frugalmama Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 One of the houses we're looking at has an in-ground pool, and I don't know a thing about pools other than I like them :D Can someone educate me about the upkeep needed with a pool? Costs? Can you do it yourself vs. hiring it out? Frugal pool ownership :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 One of the houses we're looking at has an in-ground pool, and I don't know a thing about pools other than I like them :D Can someone educate me about the upkeep needed with a pool? Costs? Can you do it yourself vs. hiring it out? Frugal pool ownership :confused: Indoor? Easy as pie, because they stay clean, but expensive to heat. Outdoors...no idea. Would be a maintenance nightmare here, with the millions of leaves falling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 You can do it yourself but it's still not cheap. We had a house with a pool for two years. It cost more to "do it yourself" than our membership at the local pool the year after we moved. In fact, it cost more for CHLORINE ALONE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 Indoor? Easy as pie, because they stay clean, but expensive to heat. Outdoors...no idea. Would be a maintenance nightmare here, with the millions of leaves falling. It's outdoor, but no trees. You can do it yourself but it's still not cheap. We had a house with a pool for two years. It cost more to "do it yourself" than our membership at the local pool the year after we moved. In fact, it cost more for CHLORINE ALONE! How much are we talking? $50 a month? $100? More? Local pool isn't an option for us, for a variety of reasons. I'd really like to have the pool as it's recommended for my joint / muscle issues, but I'm not adverse to filling it in if it's too costly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planner Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 There's a lot of variables into how much a pool will cost. Is it a play pool or a diving pool? The deeper the pool, the more chlorine it will take, the longer it will take to heat, etc. We have a play pool which we do not heat. We have an automatic vacuum and filter and it's hard to say exactly how much we spend on the electricity. I would say the pool probably costs us $1500-$2000 a year and we do all the work ourselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 There's a lot of variables into how much a pool will cost. Is it a play pool or a diving pool? The deeper the pool, the more chlorine it will take, the longer it will take to heat, etc. We have a play pool which we do not heat. We have an automatic vacuum and filter and it's hard to say exactly how much we spend on the electricity. I would say the pool probably costs us $1500-$2000 a year and we do all the work ourselves. I guess it's a diving pool? One end is shallower than the other, and the deep end has both a diving board and a slide. I don't know if it has a heater, but I doubt it as we're in south texas and you rarely want the pool warm. It's a 1960's pool fwiw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 We have an inground pool. We have a pool service take care of everything because dh and I don't want to do it. It costs us about $1600 for about 14 weeks, including opening, closing, chemicals and weekly cleaning- but from what I've heard, my pool guy is cheap. We usually do heat it because we live in Ohio and it takes the water a LONG time to warm up if we don't. When we heat the pool, my gas bill is about the same in the summer as it is in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 We have an outdoor pool. We are doing it ourselves, for the most part. It costs us about 500 hundred dollars a year all together for the chemicals and test equipment. It is much easier than I thought it would be - we used to live for 2.5 years in FLorida in a rented house where pool service was included as part of the rent. When we moved here to Alabama and saw a great house with a lovely pool, we decided to buy it. It hasn't been a problem for these two summers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 We have an above ground pool that we set up every summer. We use H2O2 instead of Chlorine to keep it up. That costs us about $23 a wk. My dh keeps the filter up and cleans the filters so they can be reused. He also keeps stuff off the water at least daily and 'vacuums' the bottom once a week or so. It is work, it does take time but we can't use community pools because of the allergies to chlorine so it is well worth it to us. Our kids have a blast in it by themselves and with friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 If the pool has been well maintained, it should be fine even if it is old. We have an above ground pool but friends have an inground pool that is fairly large. They pay a guy $150 a month to clean, and keep chemicals level. The chemicals are additional and can be a lot, especially when you are re-opening the pool in summer and then closing it down for winter. Many people care for their pools by themselves but it is a learning curve. After 2 summers of pool problems, I paid someone to open mine this summer and it was very worth it. The rest of the summer I maintained it. Even though ours is not inground, it has been a fantastic thing to have for the kids,and myself. I like it for convenience and exercise. Our insurance is more because of it, and we have certain rules we have to follow for them, but nothing difficult. Even without lots of leaves, you will need to keep it clean, and there will be some maintence required for pumps, filters, and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyLady Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Ours