Pool maintenance costs
Sep 9th 2017, 7:12 am
#1
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Location: Preston UK / Amendoeira, Loule
Posts: 269
Pool maintenance costs
We have a small house 5 miles north of Loule with a plunge pool approx 5m x 4m. As we only visit three times a year a local lady looked after the pool but she is now retiring so we will have to look at employing someone new. Can anyone give me a rough idea of what I should expect to pay, including chemicals, for a weekly visit? Obviously this person would be not part of a commercial concern. Thanks Rob.
Sep 9th 2017, 10:34 am
#2
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Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Pool maintenance costs
Depending on its construction you may be able to empty it, or 'winterise' it while you arent there.
Tiling is happy left dry, diamond brite trowel on isnt [but of course can be replaced with tiles.]
Plastic pools are happy dry but if just shoved in the ground where the ground water can get up to the base of the pool, they can be forced up and even broken, the same is true of concrete...
If your pool is in truth above ground - eg part of a raised deck over a garage, no issue of course with hydraulic action.
Winterising it is addin long term chemicals and covering it against leaves etc. You have to de-winterise it when you return, but typically not a big job.
Tiling is happy left dry, diamond brite trowel on isnt [but of course can be replaced with tiles.]
Plastic pools are happy dry but if just shoved in the ground where the ground water can get up to the base of the pool, they can be forced up and even broken, the same is true of concrete...
If your pool is in truth above ground - eg part of a raised deck over a garage, no issue of course with hydraulic action.
Winterising it is addin long term chemicals and covering it against leaves etc. You have to de-winterise it when you return, but typically not a big job.
Sep 9th 2017, 10:41 am
#3
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: Pool maintenance costs
We have a small house 5 miles north of Loule with a plunge pool approx 5m x 4m. As we only visit three times a year a local lady looked after the pool but she is now retiring so we will have to look at employing someone new. Can anyone give me a rough idea of what I should expect to pay, including chemicals, for a weekly visit? Obviously this person would be not part of a commercial concern. Thanks Rob.
We have 1 week off season and the 2 week in season ..
Pools are not something you should try and do on the cheap, you do not want a green pool .
We do not know anyone who empties their pool, putting aside the costs of refilling,, 're balancing there are too many other potential problems.
Sep 9th 2017, 12:01 pm
#4
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Pool maintenance costs
we usually empty and cover pools here but they are often designed with this in mind. Re costs etc of filling, its really easy and not expensive if it's a plunge pool. We can actually get 3 ft of rain here in a week or 2 in wet season but water is cheap. Balancing is easy but investing in a colorimeter makes it a doddle. Cost of chemicals - depends on your regime and local prices but not enough to make leaving it full and managed by someone else sensible. Try the PoolCloud app weekend warrior setting, just uses simple and cheap ingredients.
Sep 9th 2017, 1:23 pm
#5
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: Pool maintenance costs
we usually empty and cover pools here but they are often designed with this in mind. Re costs etc of filling, its really easy and not expensive if it's a plunge pool. We can actually get 3 ft of rain here in a week or 2 in wet season but water is cheap. Balancing is easy but investing in a colorimeter makes it a doddle. Cost of chemicals - depends on your regime and local prices but not enough to make leaving it full and managed by someone else sensible. Try the PoolCloud app weekend warrior setting, just uses simple and cheap ingredients.
Unless you have your own water supply filling a 8 x 4 x 1.5 water depth is 48 cubic more of water from your domestic supply, with weekly top ups in summer.
We certainly do not get anything like that level of rain , in fact almost none since May.
The OP is not resident so DIY solutions are not applicable in this case.
Sep 9th 2017, 1:52 pm
#6
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Pool maintenance costs
So whats the actual cost of that water? I am also not here all year, i diy my own pool maintenance because its cheaper, but more importantly i do it correctly and my water is nicer as a result.
His pool is 5x4x1,5? =30 cu m, we lose about 1cm in 5 days, with avg water temps about 90 and constant breezes.
