So, You Are Thinking About an Above Ground Pool

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Have you thought about having a clean safe spot to relax in the summer near home?  How about a place for your family to relax while you are at work?  The dream Ice House Camper and awesome boat are great toys to have in Minnesota for sure, but what is the family doing while you are at work?  I know I work a lot, and it’s a great feeling when I call home and find out my family is enjoying our pool while I am at work!

Where do you start?  Local dealer?  Internet – Well, I think both.  I’ve read to many negative stories about consumers purchasing imported low-quality Above Ground Pool kits online, only to have them destroyed by harsh winters, improper installations and worse yet – Salt Water systems on pools that are not built for the corrosion that happens.

Here at Midnight Sun, we are partners with the largest nationwide buying group – Millennium Partners.  This group purchases pool and spa products as a whole in an effort to off-set low priced internet stores while adding value to your purchase by having a local dealership and support.  Here is where this article gets going – Closeouts – Volume Purchases – Early Buys and finally knowledge!

As of April 2020, we have in a warehouse in Minnesota dozens of closeout, American made, high-quality above-ground pools. These pools are paired with the heaviest, highest quality liner produced by a Canadian company called Megna Pools. We have slashed the prices of these pools and liners to un-heard of pricing.

Below is current stock, however, we will be selling out fast, call for current inventory 1.888.332.8518 or text us at 218.656.0507 or email philn@mnspas.com

ALL MODELS SOLD OUT

Pricing is for the pool, skimmer, return fittings, and liner.  Products you would want to purchase may be pump, filter, ladder and any accessories.  These pools were manufactured in the U.S.A. by a company called Swim n’ Play.  In the fall of 2018, Swim n’ Play sold it’s real estate property and closed it’s facility.   For this reason, these pools carry no warranty. 

While they are very high quality and we currently have many aftermarket parts in stock – Our hope is to sell them well below our actual cost in order to compensate for the warranty.  For example, the 18’ x 45’ pool normally is $7899, purchase now for only $1999 – I would say that is a discount!

Above pricing is subject to availability, plus sales tax and the pool can be picked up in either Bemidji or Brainerd, MN – Call Brainerd 218-833-1000 or Bemidji 218-759-8518 to place an order.

Now, if you don’t like that idea and would like a warranty – We have a new line of high quality Above Ground Pools in stock and have installation available.  For example, a full 24’ Round x 54” deep pool with all the accessories can be installed for $6499 with the manufacturer’s warranty! 

Or you could purchase an above-ground pool kit, typical costs are $2,500–$7,500, complete, depending on the quality.

When researching above ground pools there are two pricing components in purchasing an above ground pool:

The kit (pool wall, coping, liner, pump, filter, heater, skimmer kit, cleaning equipment)

The installation labor (ground prep, sand)

Many swimming pool companies only sell above ground pool kits, and do not actually do the pool’s installation.  Midnight Sun has the distinct advantage of being a pool company that does installations but also offering kits at Internet pricing, or on our closeouts – a fraction of internet pricing.  The advantage is help and support with your own DIY installation.   By purchasing your closeout pool from us, you will never be left alone.

How do you know what you are purchasing?  With so many sales gimmicks and tactics today, it is hard to tell.  Typically, the more resin and less metal the pool has, the higher the price will be and the longer it will last.  Point being, generally a 54” deep pool would be a Hydrid Polymer pool that will last longer (cost more) and a 48” pool will be more metals and prone to rusting (cost is less).

With the metal pools sold online for low pricing, I have seen consumers pair a Salt Water system (chlorine generator) with these pools.  Typically those low-quality pools come with a very thin “baggie” type liner and often rust quickly.

The installation costs of above-ground pools usually run $1,000–$3,000, depending on the size and type of pool. Keep in mind that oval pools normally cost more to install than round pools, and the kits are also more expensive. If you are a handy person, know what a laser level is and know the difference between sand and sod, you can install your own pool. 

With our tips, videos and tricks you will be successful and save plenty of money.   While we as a company do not offer installation services on our closeout pool kits, we do offer installation on our regularly sale priced pools.

In recent years, big-box stores like Walmart have started selling above-ground pools also. The main manufacturer of these pools is Intex. Such ‘set and fill’ pools are very inexpensive, usually costing $100–$800, and in most cases they last 1–3 summers before they need to be replaced. 

These pools are sold in the same Walmart in Minnesota as in Texas.  The heart and soul of your above ground pool is the filter and pump system.  The same filter and pump system sold in St. Louis is also sold in Brainerd.  The difference is your water supply.   A suburb in St Louis is going to have a treated, clean clear water supply with no metals, while your home in rural Minnesota may have a well with high iron.

The supplied system from Walmart is not intended for your irony well water.  It cannot filter the water to be clean quick enough, and to make matters worse – the instructions that come with the pool are not defined to our regional conditions.  The instructions will tell you to “shock” the pool and once you do, the water turns green!  That is not algae, that is the combination of chlorine mixed with Irony well water. 

If you have read this far, you must really be interested or you are in the pool business trying to learn!  Either way, let’s discuss the solutions and not the issues with the improper marketing and distribution of the big box store systems.  You need to fully filter all the iron out of your pool water before you introduce chlorine. 

Your large pool with the small little pump and filter system is going to take weeks if it works at all – you will need to add a “Metal Control” product to the water.  This product will “bond” the iron so that the filter can grab it – if you do not add “Metal Control” the irony water passes through the filter and does not get filtered.

Once you add “Metal Control” it is now up to you to regularly remove and clean the filter so that the iron can work towards leaving the swimming pool water.  In many situations, we compare these large big box store pools to a Chevrolet Suburban with a Ford Festiva motor!  It will run down the road, but with no power and not for long!

Some customers have found success using their big box pool but outfitting it with one of our Pump and Filter systems, or in other words, your Suburban now has a high powered diesel motor!  They report back to us that the cost of our system was nothing compared to the cost of the chemicals they were purchasing to clear up the underpowered system they used to have not to mention their time!

Regardless, if you buy a pool from us or not, I want you to have a safe, clean pool for your family to enjoy.  I don’t want you to hate your pool, even if it is from the big box.  With using quality pool chemicals and a properly rated pump and filter system you will gain success.

We pride ourselves in having big box and internet pricing on our high-quality chemicals – match that with our knowledge and you will be swimming all summer long!

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