Pool owners - how much added electricity cost

[spidey07]

Just trying to get an idea for a pretty good sized inground pool how much extra it would cost. For a residential pool on the largish size how much does it actually add? I don't know total gallons but I would consider it on the large end of a residential pool. Do you have to keep the pumps/jets going 24x7?

It's not heated, is it really that big of a deal to heat it?

 

[thescreensavers]

heating a pool will cost allot, if you can get solar pool heater do it, it has a short ROI

 

[jupiter57]

I have an 18' x 33' x 52"D above ground.
Filter Pump running 24/7 = ~$100 mo. added Elec. cost.
Chemicals = $30 mo.
No heat, no solar cover.

 

[olds]

It's a big deal to heat it.
Pumps are on a timer depending on volume of pool and capacity of filter.

 

[arcenite]

don't forget the cost of taxes AFAIK inground pool increase property taxes. At least in this casino of a state.

edited for wtf grammer

 

[GuitarDaddy]

For a large inground residential pool your looking at 200-300 a month in elec/chems, not sure about a heater but I image in would use a lot of juice in cold weather.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I have a 17,000gal pool with one of those efficient Pentair vairable speed pumps. I run it 12 hours/day in summer and 6/day in dead winter. Electricity is around $.12/kwh in Las Vegas. I estimate averaged across the year it costs me about $40-60/month to run it.

 

[spidey07]

I have a 17,000gal pool with one of those efficient Pentair vairable speed pumps. I run it 12 hours/day in summer and 6/day in dead winter. Electricity is around $.12/kwh in Las Vegas. I estimate averaged across the year it costs me about $40-60/month to run it.

Thanks, those kind of hard numbers help.

 

[BoomerD]

Here, a pool similar to the Rev's would cost at least $100/month...and $200-$300 during the summer.

Assholes at the public utility that provides our electricity just jacked the rates again. Top tier is now $0.18+/Kwh.

Summer
(May – September)
Fixed Monthly ......................... $12.50
Electric Usage (per kWh): Electric Usage (per kWh):
First 500 kWh ........... $0.1649
Over 500 kWh ........... $0.1808

Winter
(October – April)
Fixed Monthly ......................... $12.50
First 500 kWh ........... $0.1367
Over 500 kWh ........... $0.1498

When we first moved to the area in 1987, we had the lowest electric rates in California...and among the lowest on the west coast. Not so anymore.

 

[spidey07]

I have an 18' x 33' x 52"D above ground.
Filter Pump running 24/7 = ~$100 mo. added Elec. cost.
Chemicals = $30 mo.
No heat, no solar cover.

Thank you, we're both in KY so the rates should be about the same.

Can I assume it would be less with an inground?

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Also the size of the pool doesn't really matter, per se, other than setting a minimum number of hours the pump should be run. The way my pump is *supposed* to work is you calibrate it to a low setting that turns all the water over once over the course of about 6 hours. However, in Las Vegas with the intense heat, dust, the wind constantly blowing shit into my pool, my inefficient sand filter and my pool's specific tendency to rapidly accumulate phosphates and nitrates, it's completely unrealistic. It also isn't enough to power a suction driven kreepy in efficiency mode. That said, it still uses a tiny bit less energy than my old crappy fixed speed pump did while providing a lot more power. Ultimately you will have to determine through trial and error how many hours a day the pump needs to run based on your unique conditions.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Spidey - Best pool site around:

http://www.troublefreepool.com/

 

[blurredvision]

I have an 18' x 33' x 52"D above ground.
Filter Pump running 24/7 = ~$100 mo. added Elec. cost.
Chemicals = $30 mo.
No heat, no solar cover.

Wow, really? I had a 21' round x 55"D above ground pool installed 3 years ago. During the summer months, the pump runs 24/7 and it maybe added $5/month onto my electricity bill, definitely no more than $10/month. $100/month, even for your size pool, sounds a little outrageous.

I'm on KU, though, which is probably one of the cheaper providers in the area.

 

[xSauronx]

when you guys talk chemicals are you talking traditional chemicals or salt? my parents put an in-ground pool in last year and went with salt. i love it way more than any chem treated pool and i dont think my dad has to add salt to it that often

 

[lupi]

Thank you, we're both in KY so the rates should be about the same.

Can I assume it would be less with an inground?

he's not running heat so location shouldn't matter.

 

[cardiac]

Another awesome forum for pools: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/index.php.

My pool has about 14,000 gallons, and it adds roughly $55 a month to the electric bill here in Indiana. I run it 12 hours a day on a timer. On 4 hours, off 4 hours. Works for me. I buy all my chemicals at Dollar General. 1 1/2 gallon jugs of 6% sodium hyperclorite (Plain bleach), boxes of Borax, along with baking soda. Only thing I ever buy at the pool store is CYA, which is only once every 2-3 years.... Do a search on google for the BBB pool method (Bleach, borax, baking soda). I have the cleanest clearest, pool around....

