A winter cover is a great help during the winter months. In areas where the pool freezes over it is good to drain the water to below the skimmer and then follow the winterizing instructions for the filter system.

Some pools will last 5yrs, some 10 and a very few 15. Price has a lot to do with it. Pretty much you get what you pay for. But no matter what you do with above grounds you get great value for the buck. If you spend $600. and it lasts 6 years compared to a $200. a month payment on that in ground pool, that's value. I heard just last week as I was re

Pools will normally last between 5-15 yrs. I have seen a few rust away around the bottom in just a few years. I have seen others that are 15-20yrs old and doing just fine. It depends a lot on the quality of the pool and the type of dirt the pool is sitting on.