Pool Maintenance Estimates

pool maintenance estimates
What costs are involved in maintaining a pool?

We are looking at buying a home with a large, above-ground pool. The house is on well/septic, so we would have to have water delivered. We’ve never owned a pool before and have no idea what the costs are to deliver water to fill the pool or for weekly/biweekly/monthly maintenance for a pool… and aren’t sure if we pay someone to drain the pool for autumn and winter. Any ballpark estimates on costs (and/or links to helpful URLS) would be great, so that we can add these costs to the budget of buying this house and therefore seeing if we have to forget this house and look for another. Thanks!

ok. first, if u do not want to use the pool, it does not mean u cannot buy the house. u can let it sit there or turn it into a sand box or fort or give it away or even sell it.

two>shipping in water. it is my understanding that it can be VERY expensive. in santacruz CAlifornia my grandma says it costs her almost $300 usD for one truck tank. and it would last 3 days or so under normal use.

three>why couldn’t you use the well water for the pool. aren’t u going to bathe in it? also, if u are going to drink that water you need it tested. but definitely do look for a house that has it’s own drinkable water.

next to last>safety. the pool is like a burning pit waiting to drown someone. not really but could be. and if it isn’t one of yours it could be someone elses and that is sad too but also means you get sued. it needs a cover.

last>pool care.

a cover will help keep it clean and warm. but thing is, it can get so warm that you may want to leave the cover off in the summer so then you would need a fence.

the other way it gets cleaned is u scoop out debris but if u have a good filter u will not need to. A skimmer will be built in probably; that means debris floats in but can’t float out. then also there may be a bottom crawler you can get; like an automatic full time vacum that crawls back and forth.

The only other maintenance it really needs is putting in chlorine. but also i think u do a pH check. My mom used to make me do it all for our pool and i had to test with a little vial and if the colors were here or there determined if i had to pour in the hydrochloric acid.

so that is two things i think. the pH and the chlorine. the chlorine i think they are a lot of the times using big pellets that time release. and then if the level drops big like after a pool party you might need to pour in a little extra.

draining the pool is done if you do not want to use it. like no heater cost. a clear or semi-opaque cover can heat it considerably but not enough in the coldest parts of winter plus in very cold areas you are looking at freeze and expansion; so draining water things is standard a lot of the time. garden hoses and lots of things can freeze with water inside and sometimes even break the thing that contains the water because of the expansion. this can be a danger during prolonged power outtages and your water pipes freeze under your house or such.

as far as how you drain it. if there is no plug, then siphon it with a garden hose. If you do not wish the chlorine to go onto vegetation, then let the level in the pool drop before draining it. it drops because chlorine evaporates to the atmosphere.

here is a directory of various home topic discussion boards:
http://www.dmoz.org/Home/

if you need parts or help then here is doughboy’s site:
http://www.doughboypool.co.uk/

and more above ground pool sites:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=above+ground+pools+care&ei=utf-8&fr=b1ie7

i am not sure what extent the parts are interchangable. but they might be. so if they were it would pay to shop around if you ever had to replace the vinyl liner or such.

local pool supply is interested in helping you to know these things because they want you to buy from them. so query them as to chlorine tablet size and such. bring with you pool dimensions or other info.

Orlando Pool Maintenance