While the process of installing a new swimming pool can be expensive, paying for the pool does not end once the construction is finished.
In order to keep your pool in top shape, regular maintenance must be performed to keep your pool clean and functional. It’s important to know the potential cost of maintenance before you decide to purchase a pool, so you know that you can afford to keep your pool functional.
Pool Chemicals
One of the most underestimated pool expenses the chemicals needed to keep the pool clean. These are integral for the functionality and cleanliness of your pool, ensuring that it remains safe for all to swim in. Some of the basic pool chemicals and their average prices include:
- Stain and scale preventer – $30
- Granular shock chlorine – $120
- Chlorine tablets – $60
- pH increaser – $60
- pH decreaser – $30
- Alkalinity increaser – $30
- Stabilizer – $40
- Algaecide – $30
- Test kit – $50
Replacing Pool Equipment
While you won’t need to replace pool equipment for the first year or two of owning a new pool, it does occasionally need to be done. Some need to replace their pool filters and other small items annually, at a cost of around $1,000. Other pieces of equipment include:
- Pool vacuum – $600
- Pool resurfacing (after a decade of use, if necessary) – $2,500
- Pool opening and closing (if you are not doing it yourself) – $500
Insurance and Ongoing Costs
One of the most important pieces to owning a pool, and sometimes the most overlooked financially, are the added costs to your utility bill and insurance.
With the running water, pumps, and potentially heaters of a swimming pool, pool owners typically see at least a $100 increase on their utilities per month.
Pool owners also typically see an increased rate on their home insurance after installing their pool. The reason for this is that a swimming pool can be considered as “attractive nuisance,” meaning that it could attract neighborhood children and teens to attempt to get into your yard and potentially injure themselves in your pool, even when you are not around.
The increase in insurance, along with the potential installation of a fence, can help reduce the chances of facing a lawsuit if someone breaks into your backyard and injures themselves.
The cost of maintaining a pool can seem high, but it’s manageable if you know what to expect before the initial purchase of the swimming pool. At Blue Haven Pools of Tulsa, we’d love to help you through every step of your pool purchase, and answer any questions you may have. For more information on what to expect after the installation of a pool, view our inground pool maintenance guide, and contact us today.