You’re a homeowner now and settled in comfortably. Maybe it’s time to make your family’s dream of a backyard swimming pool come to life. It would take quite a nest egg to pay out of pocket. Still, considering how far you’ve paid the house down, it could be a worthy investment.
If that’s a conversation you’ve been having with yourself lately, you’ve popped into the right blog!
Installing a pool is expensive, but when you consider the fact that owning an inground swimming pool costs an average of between $3,000 and $5,000 a year to maintain, it can make you doubt the decision to bring your dream to fruition. Yet, when you consider the amount of joy a pool would bring your family… the expense becomes easier to swallow.
Let’s run over the maintenance costs.
Heating it up
People may think we Floridians don’t heat our pools and while that may be true in the oppressive heat of the summer, it comes in handy when fall starts to roll in. On average, homeowners who heat their swimming pools gain an additional three months of swim time each season.
Once the expense of purchasing the heater has passed. it will cost about $100 a month to operate. Solar heating systems are very popular here in Florida thanks to the abundant sunshine. The systems generally pump the water up to the roof where it’s passively heated by sunlight. The water is, then, routed back into the pool.
These types of systems generally cost between $7,000 and $9,000 to install. However, it only takes $50 to $100 a year to cover the cost of running the pump.
Maintenance
If the pool is open, you need to be prepared to maintain your pool weekly. That can include adjusting chemical levels, cleaning the pool, pump, and filters, and repairs to equipment accordingly. Many homeowners choose to forego the expense of hiring a pool guy. It saves between $50 and $100 per week.
We’ve got some tips to share that can help you take charge of the cleaning situation.
DIY tips for a sparkling pool
A bit of practice with a few simple tasks and you’ll be as good as the pros. Let’s start with the most basic and work our way out from there.
Skimmers
It’s no fun sharing the pool with floating debris, dead bugs, and plant matter. If you have a skimmer attached to your side wall, empty it on a weekly basis. The debris gathers inside the skimmer. Rather than risk clogging your filtering system, if your dog loves to swim with the fam, installing a Scumsock can trap pet fur.
Pool brushes and leaf nets
The walls of your swimming pool should be brushed weekly. Doing so removes any mineral debris and, of course, bugs. A net on a pool is used to remove larger floating debris from the water.
Both are fairly inexpensive to purchase and should last for years.
Automatic pool robots vs the vacuum
Pool robots are amazing little workers. They automatically circulate around the pool floor picking up sand and heavier debris. The cost varies and while some brands are reasonably priced, others get expensive. However, if you aren’t in too taking the time to manually vacuum the bottom of the pool using manpower, it could be a beneficial investment.
Pool vacuums also range in cost, manual vacuums that operate via water from the hose are the least expensive, of course. However, remember the old adage, “You get what you pay for.”
Circulation pumps
You must run a circulation pump passing the water through a filter. The pump helps remove any organic waste, such as sunblock, sweat, and… human waste from the water. The pump needs to run for a minimum of eight to ten hours a day.
Neglecting to run your pump causes the organic waste to over power your chlorine and it can’t do its job. The end result is an algae bloom. It can take days to get the issue resolved. Instead of risking a green pool, keep your pump running and your filter clean.
Replace your swimming pool filter every three months if your pool is heavily used.
Chemical level adjustments
Unless you’re a chemist, dealing with the pool chemicals is probably low on the list of “which maintenance tasks do I love to perform?” It really isn’t rocket science though.
Alkalinity (800-1000 ppm), pH (7.4 to 7.8), and chlorine levels (1 to 3 ppm) need to be checked and adjusted weekly if necessary. Should your chlorine level be too high (>10 ppm), you need to add a chlorine reducer. Adding pool shock can help too, it oxidizes the compounds in the water.
Saltwater pools require less maintenance
Rather than spending about an hour a week maintaining a standard chlorine pool, saltwater pools generally don’t need as much monitoring. The generator is constantly regenerating the salt into chlorine. This cuts down on the number of chemicals that must be added to balance things out.
However, you still need to be prepared to clean the debris out of the pool and skimmer on a regular basis.
Ensuring a good time
Homeowners are supposed to report owning a swimming pool to their insurance agency. That’s because they are a big liability. However, being a responsible pool owner, your increased insurance rate will be a “better safe than sorry” commitment.
Ready to dive in?
Owning a swimming pool is a huge perk for homeowners living in Florida. Rather than having to load up the kids, the towels, the sunblock—the list can go on—you could walk out the back door instead. Imagine your family and friends lounging poolside or gearing up for a gnarly game of Marco Polo.
No matter how you spend your time there, investing in a swimming pool is a wonderful way to create memories that you and your family will cherish forever. And, when you consider that fact, the cost factor fades into the background. After all, memories are priceless.