Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We promised the kids a house with a pool when we move. We'll be starting our home search next week and I'm starting to get very nervous about the water and electric bills with a pool (mostly because we'll be paying rent and utilities at our rental while still paying our mortgage/water/electric until our house sells). Does anyone know (roughly...I'm not picky :tongue_smilie:) what the difference in these utilities generally run with a pool vs without (you used to own a house without a pool and then bought one with, or vice versa). I want to know what I'm getting myself into... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stayseeliz Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We had an above ground pool at our last house and I'd say it was about $100 more a month for utilities during the summer. I will warn you though that the chemicals for the pool are what is really expensive. CRAZY expensive. The time we had a hole in the liner and almost all the water drained out of the pool wasn't too fun either. We don't live there anymore and we pay for a membership to a pool during the summer and it's SOOOOOO worth it to not have the expense and hassle of a pool. Sorry to be a party pooper but we just didn't like having a pool at all. I know some people love it though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 agree with Stayseeliz. It was cheaper to belong to a swim club but the convenience of not schlepping stuff is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 We had an above ground pool at our last house and I'd say it was about $100 more a month for utilities during the summer. I will warn you though that the chemicals for the pool are what is really expensive. CRAZY expensive. The time we had a hole in the liner and almost all the water drained out of the pool wasn't too fun either. We don't live there anymore and we pay for a membership to a pool during the summer and it's SOOOOOO worth it to not have the expense and hassle of a pool. Sorry to be a party pooper but we just didn't like having a pool at all. I know some people love it though! Thanks! I'm seeing a lot of rental listings where maintenance is covered in the rent, so that would mean the chemicals would be paid for. DH had a pool growing up (in both his parents' and grandparents' homes) and doesn't mind the work of it, thank goodness. (I think I would be too lazy but he'll do it so okie dokie!) If our part comes out to around $100 for extra electric/water, I'm less afraid. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 agree with Stayseeliz. It was cheaper to belong to a swim club but the convenience of not schlepping stuff is nice. A small part of me wishes we hadn't promised...but we did. :lol: I do love the convenience of the pool being right there and we will be living in the desert so I think having the kids constantly in and out on the pool will actually save us money in a weird way (on not having to keep the a/c so low). Also, as DH and I are aging and our joints are giving us trouble, we're both looking forward to having the pool right there for daily exercise. Truth be told, DH is as excited as the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stayseeliz Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 If maintenance is included then I would be less wary about it. I will say that the $100 more a month was 6 years ago when utilities were cheaper. In our current house I can't imagine how much it would be since we have a local board of public works for our utilities. It would be much more here. I think we would've enjoyed the pool more if our kids had been older. We were constantly worried that one of them would get into the pool, etc. We lost track of my then 2yo during a family get together at our house and I was just sure she was in the pool. It was terrifying. I'd feel more comfortable with it now though. If I lived in the desert I know I'd consider it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Regarding filling the pool and your water bill, some towns will allow you to call the water department to tell them when you are going to fill the pool with water. You usually give them an estimate of how many gallons it will take. Then, they will adjust your bill to apply a lower rate for the pool water since it is not going through the sewer system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 (edited) We have an 18' x36' inground pool, and we do not live in the desert. We run a gas heater most of the summer to keep the water warm enough to swim. So, our gas bill is high. But, last summer the temps didn't get much over 80 most days, 85 for a few. So, if you're living in a warm climate, that's not a concern for you. I don't how much the pool affects the electric bill, either, because I'm always running the air conditioner in the summer due to high humidity where we live, so our electric bill is always higher in the summer anyway. We have a pool service open, close, and maintain the pool all summer. We pay about $2000 per season to the pool guy. That includes chemicals, minor repairs, etc. For us, it's worth it. We love the pool. I'm in there almost every day in the summer. I do a lot of maintenance as far as scooping leaves and bugs and the occasional dead mouse or chipmunk. We have lots of trees around, so the leaves are a pain in the butt near the end of summer, but I really don't mind the extra work. We have lots of pool parties and fun all summer. Even my Aspie will enjoy the pool for a long time, until he sees bug in the water! :D ETA: I forgot about the water bill. The water bill does go up in the summer, probably