The Cost to Maintain a Pool

The cost to maintain a pool depends on the type and size of swimming pool and the climatic conditions. Pools in cold climates require more maintenance. These swimming pools need to be closed for the winter and re-opened in spring ready for summer. Sometimes you may need to empty the pool and refill in springtime. Pools located in the tropics can be utilized all year and require the least amount of maintenance. However, all pools should be emptied and refilled every 5 to 7 years to eliminate the accumulation of dissolved solids that cannot be filtered out.

Whenever your pool is in operation it requires skimming, brushing, vacuuming, filtering, chlorinating and chemical balancing. The skimmer box draws water into the skimmer basket capturing floating debris. Brushing removes pool plaque build-up on the walls and steps. Vacuuming removes the debris that falls to the bottom. Chlorinating kills bacteria and chemical balancing ensures the pool remains clear and fresh for swimming.

Many of these tasks can be automated. Chlorine can be automatically dispensed into the pool water by a chlorine dispenser. A saltwater pool can be automatically chlorinated with a salt chlorinator unit plumbed into the water return to the pool. A pool cleaner can automatically brush and suck the pool surfaces removing debris and other contaminants.

Automated tasks cannot do everything, but your pool maintenance time will be kept to a minimum. And, more importantly, your pool water will always be clean and safe for swimming.

The Cost to Maintain a Pool

Cleaning the Skimmer Basket

Time: A few minutes | Once per week

Cost: $0 (filter socks cost $0.50 each and can be reused)

This is a very simple task that anyone can do to reduce cost to maintain a pool. Open the skimmer lid, remove the basket, and empty the contents into a rubbish bin. It should only be two minutes every week. The secret to keeping the pool cleaner, with less effort, is to use skimmer basket filter socks. These elastic filter socks go over the skimmer basket and capture finer debris. Fine debris would normally pass through the skimmer to the filter causing the filter to require more cleaning. And the more you clean the filter the sooner you have to replace the sand or cartridges, costing more and making more work for yourself.

Brush the Pool Surfaces

Time: 10 – 20 minutes | 2-3 times per week

Cost: $20 – $30 for a good pool brush.

Brush the pool walls and steps 2-3 times per week.

Brushing a pool is similar to cleaning your teeth. Plaque, the sticky, colorless film of bacteria and sugars that constantly forms on our teeth, must be removed by brushing. You must then rinse your mouth to expel the plaque.

Brushing a pool loosens the dirt, debris and calcium scale from the vertical surfaces so that it falls to the bottom. The vacuum and filtration system will remove the debris from the bottom of the pool.

Use a right pool brush for your type of pool:

• Fiberglass, Vinyl Lined, Painted Concrete: Nylon pool brush
• Tiles, Concrete pools: Stainless steel & Nylon pool brush
• Gunite pools: Stainless steel brush

Vacuum the Pool

Time: 20 minutes | At least once per week or after a brushing

Cost: $30 – $40 for a vacuum head and hose

There’s no point brushing the pool surfaces unless you vacuum the bottom of the pool to remove the dirt. Redirect the pool water to the drain when vacuuming manually to avoid dirtying the filter. You will need to top up the pool water afterwards. Don’t forget to turn the valve back to filter afterwards.

How to Clean a Swimming Pool

Automated Pool Cleaners

Time: 10 minutes | weekly

Cost: Pool cleaners range from $150 to $1200

Vacuuming can be performed manually or with an automatic pool cleaner. There are three types of pool cleaner – suction, pressure and robotic. Some are cleaners remain in the pool while others need to be added and removed from the pool.

Best Robotic Swimming Pool Cleaners

Operating the Pool Filter

Time: 8 hours per day – automatic | Daily

Cost: Depends on your electricity tariff, $50 – $200 per month

Operate the pool filtration system for around 8 hours every day. The filtration system must turn over all the water in the swimming pool every day. This ensures the pool water is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized every day.

All pool pumps are operated by automatic timers to turn on and off the pump. So, there is nothing for you to do. One thing you can do to reduce the cost to maintain a pool and help the environment is get your pool pump wired to an off-peak electricity meter. This prevents the pump running in the peak electricity period (usually 5pm to 8pm). Also, run the pump during the day when the electricity supply is generated from solar and wind power. Some pool owners are installing solar panels on their roof for the sole purpose to power the pool pump.

