Owning a swimming pool is a great way to have fun with your friends and family. But pool ownership is not without expenses. There’s a lot that goes into caring for swimming pools. The pool itself needs cleaned, the water needs sanitized and balanced, equipment needs checked, and that’s the tip of the iceberg.
For many people, the chores associated with maintaining a clean and safe pool can feel like a lot. This is especially true if you work full-time and have a family. Busy people have limited time to kick back and enjoy the pool, even if it’s in their own backyard. By the time you’ve taken care of all your responsibilities and handled your swimming pool maintenance, you might lack the energy to actually enjoy the pool you’ve worked so hard for. It’s really no surprise that many choose to hire out weekly pool maintenance tasks. But how do you know if swimming pool cleaners are worth the cost?
Here at Flower Mound Pool Care & Maintenance, we understand your concerns. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to swimming pool maintenance costs. Our goal is to help you decide if hiring professional pool cleaners is worth the cost.
How much does pool service cost?
Just like with every job, swimming pool service varies in cost due to multiple factors. This is why it’s hard to nail down a precise number when you’re searching on the internet or asking your friends. Unless you can find someone with the exact same swimming pool as you, your best bet is to talk to a pool maintenance company directly. And, while that doesn’t really answer your question, we did put together a list of factors that may raise or lower pool cleaning service costs.
What factors affect the cost of cleaning your swimming pool?
- Your location
- If it’s an indoor or outdoor pool
- Type of pool
- Pool size
- Pool depth
- If there’s a spa or not
- Water features
- Usage
- If you’re providing the chemicals and equipment
- How detailed the pool cleaner is
- Any extras
- Urgency
- What day of the week you want your pool cleaned
Most pool owners end up paying between $150 and $300 depending on their swimming pool. The national average swimming pool maintenance cost is $180 per month. If you have a large pool, expect to spend more. While that may seem steep at first, take into consideration that pools that aren’t properly maintained become a breeding ground for bacteria, fungi, and viruses in as little as two weeks.
During summer months, pools are continuously exposed to things such as dirt, leaves, debris lotions, cosmetics, sweat, and urine. Not to mention the constant battle against algae. It takes a lot of work to make sure a pool is properly pH balanced and clean. Now, let’s take a look at what routine services your pool and spa need on a regular basis.
DIY Pool Maintenance
Some pool owners try to save money by maintaining their pool themselves. While this certainly is an option, it may not save as much as you might think when you add up all the expenses and time used.
Swimming pool maintenance starts with pool equipment. At the very least you’ll need a skimmer and a pool brush. In addition, you’ll need a pool vacuum. Some people choose to get a robot pool vacuum to help save time, but then you’re looking at a higher cost. To balance the water’s pH you’ll also need pH test kits and pool chemicals.
The costs of these items can vary on your area and the quality of the item you purchase. Lower cost items may be available but also may not perform as well or may need replaced more often. It’s easy to see how pool cleaning costs can add up quickly.
Swimming pool maintenance also requires some degree of skill and a definite commitment to performing the required tasks. Pool tasks can be broken down into weekly and monthly tasks.
Weekly Pool Maintenance
Every week you’ll need to make time to do the following:
- Skimming debris from the pool’s surface
- Vacuuming the bottom of the pool
- Emptying skimmer baskets
- Checking water levels
- Adding water as needed
- Checking your pool water pH level
- Adding chemicals as needed
Monthly Pool Maintenance
In addition to the weekly maintenance, you’ll also need to make time to do the following every month:
- Inspecting all pool equipment
- Checking and cleaning pool filters
- Backwashing sand and diatomaceous earth (DE) filters
- Cleaning any automatic pool cleaning systems
Depending on the size of your pool, your skill level, and your efficiency, weekly maintenance tasks can take anywhere from one to four hours.
If the pool is not adequately cleaned and cared for you can develop serious problems that are quite costly and can take days or weeks to resolve.
What Happens if I Don’t Clean My Pool Every Week?
A dirty pool can lead to recreational water illnesses or RWIs. These include but are not limited to diarrhea, ear infections, eye and lung inflammation, rashes, and respiratory infections. In addition, a dirty pool can result in slippery buildup on the ladder or steps making them a slip and fall hazard.
If algae isn’t kept at bay then your pool can develop a swampy green appearance due to algae buildup. If you end up with a green pool, then you’ll likely need to call in the professionals to balance the water and make your pool safe again.
You Don’t Have to Manage Your Pool Alone
Thankfully, if you’re worried about maintaining your pool and keeping it safe, or even if you just don’t want to spend hours upon hours cleaning it every single week, there’s a solution. You can hire a professional swimming pool cleaner. Knowing what’s at stake, it’s important to hire someone from a reputable company rather than just the kid down the street. They may seem like they know what they’re doing, and they may even do a good job at keeping your pool looking nice and free of debris, but most people would rather place their family’s safety in the hands of trained professionals.
A professional pool cleaning company trains its staff on how to keep swimming pools clean and healthy.