Price the following chemicals in your best store to give you an idea , but different regimes may want some different chemicals, also you will use very little of some of it. NNB baking soda and muriatic acid [used to clean tiles eg of concrete] may be cheaper away from pool suppliers. Also some of this stuff is dangerous/needs careful handling, read the warnings.
pool shock [60-70% calcium hypochlorate powder for shocking new pool and adding chlorine long term
Iso-cyanuric acid - sunblock for your pool - keeps chlorine alive
Sodium bicarbonate - literally baking soda - a human and pool ant acid, to manage ph without impacting alkalinity much
Muriatic acid - acid increaser
Sodium carbonate [soda ash] used to manage ph and and and alkalinity
Calcium chloride impacts water hardness both ways if used correctly
Beware of regimes using trichlor, this is chlorine with cyanuric acid and sounds so easy - but. In a small pool the because you cant seperate them in trichlor cyanuric acid levels will over time rise too high which inhibits the chlorine and can only be easily sorted by partially emptying the pool.
His pool is 5x4x1,5? =30 cu m, we lose about 1cm in 5 days, with avg water temps about 90 and constant breezes.
Price the following chemicals in your best store to give you an idea , but different regimes may want some different chemicals, also you will use very little of some of it. NNB baking soda and muriatic acid [used to clean tiles eg of concrete] may be cheaper away from pool suppliers. Also some of this stuff is dangerous/needs careful handling, read the warnings.
pool shock [60-70% calcium hypochlorate powder for shocking new pool and adding chlorine long term
Iso-cyanuric acid - sunblock for your pool - keeps chlorine alive
Sodium bicarbonate - literally baking soda - a human and pool ant acid, to manage ph without impacting alkalinity much
Muriatic acid - acid increaser
Sodium carbonate [soda ash] used to manage ph and and and alkalinity
Calcium chloride impacts water hardness both ways if used correctly
Beware of regimes using trichlor, this is chlorine with cyanuric acid and sounds so easy - but. In a small pool the because you cant seperate them in trichlor cyanuric acid levels will over time rise too high which inhibits the chlorine and can only be easily sorted by partially emptying the pool.
Sep 9th 2017, 2:23 pm
#7
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 660
Re: Pool maintenance costs
With a floating bubble cover or a stretch over leaf cover most of the debris is kept out and the pump can be backed off to an hour or two each day as long as the chlorine level is maintained. (A salt water pool does this itself).
Things like pumps don't react well to being switched off for six months and even an 'above ground' pool can suffer from hydraulic issues bearing in mind the amount of seismic activity. In my experience if the structure is designed to contain water then it is best left with water in it.
No one I know, even those only here seasonally, totally drain their pool but in my opinion a good plan is always to drain a third or a half of the water out each year and allow to refill with fresh rainwater. (March/April is a good bet). Then you can re adjust the chemicals for the start of the season and slowly increase the filtration time as the water temperature increases.
Not keen on muriatic acid as it seems to eat away even the better quality tile grout quite quickly. OK maybe for fibreglass or a liner pool as its certainly low cost.
Things like pumps don't react well to being switched off for six months and even an 'above ground' pool can suffer from hydraulic issues bearing in mind the amount of seismic activity. In my experience if the structure is designed to contain water then it is best left with water in it.
No one I know, even those only here seasonally, totally drain their pool but in my opinion a good plan is always to drain a third or a half of the water out each year and allow to refill with fresh rainwater. (March/April is a good bet). Then you can re adjust the chemicals for the start of the season and slowly increase the filtration time as the water temperature increases.
Not keen on muriatic acid as it seems to eat away even the better quality tile grout quite quickly. OK maybe for fibreglass or a liner pool as its certainly low cost.
Sep 9th 2017, 2:23 pm
#8
Banned
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: Pool maintenance costs
So whats the actual cost of that water? I am also not here all year, i diy my own pool maintenance because its cheaper, but more importantly i do it correctly and my water is nicer as a result.
His pool is 5x4x1,5? =30 cu m, we lose about 1cm in 5 days, with avg water temps about 90 and constant breezes.
Price the following chemicals in your best store to give you an idea , but different regimes may want some different chemicals, also you will use very little of some of it. NNB baking soda and muriatic acid [used to clean tiles eg of concrete] may be cheaper away from pool suppliers. Also some of this stuff is dangerous/needs careful handling, read the warnings.
pool shock [60-70% calcium hypochlorate powder for shocking new pool and adding chlorine long term
Iso-cyanuric acid - sunblock for your pool - keeps chlorine alive
Sodium bicarbonate - literally baking soda - a human and pool ant acid, to manage ph without impacting alkalinity much
Muriatic acid - acid increaser
Sodium carbonate [soda ash] used to manage ph and and and alkalinity
Calcium chloride impacts water hardness both ways if used correctly
Beware of regimes using trichlor, this is chlorine with cyanuric acid and sounds so easy - but. In a small pool the because you cant seperate them in trichlor cyanuric acid levels will over time rise too high which inhibits the chlorine and can only be easily sorted by partially emptying the pool.
