Cost of hiring someone to open pool.

[judurant]

If you hire someone to open your pool, how much do you pay? What is the average cost, and what exactly do they do for you?

[twain220]

Depends on how bad of shape it's in...if it's green it could cost a couple hundred...3 hours labor at $150 plus chems is what I'd charge...

[judurant]

I think I got ripped off. The guy came out, took out the plugs, lubricated the gaskets & other things, showed me how to turn on the filter, put chlorine tabs in the chlorinator, and told me what to do with the vacuum and it cost $235 (tax incl.). He never even took the solar cover off the pool!

The pool wasn't filled all the way yet because the liner needs repair at the top, but still!

Did I get ripped off???

[twain220]

I think I got ripped off. The guy came out, took out the plugs, lubricated the gaskets & other things, showed me how to turn on the filter, put chlorine tabs in the chlorinator, and told me what to do with the vacuum and it cost $235 (tax incl.). He never even took the solar cover off the pool!

The pool wasn't filled all the way yet because the liner needs repair at the top, but still!

Did I get ripped off???

sounds like you did, but I'm not an LLC...so I don't know what is typical....but like I said, if I were opening your pool, I'd take the cover off, balance chems and visit it 3 times in a week for that price...

[chrisinspring]

Normally we bid our prices at 250+ depending how bad the pool is. Sometimes, it's better to drain and start over

[Guest]

Normally we bid our prices at 250+ depending how bad the pool is. Sometimes, it's better to drain and start over

That sort of money just to train the user on the pool or to clear up the water?

Sounds like the guy that ripped her off didn't even do the latter.

[Guest]

Normally we bid our prices at 250+ depending how bad the pool is. Sometimes, it's better to drain and start over

That sort of money just to train the user on the pool or to clear up the water?

Sounds like the guy that ripped her off didn't even do the latter.

He didn't do the former, either. All he did was show me how to turn the handle on the filter from backwash to rinse and told me how long to leave it on backwash & how long to leave it on rinse. He told me to open the cap in the basket when it was full, but didn't tell me how, so when I reached in to open it, I felt for it, pulled on it, and it snapped off! How was I supposed to know it slid to the side? He did not tell me that. Then he dropped the vacuum into the pool and showed me where to put the end into the basket.

The water wasn't green. It was actually quite clear. He didn't tell me anything at all about chemicals.

Apparently, teaching me how to do everything is called "orientation" and you pay separately for that.

The other thing is, my liner is coming out the top, and the part it hooks onto is broken and needs to be screwed into place. Of course, the guy who came out to open it didn't have the correct tools with him. They were supposed to call me back with an estimate, and they haven't even done that. I sincerely want to call someone else, but I feel like I gave these people over $200 of my money and got next-to-nothing, and they owe me.

Feedback is appreciated.

[Viv]

You can buy a "liner lock" that will hold your liner in place and it is cheap.

As for opening the pool...we take a jar of water to our local pool store and they tell us exactly what to add. We live in the south and never "close" our pool but it does need shocked, etc. in the spring. We never add clorine tabs until we shock the water. It is a learning thing but I think it is well worth the time it takes to learn because it saves a lot of money and anguish.

So sosrry you are having problems but take it step at a time and go into the local pool store and talk to them and I think it will get much easier! Good luck!

[Buggsw]

Oh boy. One of the first things I learned was to call around and ask specifically what they charge and what they will do.

Many of the pool stores sub-contract out pool repair "experts". Around here, they can be quite interesting to deal with.

Buggsw