Pool electricity and water cost?

[aigel]

How much utility cost do I have to expect to run a pool? Just utilities, not chemicals, maintenance etc. Electricity to run the pump and water? No heating and running probably 9 months out of the year in LA.

TIA

George

[azasadny]

In our area, it's about a dollar a day to run the filter for a 10,000 gallon pool and the water costs about $20 a summer to keep it topped off and get it completely full in the spring.

Our 500 gallon hot tub was a dollar a day to heat and run the pumps.

[aigel]

Thanks Art - I'd rather have a hot tub than fill up the yard with a pool. That said, how much is a kWh in your area? I think this may easily be triple the price in CA.

Cheers,

George

[Zeke]

Used to be what Art said, but now we get surcharged for usage over the historical amount. The only thing I can say is talk to the power co. They have programs. One will be in the near future to run the pump at night (when you don't need it )

[azasadny]

I'll get our $ per kWh for you. The hot tub was definitely better than the pool! Ours died but we'll get another some day. When the pool dies, we will not get another...

[madmmac]

A lot depends on the type and size of the pump. 1hp, 2hp, single speed, dual speed, or variable.

You want to turn the pool over(recirc the entire gallonage) of the pool at least 1 1/2 times per day in around 6-8 hours....generally.

My pool in Az is about 24,000 gallons running a 2hp pump with solar heating and a couple of blade waterfalls runs about 30-60 bucks a month.

The pool only runs 5 hours a day from November thru February. Then 12 hours a day thereafter.

Water usage is right around the maximum usage before the surcharge for higher gallons.

[Joeaksa]

I do not run mine as long as Mac above and estimate costs to be about a buck or two a month. Mine is 13,000 gallons and run the pump 2-3 hours until May then 4-5 hours until Sept.

That will change in another month or so when I go full solar on the house and pool, then will run the pump a bit longer as the electricity I get from the sun is cheaper.

If you do get a pool, please oh please make sure you do not get a hot tub built in. People forget that if you have an hot tub that shares the water with the pool that then you have to heat the entire pool water to get the hot tub hot. Friends of mine have one of these and after their first $500+ utility bill for the hot tub they have not used it since!

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

I do not run mine as long as Mac above and estimate costs to be about a buck or two a month. Mine is 13,000 gallons and run the pump 2-3 hours until May then 4-5 hours until Sept.

That will change in another month or so when I go full solar on the house and pool, then will run the pump a bit longer as the electricity I get from the sun is cheaper.

If you do get a pool, please oh please make sure you do not get a hot tub built in. People forget that if you have an hot tub that shares the water with the pool that then you have to heat the entire pool water to get the hot tub hot. Friends of mine have one of these and after their first $500+ utility bill for the hot tub they have not used it since!

Joe, I have a hot tub built into the pool and it does not heat the entire pool. Mine has valves which stop pool circulation when the system is in SPA mode. The water only circulates in the hot tub.

[Joeaksa]

James,

Whoever built your pool is smarter than the folks who did this one!

[red-beard]

To estimate the cost of running your pool pump(s):

746 watts per Horsepower and most of these pumps are 85% efficient. -> 0.746/0.85= 0.88

pump hp * 0.88 * hours per day * 30 * cost of electricty ($/kWh)

for me: 27,000 gallon pool

1 hp pump * 0.88 10 * * 30 * 0.089 = $23.496 per month.

but I also have a second 1/2 horse pump which runs 2 hours per day = $2.3496 per month

[sammyg2]

I have two pumps, the main is variable speed and then I have a booster pump for cleaning.

I run the main 10 hours a day for the chlorine generator and it costs me about $35 to $40 a month in sparktricity (best guess). I keep a cover on the pool most of the time so I don't notice any increase in water $$.

If you are thinking about putting in a pool, don't do it.
Worst investment I ever made. I kept saying no for years, the wife and kids kept pressuring me.
I told them they'd use it for a year or two then lose interest, after that they'd only use it a couple times a year and I'd have to pay for it and maintain it.
They told me I was wrong, they'd use it all the time. I finally caved against my better judgement.

Guess who was right?

I should have put in one of those above ground pools, that way I could get rid of it after the novelty wore off.

[Rick Lee]

I swim every night from late April through late September, so it's totally worth it to me. But then I'd only ever buy a house that already has a pool, wouldn't put a pool in one. My pool is 10k gal. I run the pump four hrs. per night, starting at midnight from October through April. Thereafter it's six hrs. a night. I don't know what portion of my electric bill goes to the pool, but my a/c runs all the time from June through Sept. Max bill ever was $360 for a 2500 sq/ft house and $25 of that is for garbage and recycling. I think it's a great bang for the buck.

[aigel]

Thinking about getting a house with a pool. I would not put one in. It is a minus for me - backyards in LA are already small. I'd rather pay for a nice health club with a pool than put my own.

George

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by aigel

I'd rather pay for a nice health club with a pool than put my own.

I wouldn't step foot in one of those bacteria baths if you paid me to. It's kind of nice knowing I'm just about the only person who ever swims in my pool. My wife might swim twice a season and some friends' kids once a season. I love having my own pool and star gazing in it at night.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I wouldn't step foot in one of those bacteria baths if you paid me to. It's kind of nice knowing I'm just about the only person who ever swims in my pool. My wife might swim twice a season and some friends' kids once a season. I love having my own pool and star gazing in it at night.

Great if you want to stand in there with a cold beer, but to do laps, at least in my price range, the home pools are completely useless.

George

[eastbay]

I'm in NorCal with a 26k gallon pool and run my main pump ~4hrs a day and the booster skimmer pump ~2 hours a day and the electricity is ~$60 per month. We pay .29 kwh up here
I would guess the water is around $30 per month in the summer dropping to $15 in the winter, I run no cover though.

$100-$150 per month all in with water, electricity, chemicals, consumable parts, etc. I do not heat $$ it at all.

You are always buying something for the pool.

[Jim Bremner]

Joanna and I owned a house with a pool for 13 years. we figure it cost around $125 for water,power & chemicals. We re-glassed it for $6k around year 8 We added a new heater for the hot tub around year 6 for $2,300 we replaced a pump motor around year 10 for $750 and also a pool fence for $2,300 when we moved in.
And around $300 a year for solor up keep Grand total? $34,450 Oh and my favorite dog ever! drowned in my pool.

The years that we owned the house our 4 sons stared out at 4 years old to 10. It was the right time for them to enjoy the pool. Our lot was large and the space that it sucked up wasn't bad.

[campbellcj]

Pools are kinda like boats - a hole into which you toss money. We enjoy ours a lot in the warmer months but it's definitely not an inexpensive luxury. New pumps, heater, piping, resurfacing...

Not sure what the electric bill impact is. IIRC I guesstimated $700/yr at one point. The heat is gas so that's cheap.

[HverbeckCtacey]

we get surcharged for usage over the historical amount.