His pool is 5x4x1,5? =30 cu m, we lose about 1cm in 5 days, with avg water temps about 90 and constant breezes.
Price the following chemicals in your best store to give you an idea , but different regimes may want some different chemicals, also you will use very little of some of it. NNB baking soda and muriatic acid [used to clean tiles eg of concrete] may be cheaper away from pool suppliers. Also some of this stuff is dangerous/needs careful handling, read the warnings.
pool shock [60-70% calcium hypochlorate powder for shocking new pool and adding chlorine long term
Iso-cyanuric acid - sunblock for your pool - keeps chlorine alive
Sodium bicarbonate - literally baking soda - a human and pool ant acid, to manage ph without impacting alkalinity much
Muriatic acid - acid increaser
Sodium carbonate [soda ash] used to manage ph and and and alkalinity
Calcium chloride impacts water hardness both ways if used correctly
Beware of regimes using trichlor, this is chlorine with cyanuric acid and sounds so easy - but. In a small pool the because you cant seperate them in trichlor cyanuric acid levels will over time rise too high which inhibits the chlorine and can only be easily sorted by partially emptying the pool.
Many second home owners in Portugal are only occasional visitors so want their pool ready to use when they arrive.
Or they rent in which case they do not want any hassle from their guests.
The cost last time we filled our pool of 8 x4 size it cost around 600euros, water charges have risen since then.
If you are a full or long term resident then DIY may be an alternative but that is not the case with the original poster.
Sep 9th 2017, 3:01 pm
#9
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Pool maintenance costs
How long do you spend in Grenada,
Many second home owners in Portugal are only occasional visitors so want their pool ready to use when they arrive.
Or they rent in which case they do not want any hassle from their guests.
The cost last time we filled our pool of 8 x4 size it cost around 600euros, water charges have risen since then.
If you are a full or long term resident then DIY may be an alternative but that is not the case with the original poster.
Many second home owners in Portugal are only occasional visitors so want their pool ready to use when they arrive.
Or they rent in which case they do not want any hassle from their guests.
The cost last time we filled our pool of 8 x4 size it cost around 600euros, water charges have risen since then.
If you are a full or long term resident then DIY may be an alternative but that is not the case with the original poster.
If its potentially always going to be used it has to be usable, but winterising works well for many, its only 24 hours to get ready, fill, balance roughly [ones tap water becomes predictable after a while], filter for a few hours, shock and leave for 24 hours and in you go.
If you dont use cyanuric acid, how do you control chlorine? Without it, in the sun chlorine disappears at a huge rate and large amounts have to be used. I dont want more than 1 ppm free chlorine which is enough to sterilise but needs to be available everywhere even in the sun.
You say it damages plaster - it doesnt - as a part of the overall ph and alkalinity of the water and amount of calcium in the water [calcium hardness] produces water that is either aggresive and eats grout/plaster and may try to etch glass tiles, or is overly mineralised and deposits calcium etc on the tiles. There is an easy calculation to determine what your balance is doing. Salt water pools are another set of risks, you pay a little less for chemicals, you pay more for power for the chlorine generator and pay a lot every 3-5 years for a new generator. In addition some materials can get damaged by salt, the pump room kit, steel components, concrete has to be aluminium oxide free, really it all gas to be designed into construction. A lot of america went to salt pools but have since returned to traditional but computer managed systems.
Before you leave, you either empty it, or add winter chemicals, cover it and leave. If you added winterising chemicals there are other chemicals to burn them off or just empty/refill. I know someone who uses a liquid cover which is weird -its a chemical that floats on the surface and in some way seals in the chlorine ? Seems to work?
Last edited by uk_grenada; Sep 9th 2017 at 3:09 pm.
Sep 9th 2017, 3:02 pm
#10
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Pool maintenance costs
Ps i come and go every few months but i dont do the uk in the winter fullstop.