Cleaning the Pool Filter

Time: 20 minutes | Once per month

Cost: $0, Depends on the type of filter.

Cartridge filters are the simplest solution and are great for above ground pools and inground pools. They are less expensive than sand filters and easier to operate but you cannot backwash a cartridge filter. Open the filter housing and remove the cartridge for cleaning with a hose. The cartridge needs to be replaced every 3 or 4 years.

Sand filters are only recommended for inground pools as they are more expensive to purchase and require additional plumbing to allow backwashing when your pool plumbing is set up to pump water back through the sand filter to the drain effectively cleaning the filter. The sand does need to be replaced every few years.

Apart from the cost and backwashing issue there is not a lot of difference between the two in terms of performance. A cartridge is a finer filter and will filter down to 20 microns whereas a sand filter will filter to 10 microns.

Sand Filter

Backwashing is the only way to clean a sand filter apart from changing the sand. The water flow from the pool is reversed through the filter to flush dirt and debris away into the drain. Backwashing a sand filter is recommended for two or three minutes but even for that short period of time you will lose enough water from your pool that you will need to top up with the hose for maybe 10 minutes. This shouldn’t change your water chemistry as the volume of water lost is very small.

Cartridge Filter

Simply remove the pool filter cartridge from the filter housing and pressure wash with a garden hose. Remember to turn off the pump before opening the filter housing and turn it back on again when the task is complete.

It’s best to wash the filter on the grass or where the water will flow into a drain as the water will be dirty. Once the water is running clear the filter element is clean and replace it back into the filter housing.

Chlorinate the Pool

Time: 5 minutes | Daily

Cost: Depends on water volume, sanitation method and type of pool.

Pros & Cons of a Chlorine Pool

Heating the Pool Water

Time:  Initially run for 24-48 hours | 2-6 hours Daily

Cost: Heater unit $1000 to $2000, Electricity $50 to $500 per month, depends on heat differential and size of pool.

A pool heater extends your pool season by raising the water temperature to a higher-than-normal temperature, comfortable for swimming. The extra cost of the water heater is well worth the money to give you another 2 to 4 months use of your pool. If you live in a warmer climate and only want to heat the water 5 degrees, the power cost will be minimal. However, if you live in a cold climate, it will cost much more money to heat the water.

After the first heating, you will only need to operate your water heater a few hours each day to maintain your desired water temperature. I strongly recommend a pool cover to prevent heat loss when not using your pool.

Adjusting the Water Level

Time: 10 minutes | Weekly

Cost: $0, may add a small charge to your water bill.

Evaporation and minor leaks will cause your pool to lose water. During the hot summer, water evaporation can be a real problem for a pool with a large surface area. The solution is to top up the pool water from the garden hose until the water level is at the mid-level on the skimmer box. Usually this does not affect the pool chemistry.

During periods of rain the pool water level may be too high. You will need to pump some water out of the pool to the drain until the water level is at the mid-level on the skimmer box. Don’t forget to reset the valve back to the filter position afterwards.

Testing & Balancing the Water

Time: 5 minutes | Weekly

Cost: $0, Test strips cost $10 to $20 and last a year or two.

It’s important to keep the pool clean but balancing the water chemistry is even more important.

You will need to test the pool chemistry every week (or fortnight) with test strips or a test kit. Depending on the test results you may need to adjust the pH, alkalinity, salinity, chlorine, or calcium hardness with chemicals. Usually, once your pool water is in balance it remains in balance until some event causes the chemistry to change. That event could be heavy rain, topping up the pool, excessive evaporation, excessive heat, cold or wind, etc.

Pool Chemistry – The Ultimate Guide

Add Algaecide to the Water

Time: 5 minutes | Monthly

Cost: $15-$30 per treatment

The last thing you want in your pool is algae. It can quickly take over your pool and it’s difficult to eliminate. Algae tends to come back requiring repeat treatments costing more time and money.

Balanced pool water and regular cleaning should prevent algae growing in your pool. However, occasionally adding algae to the water will ensure algae cannot grow which will reduce the cost to maintain a pool.

Add Scale & Stain Remover to the Water

Time: 5 minutes | Monthly

Cost: $15-$30 per treatment

If calcium scale and/or stains have been a problem in your pool, I highly recommend adding scale and stain removers to the water.

Cost to Maintain a Pool – Summary