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I'm not so sure....looks like a giant headache to me:
Cost to blast out a hole in lava,
Cost of chemicals
Possible earthquake repairs
Cost to run pumps (and replace pumps if salt water) HELCO$$$$$$
Extra cost to insure
Have to build a fence around it
Daily cleaning (we will have a LOT of trees)
Need to heat at 1000' elevation?
She reads Punaweb so maybe some of you can convince her ][  ]
Note to LOML: Yeah I know, I'm sleeping in the other bedroom tonight [:0]
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My best advice is to consider, unless she is a competitive swimmer, that a hot tub or spa can provide 80% of the relaxation and fun for 5% of the cost.
Hanging out by the water, socializing, relaxing, enjoying the day. Go for a hot tub first.
There are ways to heat a hot tub that can keep it at 103 degrees for 24 hours a day for about $10 a month (heat exchangers).
Years back I had two hot tubs. One hot and one cold.
Best wishes
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Still working on our pool, no lava to contend with, but still a major undertaking and $$$. As its primary purpose is therapy for Sophie, pool was the choice over hot tub. We did a kit pool that we brought from mainland. By the time we are done, the actual pool will be the least expensive part.
Rob, I'd like to hear more about the economical ($10/mo) heating, as I still have hopes of adding a hot tub in future.
David
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I agree with Rob, have a jacuzzi instead of a pool.
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A hot tub in Hawaii?? Why not a sauna as well.
Keep cool, go for a pool.
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I can think of plenty of evenings a hot tub and sauna would have been more welcome than a cool pool. Probably the same evenings we ran the fireplace.
David
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Old neighbor in lower HPP (~25' elevation) has a lava puka -gunite pool we used to play in all of the time (pools, like boats, are best to be owned by close friends & neighbors...)
He added a solar heater in '05, water is normally fine (80ish)
Electric for just the pumps runs about $100/mo (this is very close to the smaller stationary swim pool we used to have in Illinois... with 1HP Hayward jets.... that was about $20-$30/mo)
He usually has a pool service 2X/mo
fencing - he had to add top fence to one of his rock walls to comply with code
chemicals can run the gamut... His is bromine (less evap loss) The pool is in the dryer area of HPP, so not as many rains to skew the chem balance (pool guy does come if it is really badly off)
If it is for exercise, I would look at a smaller stationary swim pool, easier to maintain, heat & filter. I found that the current jets of our old swim lane were more annoying than trainer bungees,& here the electric costs of running the jets would definitely make the bungee even more practical, so a small lap pool (around 14'x5') without jets, a solar pool mat heater (~$100-200), a floating spa chemical dispenser (if Chlorine or Bromine) & a smaller filter (even the ones for the the small quick set up pools at WallyWorld..) would do the exercise trick.... if bungee swimming is OK for the one you love :~)
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We live on 5th in HPP and have a 5 person jacuzzi on the upstairs deck. It been fabulous these past few weeks in the evening witha little bit of chill in the air. We keep it at 102 degress 24 hours a day...but keep the thermal lid cover on it when not in use. It cost about an extra $50.00 a month for electric.
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We have a cooling pool, the size of a hot tub (seats 8). We are in a warm spot here and on the water, but have no beach, so in the summer it is a good spot to take a dip and watch the ships come in. We have a big jacuzzi tub in our bathroom that also over looks the ocean. I like that better than a hot tub because so many oils etc. are released in hot water, I like using clean chemical free water every time we use it.
We had a large pool in our CA house. It cost a lot to install and a lot to maintain. Just the electricity to run the pump was over $200 a month there. We rarely used the heater, but when we did it cost about $40 a day in natrual gas to maintain 80 degrees (it gets cold there at night). We had an electric cover, but you cannot have one where it rains because the rain water builds up on it and you have to pump it off... a real pain in the butt. Also ours was saline technology, not chlorine and that was really nice. However, our dogs swam in it more than we did. Pool service was another $150 a month for once a week visits.
A friend in Honokaa has one of those stationary training pools, about the size of a very large hot tub, above ground, dropped into a deck. It has a motor that simulates swimming against current so you do not need to have a big pool for exercise. It is the equivalent of a tread mill under water. A lot less cost than a big pool, both for installing and maintaining. This is exactly what Carey was talking about above.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
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Does anyone have experience with chlorine/chemical-free pools on the Big Island? Do they stay clean of bacteria? My skin can't take chlorine.
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