Sep 9th 2017, 3:32 pm
#11
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: Pool maintenance costs
Could it be cheaper to fill it with local vino? Here if i fill it from a tap, about 20 euros for 5000 gallons. In the uk of course, it would be free.
If its potentially always going to be used it has to be usable, but winterising works well for many, its only 24 hours to get ready, fill, balance roughly [ones tap water becomes predictable after a while], filter for a few hours, shock and leave for 24 hours and in you go.
If you dont use cyanuric acid, how do you control chlorine? Without it, in the sun chlorine disappears at a huge rate and large amounts have to be used. I dont want more than 1 ppm free chlorine which is enough to sterilise but needs to be available everywhere even in the sun.
You say it damages plaster - it doesnt - as a part of the overall ph and alkalinity of the water and amount of calcium in the water [calcium hardness] produces water that is either aggresive and eats grout/plaster and may try to etch glass tiles, or is overly mineralised and deposits calcium etc on the tiles. There is an easy calculation to determine what your balance is doing. Salt water pools are another set of risks, you pay a little less for chemicals, you pay more for power for the chlorine generator and pay a lot every 3-5 years for a new generator. In addition some materials can get damaged by salt, the pump room kit, steel components, concrete has to be aluminium oxide free, really it all gas to be designed into construction. A lot of america went to salt pools but have since returned to traditional but computer managed systems.
Before you leave, you either empty it, or add winter chemicals, cover it and leave. If you added winterising chemicals there are other chemicals to burn them off or just empty/refill. I know someone who uses a liquid cover which is weird -its a chemical that floats on the surface and in some way seals in the chlorine ? Seems to work?
If its potentially always going to be used it has to be usable, but winterising works well for many, its only 24 hours to get ready, fill, balance roughly [ones tap water becomes predictable after a while], filter for a few hours, shock and leave for 24 hours and in you go.
If you dont use cyanuric acid, how do you control chlorine? Without it, in the sun chlorine disappears at a huge rate and large amounts have to be used. I dont want more than 1 ppm free chlorine which is enough to sterilise but needs to be available everywhere even in the sun.
You say it damages plaster - it doesnt - as a part of the overall ph and alkalinity of the water and amount of calcium in the water [calcium hardness] produces water that is either aggresive and eats grout/plaster and may try to etch glass tiles, or is overly mineralised and deposits calcium etc on the tiles. There is an easy calculation to determine what your balance is doing. Salt water pools are another set of risks, you pay a little less for chemicals, you pay more for power for the chlorine generator and pay a lot every 3-5 years for a new generator. In addition some materials can get damaged by salt, the pump room kit, steel components, concrete has to be aluminium oxide free, really it all gas to be designed into construction. A lot of america went to salt pools but have since returned to traditional but computer managed systems.
Before you leave, you either empty it, or add winter chemicals, cover it and leave. If you added winterising chemicals there are other chemicals to burn them off or just empty/refill. I know someone who uses a liquid cover which is weird -its a chemical that floats on the surface and in some way seals in the chlorine ? Seems to work?
Sep 9th 2017, 3:40 pm
#12
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Sep 9th 2017, 3:50 pm
#14
I still dont believe it..
Joined: Oct 2013
Location: 12 degrees north
Posts: 2,777
Re: Pool maintenance costs
Nope, im not doing that, i have a house full of women and every machine known to man. I did the calculation, it said DONT DO IT. Same with smart power meters, the current device is a heap of junk, i'll wait till they improve. For 30 years i worked in IT support, i very rarely get cut on the bleeding edge of anything - i also have a very serene user experience.
Did you not consider - its free - but i cant undo it - why are they doing it - how is it helping me? You know smart meters dont work with most billing systems, the ones you go to - to save money - bg wouldnt try to lock users in would they?
Did you not consider - its free - but i cant undo it - why are they doing it - how is it helping me? You know smart meters dont work with most billing systems, the ones you go to - to save money - bg wouldnt try to lock users in would they?
Last edited by uk_grenada; Sep 9th 2017 at 3:52 pm.
Sep 9th 2017, 3:51 pm
#15
Banned
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: Pool maintenance costs
Nope, im not doing that, i have a house full of women and every machine known to man. I did the calculation, it said DONT DO IT. Same with smart power meters, the current device is a heap of junk, i'll wait till they improve. For 30 years i worked in IT support, i very rarely get cut on the bleeding edge of anything - i also have a very serene user experience.