by about $40.00 per month, but that depends on where you live, also. There's an initial big use of water to fill the pool to summer level, and then periodically "topping it off" all summer due to evaporation and splashing. Edited March 27, 2012 by thescrappyhomeschooler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 We had a pool in our old house and do not now. We live in the same city, so I think I can give a good comparison. First it depends on where you live. Warmer climates have to deal with more water evaporation which means a higher water bill. A pool cover will help with that. Also, if you have to run the filters more that will result in a higher bill. For us, even being in the desert, the water bill wasn't that much higher than it is now. We had a gas heater to heat the Jacuzzi and pool. That could get costly since we pretty much had to turn it on the day before we knew we were going to swim in the pool. The Jacuzzi water heated up quickly. I think that was the biggest expense for us. The electricity bill was fairly even because the filters had to be on at a certain time every day to clean the pool. The water bill rose a bit in the summer when there was more evaporation. However, the gas bill could surprise us if we did a lot of swimming in colder weather. FWIW, I would never get a pool again. I couldn't stand going out there to clean it, maintain it and the worry about the kids drowning. My oldest was only 3-6 when we had the pool and even with swim lessons, safety precautions, the backyard was off limits without a parent present. It would also drive me crazy paying for a pool guy that would show up and be out there for 15 minutes to test the water, add chemicals and clean the filters. I could do that! It wasn't worth the stress even in the desert. That's just me though. :001_rolleyes: Thanks! Hopefully we'll get a rental with maintenance included. If not, DH can do it to save us some money. He knows how and seems to enjoy it. If maintenance is included then I would be less wary about it. I will say that the $100 more a month was 6 years ago when utilities were cheaper. In our current house I can't imagine how much it would be since we have a local board of public works for our utilities. It would be much more here. I think we would've enjoyed the pool more if our kids had been older. We were constantly worried that one of them would get into the pool, etc. We lost track of my then 2yo during a family get together at our house and I was just sure she was in the pool. It was terrifying. I'd feel more comfortable with it now though. If I lived in the desert I know I'd consider it! Yes, fear of drowning is a big, big deal. I would never have been able to do it before now. My youngest is about to be 6 and all three are confident swimmers. Obviously I will still not let them swim unsupervised but I am not absolutely petrified of having a pool like I would have been before. Regarding filling the pool and your water bill, some towns will allow you to call the water department to tell them when you are going to fill the pool with water. You usually give them an estimate of how many gallons it will take. Then, they will adjust your bill to apply a lower rate for the pool water since it is not going through the sewer system. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We have a large pool, 50,000 gallons, and it costs us about 500 a month to keep in chemicals and electric. If you live in a town, I've heard it's much easier to fill it with a hose, and equal in cost, though you'd want to call the town to check and make sure. We were wary, but it's been worth its weight in gold. We *love* it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 We have an 18' x36' inground pool, and we do not live in the desert. We run a gas heater most of the summer to keep the water warm enough to swim. So, our gas bill is high. But, last summer the temps didn't get much over 80 most days, 85 for a few. So, if you're living in a warm climate, that's not a concern for you. I don't how much the pool affects the electric bill, either, because I'm always running the air conditioner in the summer due to high humidity where we live, so our electric bill is always higher in the summer anyway. We have a pool service open, close, and maintain the pool all summer. We pay about $2000 per season to the pool guy. That includes chemicals, minor repairs, etc. For us, it's worth it. We love the pool. I'm in there almost every day in the summer. I do a lot of maintenance as far as scooping leaves and bugs and the occasional dead mouse or chipmunk. We have lots of trees around, so the leaves are a pain in the butt near the end of summer, but I really don't mind the extra work. We have lots of pool parties and fun all summer. Even my Aspie will enjoy the pool for a long time, until he sees bug in the water! :D ETA: I forgot about the water bill. The water bill does go up in the summer, probably by about $40.00 per month, but that depends on where you live, also. There's an initial big use of water to fill the pool to summer level, and then periodically "topping it off" all summer due to evaporation and splashing. Thanks! Great info. You sound like DH. He has the same attitude about pools. Yes, they are a lot of work but totally worth it. We so enjoy visiting his mom's house because of her pool. We are in and out of it all day long. We're moving to a place where 115 isn't uncommon in the summer. The first thing everyone says when we tell them we're moving there is, "Get a house with a pool!" Yep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 We have a large pool, 50,000 gallons, and it costs us about 500 a month