is a money pit as far as we're concerned. It came with the house, which initially we were excited about, but for the 3 months out of the year we get to use it we could take a vacation with the money we spend on it. :glare: For ours, with chemicals and utilities I'd say we spend about $500/mo on it. We looked into getting it filled and it would cost us just as much as it would to put in a whole new pool! :confused: Now, if we had a pool we could use year round and the kids liked it and it justified the cost, we'd love it. But for us, right now, it's a PITA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 If the pool has been well maintained, it should be fine even if it is old. We have an above ground pool but friends have an inground pool that is fairly large. They pay a guy $150 a month to clean, and keep chemicals level. The chemicals are additional and can be a lot, especially when you are re-opening the pool in summer and then closing it down for winter. Many people care for their pools by themselves but it is a learning curve. After 2 summers of pool problems, I paid someone to open mine this summer and it was very worth it. The rest of the summer I maintained it. Even though ours is not inground, it has been a fantastic thing to have for the kids,and myself. I like it for convenience and exercise. Our insurance is more because of it, and we have certain rules we have to follow for them, but nothing difficult. Even without lots of leaves, you will need to keep it clean, and there will be some maintence required for pumps, filters, and such. This may be a stupid question, but Do you have to have the pool opened and closed? And what does opening and closing entail? We're in south texas - it's swimming weather here at least 9-10 months of the year and often all year except for a week or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 I live in Florida where a great portion of our year is pool-weather. You can see a picture of our pool here. It's a salt water pool so we pay and have someone come every week to monitor the levels and add salt as needed. That's around $40 a month. We clean it ourselves, vacuuming, skimming, whatnot. But since our pool is screened in we really can go long stretches of time NOT cleaning. We do not ever heat it. Living in Florida it's mainly November-April that's too chilly for swimming and the rest of the time we let the sun do the heating for us. We also have the pump run daily for about 8 hours. I don't know exactly what that equates to as far as electricity is concerned. Prior to this house we lived in a similar sized home without a pool and now our monthly electric bill is roughly $50 more a month. I don't know if that's all the pool or some of the added things we got for this house. Hope that helps. One more thing. I have no idea what opening or closing a pool means :confused: Maybe because we're in Florida ours is always open?? OH and FWIW our pool is only about 5 1/2 feet in the deep end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extendedforecast Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 We have a pool. My best advice is to get a pool inspection before you purchase the house. A regular inspector isn't going to be able to do a thorough inspection. We pay about $30 per week for a pool service so that we don't have to worry about it. However, we have already paid almost $1000 for a leak and $700 for new filters (or something to do with the filter). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 You're in TX so you shouldn't have to close the pool, which saves you at least $800 for an opening and closing. We're in SC and don't close ours. I would have your system checked out and see if it's in good working order, pump filter, etc. It depends on what kind of system you have as to how much chemicals are. Get a referral from someone you know as far as pool companies go, there are a lot of bad ones out there. If it's from 1960's the pool is cement or gunnite so you won't have to worry about a liner. Spring for a self cleaning robot thing. They are the best and save you pool cleaning money. They cost anywhere from $600-900. You can balance your chemicals it's just a learning curve to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Wow you all have some cheap pool services! Our is a min of $75 if we have someone come out, but mostly it's been $85 which is why we have a robot now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenC3 Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 We have a pool. My best advice is to get a pool inspection before you purchase the house. A regular inspector isn't going to be able to do a thorough inspection. We pay about $30 per week for a pool service so that we don't have to worry about it. However, we have already paid almost $1000 for a leak and $700 for new filters (or something to do with the filter). Definitely get it checked out due to it's age. Ours was only 3 yrs old when we bought our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 This may be a stupid question, but Do you have to have the pool opened and closed? And what does opening and closing entail? We're in south texas - it's swimming weather here at least 9-10 months of the year and often all year except for a week or two. I am in South central Arkansas. Closing the pool means setting chemicals to prevent algae build-up and covering the pool. Opening it means that you clean it out, then bring all chemicals up to levels to keep the pool clean and usable. You will hear the word 'shock' a bunch in the beginning. Friends of ours here keep their in ground pool open all year and just