waxwabbit

Yo guys

I was just wondering, what kind of upkeep costs can I expect for an average sized pool per annum in Florida?

Does it differ much between a screened pool, or outside pool?

Many thanks

Lee

(To be honest I don't care how much it is, coz Id never own a pool in Blighty) But still curious!!!!!!

BrigieDarling

I don't think it matters much about the screen other than the fact that your own physical labour will be lessened.

Have you considered solar panels on the roof? My dad lives in Daytona and he's never had a problem with his.

Chemicals can be bought in bulk, but they are a bit costly.

NC Penguin

I would think the businesses that maintain pools can give you that answer. Why not call them on the basis that you're considering building (?) a pool and want to get a quote for its upkeep.

If they're smart businesspeople, they should provide you that information for free.




NC Penguin

waxwabbit

Thanks pengu for the suggestion. If no one has an idea I may try that!

hhmaker

Hi

I have a holiday home in Central Florida and pay $85 @ month for pool maintenance..

Hope this helps

ladyofthelake

I had a pool until June this year and it certainly didn't cost that much by diy ( I know if it's a holiday home you don't have much of a choice). I found that the amount of maintenance time needed was really not that bad at all. Never really considered how much the costs were each month, but I know it wasn't that much! The costs can vary depending on the equipment you have. The cartridges in Cartridge filters need to be replaced more often than the DE powder in DE filters, the latter has a higher initial cost to install but also means less work. A box of DE powder is about $25 and can last for 6 to 9 months. I think we spent about $10 to $15 on chlorine tablets which lasted 2 to 3 months. There are the occasional chemicals you have to buy in order to get the water balanced and to keep the pool looking new, but if you are careful to check the water regularly with a test kit, it doesn't amount to a lot. Whether you have it serviced or not, the power bill will still have to be paid and the initial water fill makes a mark on the water bill. Having an automatic pool cleaner zooming around also lessens the work meaning more time for by the pool.

dunroving

A pool is like a car. $85 a month "maintenance" is like $20 a month for gas - over the long haul, you have to factor in other major expenses - repairs, start-up in spring (getting rid of the frogs, spending big $$$ on chemicals), heating (in FL and other hot states, not necessary), huge water bill for initial fill-up (or every year if you drain each winter), electric bill for running the pump. If it runs fine and does not break, great. If it does break, watch out. Also depends a lot on the size of the pool, of course. I maintained a large country club pool as a summer job when I was in grad school and the bills were outrageous.

robclews

We have a small pool, fortunately we also have our own water supply so that cost goes out of the window....... phew. We filled the pool this year with neutralized water ( it goes through our water treatment set up in the house ) resulting in very few balancing chemicals, only about $15 this year in PH-, chlorine is expensive and a pig if you get a lung full of the fumes when you add it, we add that at around ¼ lb a day to keep it nice.

On top of that you have sand for the filter, test kits, and the worse, the power for the pump, anything over 1 ½ HP and you can watch the meter spinning, our 2 HP really does crank up the electric bill. If you have the time then do it yourself, vacuum brush and test regularly. If you live in a wooded area, watch out for algae that really does mess your water up, and costs a bucket load to get rid of !!!

Rob

ladyofthelake

I'd just like to add that in Florida it's not necessary to empty the pool over winter, therefore the water bill only occurs once. If you move into a place with an established pool, that cost is wiped out altogether. Of course if you leave the water in over the winter, then the maintenance has to be kept up, but at a lower level. The pump only needs to be on a few hours a day when nobody is swimming in it. Same goes for chlorine, less has to be added to maintain the right level when not in use. The screen stops any debris (and local wildlife) from getting into the system, so is a definite advantage.

Ray

If your property is on an open sub division area, the screening is a must to avoid children or otherwise falling into your pool...and drowning...guess who gets sued..If you are all fenced in, thats safer..

Taffyles

I think that's law here now Ray. I know new homes now have to have the wiring installed for pool alarms- and when you put a pool in you have to have it screened and baby guards around the actual pool to childproof it. Too many children drown in FL.

Also be aware that if other children use your pool and hurt themselves their parents can sue- and probably will if they don't have medical insurance and their kids need treatment. Make sure you have good insurance just in case. About 10-11 years ago there was a big hooha here after people were getting sued and then people started ripping out diving boards etc, not letting other peoples kids in their pool unless they had medical insurance and so on- it got a bit crazy for a while.

The cost of pool maintenance varies with the service and size of pool etc, but firms can sometimes cheaper than maintaining it yourself. We had a firm who just tested the water weekly and treated with any chemicals- and we did the brushing/vaccuuming- that worked out cheaper than us buying the chemicals ourselves and the pool was always sparkling. The pump burns electricity, so does solar heating LOL Pools aren't cheap to run and like everything else the bigger it is the more expensive and more time consuming it will be to maintain it.