Please review Part 1 on this same topic prior to reading this.  As previously mentioned pools will have a few problems along the way.  Leaks are just breaks in the concrete structure and the most common place for this to occur is the skimmer overflow box which moves the surface water to a strainer prior to entering the pump.  I am not sure why this is the most common place to have a leak but it is.  Pool leak detection companies make lots of money for simple repairs.  Beware, as they will rip you off if you are not on your toes as I have been there.  Most leak detection companies will have you sign something before they explore into the leak problem which assures them of $600 or more dollars regardless of how long it takes to figure out the problem then an estimate to fix the problem.  When my pool leaked I did my own basic leak test, which is known as the bucket method.  This is to confirm you really have a leak and you place a bucket filled with water in your pool for a week and measure how much the water level changed due to evaporation compared to a possible leak situation.  See utube videos on this.  I confirmed I had a leak and then allowed the pool to leak until it reached the point of no further observable water loss.  In my case, the water level dropped to right below the skimmer box.  A very obvious clue.  I took the conservative route and had a leak detection company come in, signed the guaranteed payment box on the contract.  I told the tech where I thought the problem was and he dropped some blue dye into the box and whalla! The blue dye got sucked into a now visible crack.  He was done in 15 minutes but wanted his money.  I paid him and learned a hard lesson!  I then hired a reputable pool repair service the fixed the problem.

Other things to think about if a leak occurs.  You can use this same blue/red dye to swim around your pool and identify any areas that are suspect for a leak using a mask and snorkel.  Waterline tiles are a common place.  Go to Pinch-A-Penny and they can sell you the dye and underwater sealant and they give plenty of advice for free.  Its really quite easy and cheap.  Also, this company provides exceptional pool care if you choose to have someone else to do it.  For snowbirds, their pool care service is reasonable and dependable and weekly you receive an update on what they did.  Many pool companies slack when the owners are not there.  PAP is very dependable.

One last thing on the leak topic.  DO NOT DRAIN YOUR POOL!  If you think you have a leak on the bottom or in the lower areas then things must be handled very carefully.  Waterfront pool homes on saltwater canals in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte actually have saltwater ingress at all time below the pool.  Even with all the concrete and decking there is saltwater behind the seawall and under the pool.  If you were to drain the pool at the wrong time of year you could FLOAT the pool.  This means with no water inside the pool it can actually lift up with the static pressure of the wet soil that surrounds it.  This would be a disaster for the pool structure.  A leak in the bottom of the pool requires an expert to handle this situation.

The post Punta Gorda Pools-Part 2 How To Handle Leaks, Who To Use For Service, What To Watch Out For and Do It Yourself Information appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.

Experience has taught me that many people buying a waterfront pool home in southwest Florida have never had a pool before.  Even those that have had a pool up north don’t necessarily know the ropes of pool ownership down here.

Nothing written here should discourage you from wanting a pool home by the waterside because nothing is better!  But a little knowledge will smooth the way and I will share 21 years of knowledge gained while selling homes in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte.

The first thing to know is that eventually you will have problems with some aspects of the pool or its equipment.  All pools will eventually leak at some point and it is rarely a catastrophic event.  This was always my biggest worry when searching for a pool home on the waterfront.  A pool in our area is concrete and plastic pipes and there is no rocket science to fixing them.  However, you should know about how to detect a leak and what company to use to do that (or do it yourself):  This topic will be covered in detail later on.

Starting from square one:  You have engaged in a contract to purchase a pool home and during the inspection period in your contract you should have the home inspector examine the pool in every possible way.  The pool surface, coping tiles, waterline tiles, blemishes on the bottom (most will have some), pool deck and pool equipment functionality.  If something is out of line he will recommend a follow up with a pool expert.

Pool Care:  For me my first pool experience came when I moved to Punta Gorda.  I was intimated and lacked knowledge and hired a pool company to handle it.  The cost in our area is very reasonable running around $125 per month.  At that time as my real estate business was growing I had a slow stretch and decided to handle pool care on my own.  Pool care here is very easy compared to up north because the Lanai pool cage blocks leaves and debri from entering the pool.  Normally, you have a chlorine dispenser where you add the “hockey puck” shaped tablets and clean the filter a couple times a month and there was not much more too it.  What ultimately happened to me was real estate business picked up and I forgot to take care of the pool.  Nearly 2 months went by and I did not see any change in the pool water.  This was a big lesson!  Pool maintenance here is pretty easy.  The only exception is during the rainy summer season where you will need to keep up on chemicals because algae can develop when the water becomes too fresh from frequent rain storms.  Even then you can run to Pince-A-Penny to have them analyze your water and send you home with instructions on how to get your pool chemistry back in order (more on Pince-A-Penny later).

The post Punta Gorda Pools- What You Need To Know Before You Buy A House And After The Purchase-Part 1 appeared first on Sailboat Home Listings.