Bob

 

[Fear No Evil]

when you guys talk chemicals are you talking traditional chemicals or salt? my parents put an in-ground pool in last year and went with salt. i love it way more than any chem treated pool and i dont think my dad has to add salt to it that often

People seem to think salt water pools don't use chemicals. Salt water pools work by breaking the salt down into its components.. one of them being chlorine. AKA bleach. You are swimming in the same amount of chlorine with a salt water pool as someone who uses liquid chlorine or trichlor pucks. The salt does tend to make the water 'feel' a bit better for people but the chemicals are the same.

 

[slag]

People seem to think salt water pools don't use chemicals. Salt water pools work by breaking the salt down into its components.. one of them being chlorine. AKA bleach. You are swimming in the same amount of chlorine with a salt water pool as someone who uses liquid chlorine or trichlor pucks. The salt does tend to make the water 'feel' a bit better for people but the chemicals are the same.

It also softens the water which makes the water feel better. I have a saltwater setup on an above ground pool and the water does feel better, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Like you said, it uses salt, and ph up or ph down. You dont have to buy those large chlorine pucks or use a floater, just cheap old high grade salt and thats all you need.

 

[alkemyst]

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_a_saltwater_swimming_pool

 

[iGas]

It depends on many factors.

Size of pool, solar heat, and/or electric/heat pump/gas, how often do you keep the pool cover on, and climate that you live in.

IMHO, the average heated pool cost $2000~3000 a year for upkeep: energy, chemical, and maintenance.

 

[Bryf50]

Spidey - Best pool site around:

http://www.troublefreepool.com/

Love that site. Following their instruction, this summer I started using the Bleach, Baking Soda, and Borax method and keeping a close eye on the chemical balance. The water is just insanely clear. You can see straight to the bottom like looking through a window.

 

[spidey07]

Another awesome forum for pools: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/index.php.

My pool has about 14,000 gallons, and it adds roughly $55 a month to the electric bill here in Indiana. I run it 12 hours a day on a timer. On 4 hours, off 4 hours. Works for me. I buy all my chemicals at Dollar General. 1 1/2 gallon jugs of 6% sodium hyperclorite (Plain bleach), boxes of Borax, along with baking soda. Only thing I ever buy at the pool store is CYA, which is only once every 2-3 years.... Do a search on google for the BBB pool method (Bleach, borax, baking soda). I have the cleanest clearest, pool around....

Bob

Thanks a ton. I'm trying really hard not to get emotionally attached to this house we want.

Pool even has whirlpool seats on one side.

 

[Tsaico]

Thanks a ton. I'm trying really hard not to get emotionally attached to this house we want.

Pool even has whirlpool seats on one side.

That is a good idea. I got emotionally attached to the pool that was in the place I was looking and it cost me more than I was was looking to spend at the time. But, then again, I have loved my house ever since...

Oh, as side note, I think it is about 80 bucks for me to run my pumps and they are 8 hours a day for summer, and 6 for winter. Solar heating here and salt pool. Similar size to the others here, about 15000 gal. Salts is pretty cheap, but the overall maintenance is about the same. While other folk say it is cheaper to maintain, there are certain things that will wear out in a salt pool and there is no chlorine equivalent, such as the "salt cell", which is what produces the chlorine from the salt. It has a life of so many gallons a minute, so the more your run your pump, the fast it will need to be cleaned or replaced. It runs me about 700 bucks to replace, and my pool was about 5 years old. The previous owner didn't care for it properly, so I am sure it died faster than it should have, but even then the manufacturer says it should have a life of 7-10 years. Not to mention certain joints and seals/pumps will wear out faster too. While not a huge shorten of lifespan, I would imagine over the life of the pool, replacing them 25% more often will add up.

My main reason for the saline is it really is easier on the skin and eyes. I have a nephew who has skin sensitivities, and chlorinated pool water will make him break out in a minor rash, where as mine doesn't do anything. Also, I do not have to store any chemicals, as the salt never leaves the pool unless it is leaking. So the only time I have to add anything is for balancing and the occasional bag of salt to cover things like splash out, but not in large quantities as the water in the pool is now three years "old", and the salt level is still good.

 

[PingSpike]

The best kind of pool is an above ground pool because when you get sick of spending tons of time and money taking care of a pool you hardly ever swim in you can just take it to the dump.

 

[FiLeZz]

Salt pools for the WIN. This really helped me maintain a clean clear pool.
With alot less on the chemical costs. It generates Clorine. Clorine is a killer cost in FL due to all the rain. I always had to add it every other day with all the summer heavy showers.

I think mine adds about $100 during the summer for electric.
Mine is also a 17,000 gallon pool.