Pool Maintenance

socal78

socal78

Well-known member
If anybody reading has (or has had) a private pool, could you provide some insight as to the cost and frequency of maintenance required? Of course, it will depend on the age, size, and type.

Lately, The SoCals have been eyeing homes in surrounding cities, many of which have a pool but have no idea what to expect when it comes to the care and maintenance of a pool. One thing that has me concerned is many of the homes we've looked at as a potential purchase are approximately 25 years old, with pools of the same age. I read online that pool liners typically have a life span of - you guessed it - 25 years. It leads me to wonder what the worst-case scenario, financially-speaking, could be to upkeep or rejuvenate a pool.

Thanks.
 
Just throw your wallet into the pool. <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->

We've had a pool in the past and it's a lot of work and a lot of money. Plus you have to watch the kids like a hawk!
We had a party and I happened to be in the house looking out the window at the pool. I happened to notice my 3 year old nephew walking towards the pool with no supervision. His mother thought the grandmother was watching him, and his grandmother thought his mother was watching him. Very scary! After that incident, I was always nervous about having kids over to the pool. Plus I can't tell you how many times a parent would walk into the house while their kid was in the pool. I would ask the parent to not leave their child unattended, but they would always respond "oh, he knows how to swim very well. He's fine." So basically, I would end up watching all the kids. Plus, some of the parents have more than one kid, and it's difficult to watch more than one kid at a time. I'm glad we don't have a pool any more. It was too stressful for me.
 
Thanks, Pebbles. Sounds like a hassle. I was worried about the safety aspect too... it would definitely have to have a safety cover for when not in use... the kind that can withstand the fall of a pet or small child...and perhaps a fence.

(I kind of like this house with its fenced-off pool: Calle Delgado.)
 
Also, you wouldn't believe the animal life we would find in the pool - frogs, crickets, chipmunks, turtles.
I like the community pools better - no need for maintenance - just bring your towels, kids toys and enjoy. Leave when done.
 
I thought of something else. I believe our home owners insurance was higher due to the pool liability. That may be another thing you should keep in mind.
 
[quote author="pebbles"]I thought of something else. I believe our home owners insurance was higher due to the pool liability. That may be another thing you should keep in mind.[/quote]

Good point. That is yet another cost to consider. Big critters in the pool? Ick!
 
Maybe IR2 would know, but are there laws where if you have children under a certain age living in a home with a pool, there needs to be a fence around the pool?
 
[quote author="jvna"]Maybe IR2 would know, but are there laws where if you have children under a certain age living in a home with a pool, there needs to be a fence around the pool?[/quote]

There are no laws regarding the requirement for the home. A very good rule of thumb is that there should be 3 barriers to access (i.e. a fence, a locking gate, and a cover) for safety.

There IS a requirement that if a home has a pool, the side access points must be "securable" meaning that you must be able to prevent neighbors from walking in. The only reason I'm aware of this is because this issue has come up in a couple of inspection reports in the past.

-IR2
 
[quote author="SoCal78"]
[quote author="pebbles"]I thought of something else. I believe our home owners insurance was higher due to the pool liability. That may be another thing you should keep in mind.[/quote]

Good point. That is yet another cost to consider. Big critters in the pool? Ick![/quote]
SoCal, you can also get some mighty big critters in the pool. This critter by-passed the fence and the pool cover. <!-- s:eek: -->:eek:<!-- s:eek: -->

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/horse-rescued-from-pool-in-marshfield

A horse was rescued from a pool on Wednesday afternoon after escaping from its stall.

Ten-year-old Star's owners said she escaped and went right for the nearby pool. Star was in the pool for nearly two hours as rescuers used different tactics in attempts to rescue the animal.

"It's scary, because you know if she went under that cover she would've been gone," said owner Abby Crowby.

They tried to build a ramp, but Star wasn't having it, staying still in the unheated pool.

"We were hoping if we got her in the shallow end we could get her to jump out, but at that point she was too cold and exhausted," said Crowby.

A special harness did the trick though. Rescuers attached the harness to a front-end loader and lifted Star out of the pool.

Star was safe in her stall shortly after the rescue, eating hay and hot pourage to stay warm. She is expected to be OK.
 
[quote author="SoCal78"]Thanks, Pebbles. Sounds like a hassle. I was worried about the safety aspect too... it would definitely have to have a safety cover for when not in use... the kind that can withstand the fall of a pet or small child...and perhaps a fence.

(I kind of like this house with its fenced-off pool: Calle Delgado.)

[/quote]
So you are starting to take a peek at Yorba Linda? Also take a look at Anaheim Hills and Serrano Heights (Orange). You are looking at $225/sf to $275/sf for those homes.
 
usctrojancpa said:
So you are starting to take a peek at Yorba Linda?  Also take a look at Anaheim Hills and Serrano Heights (Orange).  You are looking at $225/sf to $275/sf for those homes.
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Oh, absolutely. Got to keep all options open especially at the rate things are going here in Irvine. There are lots of draws to other areas such as the ones you mentioned.
 
Necro time.

I am also curious about the monthly cost of a pool... this thread indicates that the monetary cost is only one of the headaches.

Maybe USC can let us know how much his costs have been? :)
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Necro time.

I am also curious about the monthly cost of a pool... this thread indicates that the monetary cost is only one of the headaches.

Maybe USC can let us know how much his costs have been? :)
Click to expand...
I pay about an extra $100 in utilities for the pool ($90 for electricity & $10 for water).  I also have professional pool service every week which costs $90 per month.  So your cost would be around $200 per month having a pool if you don't want to clean and maintain the water yourself.
 
Thanks USC... just checked with a friend and they said about the same thing... almost $100 for cleaning... and then monthly elec/gas costs vary upon how much you heat it.
 
Oooh. I was the last one to post in this 2 1/2 years ago. I think I created the thread because I was interested in a house that did not have an HOA pool but did have its own.

Fast-forward:

I ended up not buying a house with its own pool. I DID buy a house with an HOA pool, spa, and wading pool. I also did buy a house with a pool-sized lot! I could put one in. A lot of our neighbors have them, but I'm content with visiting the existing pool when desired and keeping the yard space for grass & roomy play space.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Thanks USC... just checked with a friend and they said about the same thing... almost $100 for cleaning... and then monthly elec/gas costs vary upon how much you heat it.
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Yeah, I have a smaller sized pool so it heats up fast.  I didn't even run the heater and the water temp was up to 86 on Saturday.  It felt so nice to jump in there after I finished the day showing houses.  My gas bill only went up a few bucks running the jaccuzi a few times a month.  I bought the following pool accessories:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KHZ044/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W9DXO4/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00
http://www.amazon.com/Swimways-Spring-Float-Papasan-Colors/dp/B0037Z6XPQ/ref=pd_sim_t_88
 
I am so over having a pool. It was nice initially, but I increasingly lost interest and used it less and less. My electricity bill was about $150-200 higher per month with the pool, depending on how much I ran the filter (only somewhat higher in summer, because in winter, while I'd run the filter less during the day, at night it would often kick on when the air temp drops into the 30s). I had a solar heater (plus gas if I needed it) but would only run the gas a few times a year. Solar adds about 5-8 degrees to the temp of the pool over what it'd otherwise be, I'd guess. So, it can extend your season of pool use, and it can decrease the amount of gas you run to heat up the pool from a higher starting temperature. The kickers are when things need replacing; an automated skimmer can run in the $400 range. Keeping a pool is a significant chunk of money, much more than I expected.
 
homer_simpson said:
Welcome back socal, I missed ya  :(
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