Pool maintenance cost?

King_Me

 Moved into a new house back in September, it came with a pool.  We just resumed with the service provider that the previous owner had.

Not ever having a pool before I have no idea what is involved.  All I know is a kid comes out once a week with some sort of cart, does his thing and leaves in about 15 minutes.

What is a reasonable price for this service?  I'm paying $85 a month.  Last month they dinged us for an additional $40 for some conditioner it needed?????

cadman

I don't know current prices, but I think I remember paying $60 a month for weekly service back in the 90s. But I might be wrong. I know I bought a automatic cleaner and did the chemicals myself to eliminate the service. Wasn't that hard since it was a screened pool. I just used a kit I bought at Lowes and checked it weekly. Every once an a while when i knew we weren't swimming for a week I would shock it with a large dose of chlorine. The only other thing was keeping the filter clean and changing it occasionally. 

I actually liked doing it back then, but at my age now I would pay some one to do it. 

2amigo

That’s about normal. My brother in law owns a pool business down here.  You can do it yourself but it gets to be a pain. Think about it, you will spend how much on a Saturday night for dinner or at a bar. It comes down to about 20 and change for a week with the occasional extra. They should monitor all equipment (pumps etc..) that goes with it. A pool is a very expensive item but maintenance isn’t that expensive. A hell of a lot cheaper than owning a boat or fishing, golf......

mplspug

We pay $96 a month, no extra charges for chemicals or treatments.  We had issues maintaining proper levels so we paid him to install a chlorine dispenser.

Yeah I'd love to not pay, however it is worth it.  I don't have the time and he's the chemistry expert.  He's maintaining all 7 or so things you have to keep at the proper values.  He knows how the level of a effects the level of b.

Mackeral Snatcher

Invest in a saltwater chlorine generator.

Turner River Terror

Invest in a Pond...
I had a Pool back in the day. The Pond requires No Maintence except keeping the Bluegill population low so they don't get Stunted.

Saltygatorvet

Turner River Terror said:

Invest in a Pond...
I had a Pool back in the day. The Pond requires No Maintence except keeping the Bluegill population low so they don't get Stunted.

I have a pool and a pond.... the pond would be better for you 

Turner River Terror

That Chlorine dry's your skin out and makes your eyes red.
Of course throwing your pool furniture in all the Chemicals will clean them right up. If I throw a chair in my Pond the Bass start using it as Structure.
Much rather have Bluegills pecking on my back , For Free...winning..

AC Man

F the salt water chlorinates. I have had three of them. on two pools. all have failed and cost me a fortune in repairs. I pay $100 per month. No extra charges.

stc1993

My stepson has a salt water treated pool for between 12-15 yrs never had a problem with it.

Mackeral Snatcher

AC Man said:

F the salt water chlorinates. I have had three of them. on two pools. all have failed and cost me a fortune in repairs. I pay $100 per month. No extra charges.

That's the opposite of what my hayward's's have done.

The most I've had to do is clean the cell every 6 months or so and ad a bit of salt now and then.

Think I've replaced two cells over 10 years or so.

mplspug

Saltwater chlorinator for a freshwater pool or is that how you make it a saltwater pool?

I ask because I don't know why anyone would have a saltwater pool.  

Mackeral Snatcher

No, it uses salt you put in the pool to convert it to chlorine.

Very easy to maintain once you get the hang of it.

Soda Popinski

stc1993 said:

My stepson has a salt water treated pool for between 12-15 yrs never had a problem with it.

Saltwater pools are great they just require routine maintenance.   PH is crucial.   

King_Me

Sounds like the rate that were paying is average, just was making sure it was inline with the going rate.

We never have used the pool our selves, the labs live in it practically all day.... Glad we got them a pool.....lol

mplspug

Soda Popinski said:

stc1993 said:

My stepson has a salt water treated pool for between 12-15 yrs never had a problem with it.

Saltwater pools are great they just require routine maintenance.   PH is crucial.   

Technically I have never swam in one, but I hate the film you get from swimming in the ocean or wading.  

AC Man

mplspug said:

Soda Popinski said:

stc1993 said:

My stepson has a salt water treated pool for between 12-15 yrs never had a problem with it.

Saltwater pools are great they just require routine maintenance.   PH is crucial.   

Technically I have never swam in one, but I hate the film you get from swimming in the ocean or wading.  

You may have and didn't realise it. The term is confusing. Feels much better and there is no salt or chlorine feel/taste/smell. 

Cane Pole

I paid $75-80/mo the last 20 years

Billy No Mates

When I had my pool I added tablets and shocked once a month or so. Cost about $10 a month.

johnpowers

A couple loads of fill dirt is cheaper. 

Soda Popinski

the salt water pools don't feel like the ocean, it's much less of a salt concentration and that stinging you get from chlorine in your eyes you don't get either, it feels great to swim in.   problem is the kids and the rain splashes and dilutes the salt and you have to add more and if you forget to check the ph it can ruin the salt chlorinator and those things are 3-600 bucks depending.   

cadman

King_Me said:

Sounds like the rate that were paying is average, just was making sure it was inline with the going rate.

We never have used the pool our selves, the labs live in it practically all day.... Glad we got them a pool.....lol

Those two will clog the filter. 

King_Me

cadman said:

King_Me said:

Sounds like the rate that were paying is average, just was making sure it was inline with the going rate.

We never have used the pool our selves, the labs live in it practically all day.... Glad we got them a pool.....lol

Those two will clog the filter. 

There's actually four dogs.  Yes, pool guy always says a lot of hair in filter.

AC Man

King_Me said:

cadman said:

King_Me said:

Sounds like the rate that were paying is average, just was making sure it was inline with the going rate.

We never have used the pool our selves, the labs live in it practically all day.... Glad we got them a pool.....lol

Those two will clog the filter. 

There's actually four dogs.  Yes, pool guy always says a lot of hair in filter.

Ha! We build pool chillers for thoroughbred horses at 55 degrees. The first thing they do entering a pool after a work out is take a dump and a whizz. Then there is the hair. Lol!.

When I was a kid in the 70's my best friend would bring his pit bull over to our house to swim in the pool. 

My dad would get pizzd off and tell my buddy to get his mange dog out our pool and go give a bath some where else. Dog hair everywhere.
 LOL.was kinda gross. Our Lab and Golden would not get near our pool till the day they died a few years ago. Hated water, never understood why. We did not discourage them.

Scoutboat

I check the chemical balance in my pool weekly, clean the strainers in the skimmer and the pump and clean the filter (Hayward).  Takes about 20 minutes.

Turner River Terror

I throw fish food into mine and get the Floating Chain that's always on the other side back in the Cattails..

King_Me

Now the pool filter cartridge housing developed a crack on the lid.  Just ordered a new one from Amazon - $460!

Mackeral Snatcher

Welcome to the wonderful world of pool ownership

Resinhead

30 min a week is what it takes me.

Never thought about costs as it's not really relevant. Maybe $50 to 60 a month for me. I enjoy cleaning and maintaining it. Put some tunes on, make a drink, clean the pool.

PROFINITY

Doing your own pool maintenance is easy. Probably costs you about $400-$500/year.

Scoutboat

King_Me said:

Now the pool filter cartridge housing developed a crack on the lid.  Just ordered a new one from Amazon - $460!

How did it crack?  I've maintained my Hayward for 15 years.  No problem.