to keep in chemicals and electric. If you live in a town, I've heard it's much easier to fill it with a hose, and equal in cost, though you'd want to call the town to check and make sure. We were wary, but it's been worth its weight in gold. We *love* it. OK, $500 makes me :svengo:. Aren't you in the NE though? Does part of the electric $ come from heating it? (If it doesn't, just lie! :lol:) I don't see needing to heat a pool in AZ. :tongue_smilie: I'm sure we won't need to fill it. Top it off and keep it filled, yes, but I don't see us having to completely fill it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QumaCote Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 It depends on how costly utilites are where you live. I live in an area with extremely high utility rates, so our pool costs significantly more to run than other areas of the country. The pool pump uses alot of power, so figure out the minimum number of hours it can run and still maintain the pool. We do not heat the pool unless we are having guests in the fall/winter that will want to swim. It would definitely be cheaper to belong to a pool, but it is definitely not as convenient or fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QumaCote Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 It depends on how costly utilites are where you live. I live in an area with extremely high utility rates, so our pool costs significantly more to run than other areas of the country. The pool pump uses alot of power, so figure out the minimum number of hours it can run and still maintain the pool. We do not heat the pool unless we are having guests in the fall/winter that will want to swim. It is definitely less expensive to belong to a pool, but it is not as convenient or fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QumaCote Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Sorry for the double post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 It depends on how costly utilites are where you live. I live in an area with extremely high utility rates, so our pool costs significantly more to run than other areas of the country. The pool pump uses alot of power, so figure out the minimum number of hours it can run and still maintain the pool. We do not heat the pool unless we are having guests in the fall/winter that will want to swim. It would definitely be cheaper to belong to a pool, but it is definitely not as convenient or fun. Yes, I wonder how our rates compare. Before committing to a rental, I might call the electric co there to see how much the charge is per kwh and compare to what we've got here. We've been here 7 years and my electric bill has gone down every year. Our rate seems low now and I'm afraid I'm going to get a shock when we move, with a pool or without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 OK, $500 makes me :svengo:. Aren't you in the NE though? Does part of the electric $ come from heating it? (If it doesn't, just lie! :lol:) I don't see needing to heat a pool in AZ. :tongue_smilie: I'm sure we won't need to fill it. Top it off and keep it filled, yes, but I don't see us having to completely fill it. Water in my county is an arm and a leg, and in the heat of the summer, with evaporation, we have to fill it up often. We don't heat it yet, but one day we have plans to. We'd get another 3 months out of it, and the way we use it, it'd be worth it. But ours is a HUGE pool. Even though, I'd expect to spend at least 200 on it a month. That's the general amt I hear from those with smaller sizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Water in my county is an arm and a leg, and in the heat of the summer, with evaporation, we have to fill it up often. We don't heat it yet, but one day we have plans to. We'd get another 3 months out of it, and the way we use it, it'd be worth it. But ours is a HUGE pool. Even though, I'd expect to spend at least 200 on it a month. That's the general amt I hear from those with smaller sizes. Phew. Thank you! I was thinking I could handle about $200 extra per month without shooting death glares at the pool. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I think we average an extra $50/month or so when the pool is running. We have an above ground (whatever the largest round one is). Depends on how much rain we get, more rain=less water but more chemicals so it's a trade off. We buy a large bucket of chlorine tablets, shock, and 2 large bottles of algacide at the beginning of pool season at Sam's for around $200 and it usually lasts trough the summer. We also go to the feed and seed store and get something called "blue stone" or copper sulfate and toss a handful in every now and then because it keeps algae away :) No real cleaning here...that's Wanda the whales job :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 But ours is a HUGE pool. Even though, I'd expect to spend at least 200 on it a month. That's the general amt I hear from those with smaller sizes. We don't spend that much. I think our pool is 30k gallons. I don't think the electricity and water attributed to our pool could be more than $75/month. (since our total water/electric runs between $200-$350 month). The only thing that kills us is the gas bill when we run the hot tub, or worse yet, heat the pool. I think it costs us about $10 each time we use the hot tub, and probably $50 to heat the pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 We don't spend that much. I think our pool is 30k gallons. I don't think the electricity and water attributed to our pool could be more than $75/month. (since our total water/electric runs between $200-$350 month). The only thing