Pool Maintenance Costs

Having a spacious house, with a nice lawn and swimming pool and jacuzzi is a real privilege. The rich and famous (okay, well, rich is enough! You need not be famous!) can surely afford it. Rather, they can not just afford these things, but also have money to keep such things in good shape (wow, as if this was a revelation). This is actually a point because things like a swimming pool, jacuzzi and stuff require more money for maintenance sometimes than the installation costs. Now that I have mentioned pool maintenance, here is something which you might find useful.

Cost of Maintaining a Swimming Pool

The type of pool you are looking to maintain is a major factor in determining cost of pool maintenance. So the costs for above ground pool maintenance will obviously differ from, say salt water pool maintenance. But there are a few things apart from that, which apply to all the pools. Take a look.

Circulation System
One of the very important factors in pool maintenance is the circulation system. That comprises the skimmer, which clears the surface off any foreign solid elements, the main drain and deep water outlet, that are necessary for top-to-bottom water circulation to keep the water in good health for use and to bring the water level down, the filter and chemical feeders for sanitation and the circulation pump that helps all the plumbing ensemble in helping the movement of water. Now the circulation system runs on electricity, thus, that is going to cost you around $50 for around 10 hours a day. The temperature maintenance system for the pool will be around $10 per month, for a gas heating appliance meter. Along with it, every time the swimming pool water temperature is raised by around 10 degrees, it will cost around $80.

Plumbing and Electricity and Mechanical Parts
The gallons of water needed, according to the size of the pool, essentially influence the maintenance costs of pools. To measure the dimensions of your pool to calculate how much water you need, you would have to multiply the length, breadth and the depth of the pool. For getting the average depth of the pool, add the measurement on the deep and shallow end and divide it by 2. If it is an average size pool, it will require around 50,000 gallons of water, for the pool to be totally filled. Then to raise the level of water (a couple of inches) for the filtering process to go on properly, it would cost around $12.

Checking Alkalinity Levels
Testing kits for measuring and checking the pool water for its alkalinity, pH level and calcium, hardness has to be done on a weekly basis. The standard alkalinity level to be preserved is around 160 - 180 particles per meter. These things to have to be considered.

Average Pool Maintenance Costs
Keeping in mind all the factors above, weekly pool cleaning costs around $75 to $165 for a month and it is dependent on four visits. If you choose to do it yourself, the costs are around $100 for a month, which includes chemicals in summers once, the purchase of a pool kit including a vacuum head and hose cost $50. A maintenance kit comprising a wall brush, a leaf skimmer, test kits and telescopic pole will cost around $60.

Further, there could be additional costs like a regular filter cleaning will cost approximately $70. If it is power vacuuming, the cost will be in the range between $60 to $130. If you have covered the pool for winters, the opening in summer will cost around $150. This consists of the initial chlorine shock, removing cover, re-installing pump, filter, a chlorinator, re-installing ladders, and a diving board.

That was all. If the pool is maintained regularly, instead of doing it once in 6 months, the annual maintenance costs can be greatly reduced.