make sure to clean out any debris that blows in during winter. Since their pumps are covered, and we rarely have freezing weather, the pool does just fine. They pay less for the pool guy in the months they don't swim (Nov to March here). troublefreepool.com is a good place to go for basic pool information. I don't use their borax, baking soda, bleach method, but there are lots of people there with lots of pool knowldge that can help answer most questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 I guess it's a diving pool? One end is shallower than the other, and the deep end has both a diving board and a slide. I don't know if it has a heater, but I doubt it as we're in south texas and you rarely want the pool warm. It's a 1960's pool fwiw. run away. Seriously. Or find out how old the pipes and major parts are (filter/pump). We had an inground pool at our old house. We lived there 19yrs. In a good year it only cost $500 for the basic chemicals (20x40' pool - with a deep end and shallow end). That wasn't if the pipes broke (our pool was already 15yrs old when we bought the house) or it was a super hot summer and I ended up with a pond. (or went on vacation and came home to a pond), or the vacuum breaks. Since it's a 60's pool that probably means it's cement or gunnite (sp?). I don't know what the upkeep is on those except that you do have to paint and probably caulk/fix cracks every couple of years. With a vinyl liner it has to be replaced about every 15-20yrs (we did it twice while we lived there - not cheap). In my area it was VERY expensive to pay to have someone do the work for you. Just to close and open the pool was nearly $400 each. We learned to do it ourselves. Anyway, I know there are those who love pools and there are some very nice things about having your own pool... like swimming after the kids go to bed ;), or just jumping in when it's hot, but you don't want to spend the whole day at the pool, having lots of your own pool toys and floaties and all those things that most public pools don't allow. .. but it is not a cheap hobby. It's like owning a boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofjep Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 You could also ask the sellers to pay for a pool warranty. Ours was an add-on to the home warranty that they were already paying for. It's at least a year's worth of security if something happens. We're in NC and we don't close our pool either. We just make sure to turn the pump on if the temps get below freezing. As far as chemicals, we buy the big bags of baking soda from Costco as well as the large bucket of chlorine tabs for $89 or so. One bucket lasts us the whole season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 run away. Seriously. Or find out how old the pipes and major parts are (filter/pump). Anyway, I know there are those who love pools and there are some very nice things about having your own pool... like swimming after the kids go to bed ;), or just jumping in when it's hot, but you don't want to spend the whole day at the pool, having lots of your own pool toys and floaties and all those things that most public pools don't allow. .. but it is not a cheap hobby. It's like owning a boat. I think it must really depend a lot on where the pool is located. Pools are a dime a dozen here in Florida and finding cheap pool service is pretty easy too. We don't ever worry about opening or closing a pool. The only time you might have to shock it is if a toddler has an accident. We've never had to here yet. (knock wood) Even so I have a had few friends who have shocked their pools and it wasn't overly expensive- but they couldn't swim for a couple days until the levels went back down. And here in Florida it seems like everybody's brother or cousin has their own pool/lawn service. It's pretty easy to find a reliable and cheap weekly service. Hopefully it would be similar in sunny Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Ours is a money pit as far as we're concerned. It came with the house, which initially we were excited about, but for the 3 months out of the year we get to use it we could take a vacation with the money we spend on it. :glare: For ours, with chemicals and utilities I'd say we spend about $500/mo on it. We looked into getting it filled and it would cost us just as much as it would to put in a whole new pool! :confused: Now, if we had a pool we could use year round and the kids liked it and it justified the cost, we'd love it. But for us, right now, it's a PITA. You must live near me :001_smile:. I forgot to add the utilities cost... although ours didn't have a heater (thank God!). I also looked into filling it in and it was about 10K when I checked a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 I think it must really depend a lot on where the pool is located. Pools are a dime a dozen here in Florida and finding cheap pool service is pretty easy too. We don't ever worry about opening or closing a pool. The only time you might have to shock it is if a toddler has an accident. We've never had to here yet. (knock wood) Even so I have a had few friends who have shocked their pools and it wasn't overly expensive- but they couldn't swim for a couple days until the levels went back down. And here in Florida it seems like everybody's brother or cousin has their own pool/lawn service. It's pretty easy to find a reliable and cheap weekly service. Hopefully it would be similar in sunny Texas... Yes, I totally agree. I'm in the NE. We only get about 4 months swimming - but really it's more like 2,5-3months. May is still too chilly and the kids were pretty much done with it by late Aug. Someone