provided, just give the Management Company a call when you arrive. They would be happier to let you know how to work everything...rather than be called later in the week with a jam-up of the pool system!

Again, owners, or those with any pool heat tips, please chime in with anything else you know, or you've learned

I know that the pool heat issue can be huge for us winter travelers...and summer travelers wonder how to cool the pools off!!

Keep posting everyone...I'll assemble info for the sticky, and leave a link to this thread in the sticky (for more info) as well.

 

[isla bonita]

With our home it works like this.
1. Our home has electric heat only
2. Our spa does not heat up like a hot tub. It is not a hot tub at all just a spa w jets
3. We do not charge more for pool/spa heat because of the spa in stead of the hot tub
4. Some of our neighbors have a propane tank that gets the water above 100o
5. This they charge more for
6. Electric heat is expensive and that is why most homes charge for pool heat
7. Our pool is set at 85o when we have guests when the home is empty it is at 80o
8. For the pool to stay warm during the winter months you need to cover the pool at night with the solar pool cover if not the temperature when it drops during the night will bring the pool temperature lower and it will take longer to get the temp of the pool up to reach 85o or what ever the home sets their temp at
9. Most homes have a solar pool cover with reel and it is pretty easy to use
Not sure if this helped or just muddied the waters more. All of the homes are run differently and because of this not all the rules apply.

 

[mbb]

With our home it works like this.
1. Our home has electric heat only
2. Our spa does not heat up like a hot tub. It is not a hot tub at all just a spa w jets
3. We do not charge more for pool/spa heat because of the spa in stead of the hot tub
4. Some of our neighbors have a propane tank that gets the water above 100o
5. This they charge more for
6. Electric heat is expensive and that is why most homes charge for pool heat
7. Our pool is set at 85o when we have guests when the home is empty it is at 80o
8. For the pool to stay warm during the winter months you need to cover the pool at night with the solar pool cover if not the temperature when it drops during the night will bring the pool temperature lower and it will take longer to get the temp of the pool up to reach 85o or what ever the home sets their temp at
9. Most homes have a solar pool cover with reel and it is pretty easy to use
Not sure if this helped or just muddied the waters more. All of the homes are run differently and because of this not all the rules apply.

No, that's good ! Makes the water more clear! Thanks, islabonita!

It gets difficult, I think, when people are "paying" for pool and spa heat, they think that the spa should get hotter, ie, the hot tub. Making the difference clear to your renters makes keeps from disappointment when their expectations of a hot spa aren't realized.

The last house we rented had separate temperature controls for their pool and spa..it was on a little button keypad called a "Pool Boss"...you could set the temps for the pool, and spa separately from each other...again all using electric heat, and the pool blanket when we weren't in the pool.

Activating the spa bubbles, made the spa get hotter than the pool (and turned off said waterfall feature)

So if I'm understanding correctly, in some cases, the pool heat will only heat the pool and spa temps to the same degrees (unless the owner has an independent controls system), and having a spa - just means extra high pressure jets, not necessarily extra heat...??

Again, the more info all of us have = happier we'll all be on vacation in those fab pool homes!!

I'm thinking the sticky is turning into a printable list of questions you can customize to ask a pool home owner, maybe...??

 

[minnie29uk]

Definately dont leave the spa only heat on all night.It will be boiling in the morning.It really was uncomfortable and couldnt be used for a couple of hours after this.
The pool then had cooled down because the waterfall was off and not heating the pool.
I have instructions by pool controls in the home,and I would of thought most owners do.There are after all slight variations to models.
I have a large pool and I am finding guests are reluctant to pay for pool heat - why?You are there to have a great time.Me and my kids would be sooooo disappointed if we couldnt jump into the pool whatever time of year we were there!!!

Lynn

 

[kimbac3]

I have a large pool and I am finding guests are reluctant to pay for pool heat - why?

Lynn

We don't pay for pool heat because by the time we get home from the parks we are to exhausted to even open the sliding doors to the pool much less swim!! Plus we go at the end of November/ Beg. of Dec and it really was chilly some nights.

Now if the pool home had a spa or hot tub...DH and I might considered paying for heat!
Kimba

 

[Cherylzw]

We have gas heat in our pool/spa. We do charge extra for the heat. We keep our pool at 85 and the spa at 100. The spa gets warmer within minutes of turning on the jets. When the spa timer is turned on the spa heats up within minutes.

Of course, when the weather is cold, you must use the pool cover or the pool will never be able to get to temperature, especially at night.

 

[kilee]

We find for us it's price vs location vs amenities. Like most people I want my dollar to go as far as possible. We do only usually rent the pool homes when we travel w/ family. However, I'm always responsible for choosing the home and making the travel plans.

I found that the prices seem to be consdierably lower by #1 renting direct from the owners. Then #2 by staying in one of the Davenport communities. I know many people don't like the commute- but we didn't find the 15 or so minutes to be that bad.

We slim our choices down by the # of bedrooms and bathrooms. It's a must for us to have at least 1 bathroom for every adult or adult couple traveling. Then their kids can share their bathroom. This way each family has their own bathroom space.

Also, I always find it's important to be sure what the quoted price will include. Something may look like a great deal until you find out about a bunch of extra fee's and taxes they didn't include in their rate quote.

Last, be sure to discuss the terms of payments. As well as if a security deposit is going to be due. Will it be refunded- and when and how. I actually don't like the ones that want a cash or check security/damage deposit. So, I do actually avoid those ones. I prefer the homes/owners that do have a local mang. company that we can just put a cc on file with. I don't like having to chase down the return of funds- so this is our preference.

 

[Kay1]

I'd just like to say that we live in Florida in a home similar to most of those I've seen advertised. We live in the Tampa Bay area and only one person on our block has heat and that's because he has so many huge trees around his house the pool season is shortened. The rest of us just use the sun for heat. My kids start swimming in April or May depending on the weather and I go in late June or so. Swimming season ends in October when the sun isn't as strong.

My point is that I personally wouldn't bother with pool heat if I were visiting between mid-May and September, and part of October. Some people can tolerate even cooler temperatures. Also, I've noticed that lots of the communities have pools that should be heated . . .one more thing to consider.