Backyard Pools More Appealing Than Ever As Families Face Summer Of Quarantining At Home
WYCKOFF, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- With summer just around the corner, the thought of staying cool while social distancing has made the backyard pool very popular this year.
With many families canceling their summer vacation, backyard pools are more appealing than ever as everyone tries to pass the time in a pandemic.
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer.
It's normally a busy time for pool companies, but this year, they are even busier.
Darren Pellegrino with Acquatic Pools in Wycoff, New Jersey, says he's drowning in phone calls.
"Everybody wants their pool ready. They're having family over if they can, social distancing of course, but they want to get everything ready," he told CBS2's Nick Caloway.
Pellegrino says he's gotten calls from homeowners who haven't had their pools cleaned and opened in years, suddenly needing a service.
There's also a surge in customers calling to install a new pool, although that will take several months.
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With the quarantine still keeping people home, lots of pool owners want to enjoy their pool earlier in the season than usual, so pool heaters are also selling fast.
Pellegrino says heaters are now on back order.
"Yeah, they are literally out of stock," he said.
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In River Vale, one family ordered a new water slide as the reality set in that their summer vacation was canceled.
Instead of spending money on travel, they spent it on their yard.
"We're investing in the yard, planning on that we're gonna be in the yard for the whole summer," Daryle Pellegrino said.
The summer of 2020 is shaping up to be a long one, especially since many public pools remain closed due to the pandemic, making backyard pools even more of a luxury and a necessity.