asked why close/open a pool. In northern climates you have to close it to blow out the lines. Otherwise the deep freezes will burst the pipes and then its $$$$ to repair. Besides, it's too cold to swim for 6-7months out of the year and it's more expensive to keep the pool running than to just close it and cover it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 You must live near me :001_smile:. I forgot to add the utilities cost... although ours didn't have a heater (thank God!). I also looked into filling it in and it was about 10K when I checked a few years ago. We had to have the liner replaced in our above ground pool this year. The liner wasn't expensive compared to the labor of putting it in - combined $1000. Of course we had to refill the pool after they were finished. Our pool holds 15000 gallons of water and the bill was not much. We were quite surprised. We did notify the water company that we were filling a pool, how large the pool was, and what dates. They only charged us for the water only, we didn't get charged for the sewer part of the bill which happens to be the most expensive here. But our water bill is higher all summer because of the pool. It evaporates, gets splashed out... and regularly needs some more added so the pumps work correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Here in south Florida, pools and cages are a part of almost every home. It is very hard to find a nice home without a pool. Consequently, there are a gazillion pool companies and independents providing service. Ours is $80 per month for once a week service. That includes chemicals and routine maintenance like filters. Also, every year something breaks that costs us about $300 or so. When we lived in Arkansas, we had a very large pool installed, and it was a money pit. There was only one pool service in town so they charged about $200 a month for service, but chemicals were separate. That pool had large maintenance problems that cost a couple of grand each the first few years. Those expenses seemed to die down after about the 3rd year. If one doesn't have a cage, I highly recommend a remote operated pool cover. The one we had closed the pool in about 30 seconds. The switch was located within view of the pool, yet high enough that the little ones couldn't reach it. When I had to run into the house to make lunch or whatever, I didn't have to worry about one of the kids drowning. Plus, the pool cover saves a ton in heating expenses during the winter. One day when I was upstairs vacuuming, I glanced out the back window. There was my neighbor's toddler sitting on the middle of the pool cover. The neighbor's dog had evidently tunneled under the fence that morning and the toddler crawled right on in. I have never been so thankful for choosing to spend a couple of extra $1000 in my entire life. That pool cover saved that child from drowning. But back to your original question, a 1960 pool is probably concrete. By now, it may have huge cracks. I couldn't agree more with the posters who said get a separate inspection by a reputable pool company. Also, the pump, heater, etc. should need replacement by now. Make sure those are new or get estimates. Finally, teach your kiddos how to swim right away. If you have babies or toddlers, think about keeping them in a floating device all day just in case one slips out the door. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 We live in Texas and bought a house with a pool in August. It was maintained properly by the previous owner so it wasn't much trouble for us moving in. There is a heater which the previous owners said was broken years agoif if we ever decide to fix it ithe cost is $3,000 but we're not sure if we will do it or not. We have good friends who have a pool and talked with them extensively before buying this house. Our friends pay $200 a month for weekly service. We called a local service to come give us a "pool school" lesson on how to care for the pool ourselves. They charged about $75 I think. After the lesson we decided to spring for the $165 a month to just eat them do it for us. That includes weekly service and all chemicals. We could save about $39-50 a month if we did it ourselves but we're busy and decided it was worth paying for. We're new to this but our friends say they normally winterized the pool in late October and start swimming again in March which means there are about 4 1/2 months of no swimming. We are happy with our purchase so far and don't mind the $165 a month. We understand that a new filter will be around $2,000 when it breaks some time in the future and plan at that time to convert to salt water which will reduce chemical cost and we decide to maintain it ourselves at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I should add that our friends who winterize their pool do so because they don't want to pay maintenance in the winter. We'll probably just keep ours open. Our house was built in the late 70's. We had an inspector come look at the pool. The timer on our filter needed replacing and it was a minor cost ($150 I think), the heater we knew about but they confirmed $3,300 to fix that but since we're also in South Texas it isn't a high priority. The filter had already been replace and is only about 5 years old. The pool is gunite and shows some wear and tear wasn't leaking water. Dh is rather picky and got a quote to re-finish the pool to make it look better. It is a really big pool and the cost to redo the whole thing was around $2,000. It is a cosmetic thing so we may or may not do it before next summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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