I was very curious about AI and wanted to try it out. I asked about blog topics for a pool company website.The first topic suggested was " The benefits of owning a pool".

I asked Chat GPT  to write a blog about the benefits of owning a pool. I felt I could not do any better at writing this and liked that AI would not be biased. 


Let’s talk about the benefits of owning a pool 

Swimming pools are more than just a place to cool off during hot summer months. They also provide numerous benefits for homeowners who choose to invest in them. Here are some of the benefits of owning a swimming pool:

1. Provides a great workout: Swimming is one of the best workouts you can get. It is a low-impact exercise that targets different muscle groups and helps improve cardiovascular health.

2. Improves mental health: Swimming has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and boost cognitive function.

3. Increases home value: A well-maintained swimming pool can increase the value of your property and make it more attractive to potential buyers if you ever decide to sell your home.

4. Provides a fun activity for family and friends: A swimming pool can serve as a social hub for family and friends to gather and enjoy time together.

5. Enhances outdoor living space: A swimming pool can transform your backyard into a beautiful oasis. You can add landscaping, lighting, and other features to create a relaxing and enjoyable environment.

6. Saves money: Owning a swimming pool can actually save you money in the long run. Instead of going on expensive vacations or memberships to community pools, you can stay home and enjoy your own private pool.

Overall, owning a swimming pool provides numerous benefits for homeowners. From improving physical and mental health to enhancing outdoor living space and saving money, a swimming pool is a worthwhile investment for those who enjoy spending time outdoors and with family and friends.
written by Chat GPT4

We at Accredited Pools Inc. have accumulated many accreditations, certifications and professional achievements. We could also justify naming ourselves Experienced Pools Inc. Accredited Pools has completed more than 10,000 pools service and repair appointments. We know what designs and equipment make up a reliable, easy to care for and trouble free swimming pool.
 
                                                    Nathan Spencer CEO

• 10 years in the pool industry
  
• Bachelor degree in Geology
• Colorado Department of transportation quality control

                         
                    Has held positions and or certifications in the following;

• Texas Department of transportation quality control
• Quality control tech over the sealing of the gold king mine spill
• Inspections and quality control over multiple schools and bridges in Colorado and Texas
• Received certifications in
• Materials testing, concrete testing RCP testing

                                                 Merrill Spencer COO

• 15 years in the pool industry
• 45 years in the construction industry

                    Has held positions and or certifications in the following;

• Oregon Certified Home Inspector
• Certified Professional Pool Builder
• Arizona residential contractor’s license
• Arizona commercial contractor’s license
• Texas Residential Appliance Installer license (allows us to service repair and replace swimming pool related electrical equipment)
• Ipsa water chemistry certification 

This is going to vary by 400% or more depending on the company you choose to build your pool and the requirements of any HOAs or municipalities that will be involved, weather, access and the size and complexity of the project.
Let me start by saying that construction a swimming pool on your property is not process you want to rush. That being said, a fairly simple pool or pool spa, in perfect conditions, can be completed in about 3 months. Although we at Accredited Pools Inc. have accomplished in era of Covid, For simi basic pool projects we tell our clients to expect about 4 ½ months as many things, mostly weather, effect completion times. The high-volume pool companies in our area are taking 17 months from signing to completion. Too many unsuspecting homeowners pay a large deposit to companies or individuals come dig a hole then never come back seriously effecting completion times. We completed 3 pools for customers last year that were started and abandoned by the pool contractor and contacted by several others with this situation. By the time the homeowners exhausted all attempts to get the project completed and accepted that it was not going to happen and get someone to complete it, the project took well over a year  

ACCESS AND WEATHER
Much of the time, the access to the pool location is across the grass and along the side of the house. If the access space is narrow smaller equipment will be needed to dig and remove the spoils adding to the construction time. When you add rain to the mix, the saturated ground will create a big mess causing property damage if you try to run heavy equipment, trucks, trailers, etc. back and forth in these conditions. It may take 3 or 4 days for the ground to dry out enough to continue work so if it rains every 3 or 4 days it can really lengthen the overall construction time.

SCOPE OF WORK
It is not a good idea to plaster a pool before other work like patios. pergolas casitas and especially landscaping as dust and other elements from the process of completing them can permanently stain the pool plaster and totally mess up the water chemistry. We have many projects that include outdoor kitchens, extensive decking and retaining walls, fireplaces, and landscaping. We will dig and construct the pool shell, do the tile and coping and any concrete work, then complete all other work including landscaping. Only then will we plaster the pool, fill it with water and start it up.
Depending on the complexity of the other amenities included in the project, the completion times are extended accordingly

Permits inspections
If your pool requires permits, inspections and or HOA approval, construction times are extended in proportion to the efficiently of the municipality. One of our local municipalities the City of Lakeway takes much more time and effort to obtain the permits than to actually build the pool.
Availability of materials
In recent times the availability of various materials and equipment have been problematic extending completion times and disrupting schedules. Hopefully we will see less of this in the future with covid related issues decreasing.

How much does a pool cost?
Well, that’s a lot like asking how much does a car cost.
There are a lot of variables. Is it a Ford focus or a Range Rover Defender?
All pools are not created equal.

A swimming pool can be the ultimate pleasure to add to your life, or it can be a hole in the ground that you throw money into with constant regret.

