The Running Cost of a Swimming Pool: Investing in Your Home's Curb Appeal

 

The cost of a swimming pool is an investment in your home's curb appeal. You can take care of the pool needs yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. Either way, there are costs involved with owning and maintaining a swimming pool that may surprise you. The running cost of installation swimming pool includes cleaning and maintenance equipment and services such as chemicals, water testing, repairs, and repairs for leaks or other damage.

Most people don't know this, but most homeowners spend around $5k annually on their pools! That's not including the initial purchase price, which can be anywhere from $10k-$100k+. If you have any plans to buy a house anytime soon, then I highly suggest you include the cost of a swimming pool in your expenses.

This is especially important if you live somewhere where it gets really hot for most of the year, Arizona or Florida. You might want to consider investing in an inground pool since they tend to be low maintenance and can last anywhere between 20-30 years (or more!). On average, though, even above ground pools usually only last around 15 years before needing some major repairs or replacement work done on them.

The running cost of a swimming pool includes everything from equipment like cleaning supplies - nets, brushes, skimmers etc., chemicals used to treat water quality issues (i.e. algae), testing kits/chemicals for ensuring safe levels of chlorine and PH balance in water are accurate. Then there are services such as repairs and leak detection/repair, pool vacuum cleaners for the bottom of pools (if needed), heating equipment to keep it warm in cooler months or if you want a heated pool.

There are also additional costs like a filter system upgrade which is usually around $300-400 per year depending on the usage and size of your swimming pool. Most people don't realize that putting chemicals into the water to ensure it's safe for swimmers isn't enough - must balance chemistry within pH levels for chlorine and other disinfectants to do their job properly without becoming too strong and irritating skin & eyes of bathers.

Most homeowners go through an annual inspection from professionals who will advise how often to do certain tasks to keep your swimming pool clean and safe for all users. The cost of a swimming pool services also includes things like standard equipment (i.e. filter, pump, heater) repair or replacement when necessary.

Here are some tips on how to reduce the cost of owning and maintaining a swimming pool:

swimming pool safety equipment checklist

180 Degree LED Pool Lights

- Get a saltwater filtration system that eliminates the need for chemical treatments other than chlorine tablets. Saltwater systems use heat from solar energy and electrolysis to generate chlorine - resulting in much more pure water than chlorine pools. Since saltwater pools don't require as many chemicals, they're usually easier to maintain & run.

- Get an automatic suction side cleaner for your floor if you want less work. Most of these types of cleaners cost around $300 or so, but they're well worth the investment if you don't have to vacuum your pool every day!

- Keep an eye out for leaks - they can waste water and cost a lot in repairs, plus they can be dangerous. If you notice water on the floor, check the skimmer box first, near where water enters the pump. Then check any drain lines that may have fallen off during winter months when it's cold & icy outside (if you're using one).

- Get some solar heating equipment. They run on energy from the sun and are much more efficient than electric heaters. You might want to research how often solar panels need maintenance since most require cleaning every 2-5 years.

- Make sure your above ground pool is winterized properly. If you live in a climate with cold winters, this will ensure it doesn't freeze and crack, thus requiring more repairs or complete replacement down the road.

- Look for a solar cover if you want to reduce energy costs even further but still need to keep your pool warm enough for swimmers (or at least prevent water from freezing). Solar covers are great for heating small pools to around 18 feet when placed across the entire surface of the water - they can add heat as much as 10 degrees per day under ideal sun conditions. There's also automatic covers which are very convenient! They can work by either being rolled out daily and then retracted every night or during off-hours via remote control.

- Make sure you clean your pool filter regularly. If the filter gets clogged up too much, you'll be wasting water and chemicals in the process since they won't properly reach the bottom of your swimming pool to do their job!