Flower Mound Pool Care & Maintenance Takes Pool Maintenance Services Seriously
Here at FMPC, we understand the complexities of keeping your swimming pool clean and safe. We provide top-quality pool cleaning and maintenance services to our clients.
Swimming pool service costs can vary depending on the size of the pool, the surrounding foliage, and equipment. Our weekly pool cleaning services start at $180 + tax per month. However, if you’re not in need of a full-service cleaning then we also offer chemical-only services and chemical-plus services.
Extend the Life of Your Pool with Weekly Pool Cleaning Service
Our weekly pool maintenance service is vital to extending the life of your swimming pool. Not only do we make sure your water is at the appropriate level, healthy, and disinfected, but we also make sure your pool is performing as it should be. Our highly trained service technicians will alert you if something is not working properly before it becomes a bigger issue. And, as our staff is non-commissioned, you can fully trust their recommendations.
Our 23 Point Pool Maintenance Plan
Our full-service pool maintenance service is a 23-point plan to help ensure the safety and health of your swimming pool. Here’s a look at what we provide:
Chemical Analysis and Maintenance
Our technicians will analyze your pool water to test seven important levels including the pH balance as well as chlorine, calcium hardness, alkalinity, cyanuric acid, phosphates, and salt content for saltwater pools. We’ll balance your pool using quality chemicals as needed to ensure it’s a safe environment for your friends and family.
Pool Equipment Maintenance and Service Reporting
Once the first seven steps are done, our technicians move on to your pool equipment. They will follow each of these twelve points to provide the highest level of service.
- Check and empty skimmer baskets
- Check and empty pump baskets
- Check and empty pool sweep debris bags
- Check and clean pool sweep wall screen
- Check pool sweep operation
- Monitor filter pressure
- Backwash DE and sand filters as needed
- Clean salt cells as needed for a saltwater pool
- Calibrate salt systems as needed
- Monitor and maintain valve orientation for circulation adjustments
- Visually inspect equipment and report any significant issues
- Send weekly e-mail notifications and photographs
Pool Cleaning
While our pool service company technicians are servicing your pool, they’ll also thoroughly clean it by:
- Using a pool brush
- Netting debris
- Cleaning any associated spa or hot tub
- Vacuuming
Hire a Professional Pool Company for Peace of Mind
Flower Mound Pool Care & Maintenance can help with all your inground pool needs. Not only do we provide professional pool cleaning services and regular maintenance, but our team is also experienced in handling pool repairs, pool remodeling, and even pool resurfacing.
We want you to be able to enjoy the swimming pool you’ve worked so hard for without having to worry about if it’s clean and safe for your family.
Call Flower Mound Pool Care & Maintenance today at (214) 995-3556 to learn more about our pool maintenance professionals and other services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are chlorine shocks?
If you have a chlorine pool you may have heard of the term chlorine shock. After chlorine does its job and kills bacteria or other organic materials, it creates chloramine. Chloramine is an inactive particle that simply floats around in your pool until forcefully broken apart. These chloramines are responsible for the common “pool smell” often associated with chlorine. These chloramines do more than smell, they also reduce the effectiveness of chlorine making your pool more susceptible to bacteria.
Chlorine shocks are meant to quickly raise chlorine levels to kill bacteria, algae, eliminate chloramines, and kill any other pathogens in the water. It’s common to need to shock your pool after heavy use, increased temperatures, heavy rain, or even as part of your regular maintenance routine. It’s also standard practice to shock the pool when you are opening or closing your pool for the season.
Do I really need weekly pool cleanings even when I’m not using my pool?
Even if you’re not actively using your swimming pool, you may still need regular maintenance. Chlorine loses effectiveness as it kills bacteria and pathogens. Swimming pools are naturally exposed to contaminates almost constantly. Even if you have a pool cover or an indoor pool, microscopic organisms and contaminants are most likely inside.
You should still ensure your pool isn’t getting a build up of dirt and debris such as leaves and sticks. In addition, you’ll want to test and balance the water monthly at a minimum. The last thing anyone wants is to go on vacation and come back to a sick, green pool that takes several days to get under control.
If you are taking an extended vacation, simply let us know and we can discuss keeping your regular pool maintenance schedule or shifting to a new pool service schedule until you’re ready to use your pool once more.
How much will I pay for pool chemicals?
The amount of chemicals you need depends on the size of your pool, the level of use, exposure to the elements, and a few other factors. However, the average cost of most chemicals is as follows:
- Chlorine - $55 to $130 per year
- Bromine - $30 to $50 per year
- Algaecides - $360 to $405 per year
- Clarifiers - $30 per year
- Stain or Metal Removal/Prevention - $210 to $310 per year
- Pool Shock - $340 per year
- Oil Absorbing Sponge - $5 to $10 per year
You may have additional costs for your saltwater pool due to its unique requirements. Also, keep in mind that the numbers above are just an average and may not be typical for your pool size and level of use.