There are many things a pool builder can do to save a lot of money building your pool.
Most of them are a very bad idea. The cost of correcting mistakes on a swimming pool can be equal to or more than the cost of the pool.

Parts like the valves that you turn to adjust the various pool water functions can be purchased at Home Depot for $8-12. Those will last a few years and cost several hundred dollars to replace and are a lot of hassle to use. Or you start with high quality valves, costing $60-$150, which are trouble free and are serviceable for a lifetime. With 3-6 or more of those valves on your system, you can save some money upfront by going cheap, but you will be left with a lifetime of headaches and future expenses to replace them. 

The pricing on the pumps above is a great example of the cost differences between product choices. Imagine the savings to a builder using the Home Depot product when your pool requires 2 or 3 pumps. A builder can save a lot of money by using inferior products. With a difference in pricing of more than tenfold on many of the products that make up a swimming pool, you really need to be well informed on which products your pool builder will be using on your pool. Does more expensive always equal better? No! Some products are more expensive like Jandy stealth pumps, for example, which we have found don’t last and are a constant ongoing expense.

With the cost of concrete these days, the size of the pool deck will affect the cost of the pool dramatically. Currently in our local area, the price for high quality concrete work is about $28 a square foot so if you have no decking vs 1,000 ft of decking, that is a huge difference in the total price of the pool. Swimming pool decking (the concrete around your pool) is highly specialized. The method to do it correctly, with the proper details specific to swimming pool, is not the same as the foundation of a sidewalk. It is more complex and just more expensive to do it correctly.

Quality workers and sub contractors cost a lot more than those of lower quality. What is the condition of the soil? Solid rock? Expansive clay? Just imagine using the lowest cost pool builder to build a pool in bad soil. Bad things are going to happen.

How about the plaster?  Plasters are made from a wide variety of materials, from very soft marble dust to very hard granite and quartz, with the lifespan, cost, and beauty varying accordingly. 

Because owning a pool that is inadequate in some way is usually costly and stressful, the question you actually want to ask is, “What is the cost to build a good quality swimming pool from a reputable, experienced pool company that is financially able to complete your project, that will be around and profitable enough to take care of any warranty issues that come up in the future?"

In the Austin area, a quality pool is going to cost starting around $85k and a pool/spa combo will start at $95k. Typically home owners are opting for a total backyard makeover with outdoor kitchens or pergolas, which will cost $150k-$250k. Paying this much for a pool and all the goodies does not automatically mean you will get the quality you should be getting at this price point. We see pools all the time that people have paid a lot of money for that were constructed with the lower cost components. So it's important to either be well informed about exactly what products and methods are going into your pool project, or work with a knowledgeable contractor with the experience and ethics  to build you a good pool. 

Is your pool ready to survive freezing temperatures? Here are some practical ways to protect your pool and equipment from expensive freeze damage:

I want to start out by saying this is not a step by step manual for freeze protecting your pool. Every swimming pool is set up differently so a method that works with one pool may not be the right one for your pool. In some climates swimming pools have to be completely winterized for the season. This article does not cover complete winterization. For swimming pools in mild climates where temperatures occasionally drop below freezing, pool owners may be less familiar with what to do to avoid freeze damage. This article is meant to get you thinking about your pool and to present the basic principles and some methods that can be used to protect pool plumbing and equipment from damage from occasional low temperatures.

One
Keep the water circulating. Moving water won't freeze. If your pool was built by a reputable pool builder, the controls for the equipment will include a freeze protection mode. This could be as simple as a time clock with freeze protect as shown int the picture here, or an internet connected electronic control center with programmable freeze protect modes that you can control from your phone. In freeze protect mode, when the temperature drops below a set temp this feature turns the pumps on when the temperature drops below the set point. The circulation of the water through the pipes and the heat form the pumps protect the equipment pipes from freezing. If you don't have a freeze protect function, you can manually run your pumps during freezing temperatures.
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Two
When the temperatures dip below freezing for long periods, putting a tarp over the equipment, and even adding a heat source like a light bulb, can further protect the equipment and plumbing from freezing and expensive repairs. Care should be taken that the heat source is not touching or close to the tarp or blankets as this could be a fire hazard. 

Three
If there is an extended power outage, then the built-in freeze protect systems will be defeated. You can add a back up generator, of the proper wattage, to your home in order to keep those protections in place if the power goes down.

Four
If a whole house generator is not in the budget, covering the equipment with a tarp or blanket of some sort and using a small generator to power the heat source like a light bulb, or electric heater can protect the equipment and plumbing from freezing. Again extreme care should be taken that the heat source is not touching or close to the tarp or blankets as this could be a fire hazard. We do not recommend using a heat source with an open flame like propane or kerosene because of the potential fire hazard. 

Five
If back up power is not an option, each piece of pool equipment, pumps, filters, heaters, etc. should have a drain plug that can be removed to protect from damage due to freezing. Some swimming pools are built with the pool equipment set lower the water level this method will not be an option. Before removing freeze plugs the circuit breakers should be shut off so when the power comes back on, the pumps will not run without water. You can find information on where the drain plugs are located on your specific equipment online on the manufacture's website. This may be difficult for the average person to do, especially in the middle of the night, so this method requires some pre-planning and anticipation of the power going out. This should protect the equipment, however. Depending on how your system is plumbed, the piping may still be vulnerable to damage from freezing. Some common freeze plugs are pictured below.
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