Deciding on installing a new swimming pool can be an exciting time. But it can also be nerve-wracking as well. If you’ve never owned a pool before, there are many details and variables to keep track of and many of these unknowns can create a sense of unease. For example, how much does inground pool cost to maintain? It’s a very simple question without a very simple answer. Much of the cost of running an inground swimming pool depends on your locale. Prices for electricity and water vary widely throughout the country. Other variables such as the size of your pool, the amount of use it gets and your local climate will also play large roles. But to help give you somewhat of an idea of the cost of maintaining an inground pool, we’ve tried to outline the major costs in the article.
Electricity
Your swimming pool will require electricity to run your water pump and heater. It only stands to reason that smaller pools will consume less electricity, but there are other variables at play as well.
The type of water pump you have is one of them. Most pumps these days are known as two speed or variable speed. These modern water pumps use much less electricity than the older single-speed pumps. To figure out your electricity costs you need to determine your pump’s turnover rate. This is the amount of pumping action required to filter the entire pool’s water volume. To calculate the turnover rate, you divide the number of gallons of water in your pool by the water pump’s flow rate. This will give you the number of hours your pump needs to run to filter the contents of the pool.
When it comes to heating your water, the type of heating system will determine the amount of electricity used. Many people opt for passive heating systems that transfer heat from the sun or air into the water. This type of heating requires very little electricity, but still requires your water pump to run. However, this is a much cheaper way to heat your pool compared to using a gas or electric water heater. You can expect to spend up to several hundred per year to run your heater.
Chemicals
The amount of chemicals needed to keep your water clean depends on the size of your pool and the amount of use that it gets. Concrete, inground pools typically require more chemicals than vinyl liner pools because algae grows much easier on a concrete substrate than it does on vinyl. Ask your dealer what to budget for chemicals.
Water
Water costs can be very tricky to measure and much of it depends on what you pay locally. Some municipalities charge you for the exact amount of water you use whereas others will charge you a flat rate no matter how much water gets used. It’s probably a good idea to know where you stand in regard to water costs before considering buying a pool.
Opening and Closing
Opening and closing your pool will be the most expensive months of your swimming year. The extra chemicals are the main cost, but many people hire a professional to take care of the process, which is just a one-off expense.
Long Term Maintenance
Concrete pools need to be acid washed every three to six years to kill the spores and algae that embed themselves into the concrete. You can expect this procedure to cost at least several hundred dollars.