3 Ways to Make the Pool of Your Dreams Fit into Your Tight Budget
If you dream of installing a pool in your backyard but haven't yet hired a pool contractor to install one, then you may be worried that pool-maintenance costs will take a chunk of your monthly budget that you will not be able to afford. While the average cost of monthly pool maintenance, even when professionally performed, can be as little as $50, there are many ways that you can cut long-term pool maintenance costs down even further just by requesting a few special features from your pool contractor before installation. Read on to learn about easy ways to help the pool of your dreams fit into your tight budget.
1. Smaller Pools Fit Better into Smaller Budgets
If you dream of a deep lap pool, then there are other ways to cut long-term pool costs down, but if you just want a pool to cool off in on those hot days, then realize that small pools can be very affordable to maintain. However, the key to reducing pool upkeep costs is not necessarily choosing a pool that is smaller in diameter but instead focusing on keeping the number of gallons of water the pool holds down.
While decreasing the diameter of your pool can naturally lead to a pool that holds fewer gallons of water, if you want a pool you can swim laps in without breaking your budget, then you can instead go for a pool that is large in diameter yet shallow. You can swim laps in a pool as shallow as four feet deep.
How does less water help you save money? Much of the long-term cost of a pool is investment in chemicals to keep the water sterile and at the right pH, and you naturally need less of these chemicals when you are treating less water. Your pool pump also won't have to work as hard as it would if you had a larger pool.
2. Variable-Speed Pool Pumps Save Electricity
No matter what size pool you decide on, a variable-speed pool pump will save you lots of cash on electricity. Pool pumps come in three standard designs—single speed, dual speed, and variable speed. While they cost slightly more upfront, when you choose a variable-speed pump instead of a single-speed pump, you can spend 83 percent less on electricity every year than you would spend on it if you chose a single-speed pump for your pool.
Not only do these pumps use less electricity than single-speed pumps, but they stay in good shape much longer, run more quietly, and clean your pool more efficiently.
So if you have shied away from getting a pool due to your neighbor's loud pool pump that they complain is an energy hog, then you may want to ask them what type of pump their pool has, and don't be surprised if it is a single-speed pump!
Variable-speed pumps are actually so energy efficient that many states are actually providing rebates to consumers who purchase them. You can find out whether they are offered in your area by checking out the Energystar.gov website.
3. Ozone Pool Purifiers Reduce Chemical Needs
Another way to reduce your pool's need for chemical sanitizing agents and pH adjusters is to have your pool contractor install an ozone water purifier during pool installation. Ozone generators produce ozone gas by creating a natural chemical reaction using the oxygen in air, so they never have to be filled with chemicals or any other sanitizing agents. They simply pull oxygen from the air, turn molecules of the oxygen into ozone, and then pump them into your pool water.
The ozone, or O3, they pump into your pool helps to naturally adjust the pool pH and kill bacteria by oxidizing it. While an ozone generator cannot completely replace chlorine and other pool-sanitizing chemicals, most pool owners find that they need to use about half as much of these chemicals once they have ozone generators connected to their pools.
If you would love to have a pool in your backyard, but you fear that it will be costly to run, then keep in mind that as technology is advancing, the cost of maintaining a pool is getting much more affordable. Once you reach out to a pool contractor, they can give you other tips on how to install a pool that is energy efficient and fits into your budget perfectly.