A pool is an impressive feature of a home, but it can also be the most difficult and expensive to maintain. When it comes time to decide between DIY pool care and using a professional pool cleaning service, consider such tasks as maintaining the filter, surface skimming and chemical testing.
Although time-consuming, doing the job yourself can certainly save money in the long run. However, replacing outdated or faulty equipment can get pricey, and some repairs may prove to be more than you can handle alone. You've maintained a pool before and have the experience doing it regularly.
Maintaining a swimming pool is not hard IF (1) you have decent equipment, AND (2) a decently built or installed pool, AND (3) know the right things to do, AND (4) do those things regularly and consistently. Many pools have poor or inappropriate equipment.
Annual Cost to Upkeep a Pool. Expect to spend between $1,200 and $1,800 per year in basic upkeep. Combined with swimming pool repairs and utilities, homeowners can spend as much as $3,000 to $5,000 per year to keep it in good, working condition.
How much does a pool cost to run? The average swimming pool will cost between $660 and $1,000 to run annually – consuming between 2,000 and 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. That's about $23 each week!
Regular pool/spa maintenance tasks. The following tasks need to be done regularly to maintain your swimming pool or spa. HomeAdvisor estimates that these tasks require four to eight hours per week. You can hire a pool company to help, which typically costs between $75 and $100 per hour, or you can do it all yourself.
The pool must be maintained and taken care of regularly; if not, it may lead to various accidents, diseases, and infections. Maintaining the cleanliness of your pool is just one of the many ways of swimming pool care. It is recommended to have your pool cleaned at least once a week to keep it clean and uncontaminated.
You may be paying for weekly service but the guy is coming every other week, or even every three weeks. Since pool guys usually come when you're at work, you have very little way of verifying if and when they're there. 7. Saltwater pools don't take care of themselves.
At California Pool Care this includes removing debris on the bottom of the pool, complete a chemical balance analysis which may require adding chlorine or other sanitizer to satisfy the pool requirements, test and adjust the chemical sanitizer levels, check the water level to be sure the pump is able to operate ...
At first you'll add chlorine in what's called “shock” levels – an extra heavy dose to start your pool off. A shock dose coupled with extra circulation will ensure that all the water gets treated properly in the beginning.
Tips for Adding Start-Up Pool Chemicals
Run filter pump while adding chemicals to circulate. Re-test the pool water after 8 hours of filter run time. Add chlorine shock when the sun is not directly overhead. Add algaecides last, after chlorine level drops below 3 ppm.
If the water is clean and clear, then add about 3 oz of liquid chlorine per 1000 gallons of water – while the pool filter is running. This should give you a chlorine level of about 3 ppm.
How Often Should I Shock My Pool? Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.
Chemicals that you add to your pool while the water is circulating don't need to be recirculated; they will stay mixed even if you don't pump the water continually. Although it's generally recommended that all the pool water undergo filtration every 24 hours, the pump does not need to run all the time.
The fastest way to clean a green pool is by using pool chemicals and your pool filter. This process usually takes around 4-5 days but you will start noticing a major improvement after 24 hours.
At an average of $0.004 per gallon, city water is the most inexpensive and most popular option. For 15,000 to 30,000 gallons, you'll pay between $60 and $120.
If your pool has outlived its usefulness and it would cost more to repair than you can afford, you can cover it. Building a deck over a pool presents a challenge similar to any raised deck, so be prepared for hard work, sore muscles and a great sense of accomplishment.
If your pool is full 8-1-15 and they do NOT do an acid start, you can swim soon. I suggest getting the startup done first acid or Bi-carb, and once done you can swim.
Pools can immediately turn green after shocking when they have metals like copper or iron in the water. These metals oxidize when exposed to high levels of chlorine which makes the pool water turn green. Metals in the water are caused by some algaecides and using well water.