that kills us is the gas bill when we run the hot tub, or worse yet, heat the pool. I think it costs us about $10 each time we use the hot tub, and probably $50 to heat the pool. Interesting. Thanks! I am seeing a surprising number of homes with pools but no hot tub. I think a hot tub would be nice but I can live without it, especially since it appears to cost more to run. I don't see needing to heat a pool much in AZ...maybe in the winter if we want to keep swimming? But even then it's a choice we don't have to make and anyway, our house better be sold by then :tongue_smilie: so the cost won't matter as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker of Schole Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 May I jump in and ask about heating the pool? If you are in an area like the midwest, how often do you heat the pool? I'm thinking it would be nice to have a heated pool in the spring and fall, but am wondering about the cost? If you use it a lot do you just leave the heater running? If so, how much does that cost? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 We had an above ground pool at our last house and I'd say it was about $100 more a month for utilities during the summer. I will warn you though that the chemicals for the pool are what is really expensive. CRAZY expensive. The time we had a hole in the liner and almost all the water drained out of the pool wasn't too fun either. We don't live there anymore and we pay for a membership to a pool during the summer and it's SOOOOOO worth it to not have the expense and hassle of a pool. Sorry to be a party pooper but we just didn't like having a pool at all. I know some people love it though! yup! I can't really say how much it effected our electric bill because we had an all electric house and the air-con is expensive too! I think the chemicals and all the problems with our pool added up way faster. We also didn't have a heater on the pool. Those can be expensive. There is a reason why I called our pool "the money pit". I hate to be a party-pooper too but one of the main reasons we moved this year was to get away from the pool. do you have to get an in-ground pool? I know several people who have above ground pool and they never seemed like they were nearly the headache an inground pool was for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 May I jump in and ask about heating the pool? If you are in an area like the midwest, how often do you heat the pool? I'm thinking it would be nice to have a heated pool in the spring and fall, but am wondering about the cost? If you use it a lot do you just leave the heater running? If so, how much does that cost? TIA! you have to keep the heater running to some extent. It's not like a water heater in the basement that can heat up water in 30 mins to an hour. It's more like the heater for your house that keeps the temp at a certain level. Depending on the size it probably takes hours and hours to get the temp up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 you have to keep the heater running to some extent. It's not like a water heater in the basement that can heat up water in 30 mins to an hour. It's more like the heater for your house that keeps the temp at a certain level. Depending on the size it probably takes hours and hours to get the temp up. :iagree: I set the thermostat on the pool heater for the temp I want the water to be. It's connected to the pump and filtration system, so the water is always flowing through it. When the water temp dips below my preset, the heater will kick on and heat the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Lots of people around here use solar covers that heat the pool in the early spring and fall. Sometimes in the dead of summer I wish I could figure a way to cool it down :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 We live in a place that's AZ type of hot. We do not heat the pool ever. Our PG&E bill this month (elec only) was $75 for all household use. It goes up to maybe $125 in summer, but that's A/C. The pump runs every day summer and winter to keep it clean. Dh spends maybe 15 mins a week on it in winter and maybe 25 a week in summer. He enjoys it. When we moved here we had a youngest similar age to yours and good swimmer, I have never been fearful. I do go out and watch, though not as much now that oldest is young adult and others are teens. I always watch when others kids are over. We have a fence and gate. It has been wonderful to have a pool, we didn't have one before in an equally hot place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 We live in a place that's AZ type of hot. We do not heat the pool ever. Our PG&E bill this month (elec only) was $75 for all household use. It goes up to maybe $125 in summer, but that's A/C. The pump runs every day summer and winter to keep it clean. Dh spends maybe 15 mins a week on it in winter and maybe 25 a week in summer. He enjoys it. When we moved here we had a youngest similar age to yours and good swimmer, I have never been fearful. I do go out and watch, though not as much now that oldest is young adult and others are teens. I always watch when others kids are over. We have a fence and gate. It has been wonderful to have a pool, we didn't have one before in an equally hot place. Thanks! Those power bills sound dreamy! I'm glad to hear your husband likes maintaining the pool. I know DH will enjoy it too, both swimming and maintaining. He's quirky that way. We joke that I don't like to maintain anything, but I guess that's why we work well together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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