Do You Regret Putting In A Pool?
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Are you a home owner who is considering to have a swimming pool installed...but you are worried about whether you are going to regret it or not? This is almost a rite of passage for new pool owners. When you are making huge, expensive and permanent changes to your real estate you definitely want to be sure you are making the right decision. Swimming pools represent sort of a worst case scenario since they are a permanent change to the home but they also tie you to maintenance and repair schedules indefinitely moving forward. Along these lines it would not make a lot of sense to pay to have a pool installed if you are planning on spending next summer in Europe. That is unless you don't mind paying for a pool sitter since pools need regular maintenance and repairs whether you are actually swimming it or not.
So the first point to consider when you are on the fence about getting a pool is simply the commitment angle. Pools are too much money to get one and not use it so you need to decide in advance whether you intend to use it regularly or not. Having young children is a great reason to invest in a pool but interestingly is also the number one reason why people don't get a pool also. Pools can provide decades of family fun and entertainment but the responsibility of the pool owner to ensure access to the pool area is restricted to children can not be overstated. If you are going to have a pool installed then you need to be able to commit to ensuring a safe pool area at all times moving forward. Pools can not be safe some of the time. They must be safe all of the time.
Pools cost a lot to install - There is no getting around the fact that having a swimming pool installed costs a lot of money. The first thing to do is list out your "must have" items and then your "want" items to determine how much you can reduce your costs just by changing the options your pool is equipped with. Next, when you start to look at the amount of fun and entertainment you can have with a backyard pool the total cost starts to look a lot more reasonable. Most commonly the cost of pools is compared against luxury purchases like expensive toys or sports cars, as well as vacation properties or just vacation travel in general. Along those lines a new pool installation budget again starts to look normalized, especially when you consider that you will always have it. Very few luxury purchases are something that you have access to / can use daily and last for decades like you can with a swimming pool.
Pools are expensive to maintain / fix - The cost to maintain a swimming pool is probably less than you are thinking and much of the larger costs for day to day maintenance relate to heating of the water, which is not compulsory. The amount of money needed to run a variable speed filtration pump and add some basic chemicals to maintain the chemistry is very little now that the cost of electricity is so much less than it used to be with single speed pool pumps. Knowing that pools need regular upkeep means that you should have an ongoing monthly "pool repairs budget" so that when the time comes to replace a pump or filter, or overhaul the pool completely, you have access to some funds already. The secret to keeping your repair bills low, especially unexpected repair bills, is simply to care for the pool, brush and scoop, and balance the water chemistry regularly. To see what is involved take a look at this pool chemistry crash course.
Pools take a lot of work - Pools do not actually take all that much work once you know what you are doing with the maintenance and water chemistry. Further to this modern day swimming pools are overflowing with options that make day to day care easier like in-floor cleaning systems, automatic pool covers, sanitizer and pH testing and delivery systems...it has never been easier to take care of a backyard pool. If you want to reduce your workload with a new pool installation the absolute best thing you can do is invest in learning as much as you can about the water chemistry aspect of things. Knowing what the different chemical values are, and should be, is a critical component in feeling comfortable with your pool ownership as well as minimizing the amount of time you have to spend working on the pool as opposed to enjoying it. A few minutes a few times per week is all an average pool should need once you know what you are doing. Plus some periodic additional work like filter cleaning or opening / closing in seasonal areas.
How do you avoid regretting having a pool installed? That is easy - just go in with your eyes open about pool ownership and know that you need to take ownership of the chemical maintenance in particular. The number one cause for early component failure in swimming pool systems is poor water chemistry. It is not all that hard, but if you underappreciate how important water chemistry is and allow the pool to live in a perpetual state of imbalance then you will experience frustrating and expensive repairs more often than a pool owner with a better understanding of water chemistry.
Some people let their car break down completely before fixing it. Other people bring the car in for repairs at the first sign (or sound) of a problem starting. Extrapolated to pool ownership it is a very bad idea to let deficiencies go for any period of time. If you see something broken (or breaking) on your pool then attend to the repairs immediately. This one act alone can probably save you from ever having a swimming pool nightmare. For more information about why this is you can read this article on swimming pool nightmares.
Vet your pool builder! - In most areas there are no requirements or trade licensing for swimming pool builders which means that absolutely anyone can avail their services as a swimming pool builder. It is critically important to protect yourself and your investment in a new pool by thoroughly interviewing your potential pool installer as well as reviewing their credentials and asking for a list of local references to contact. In many cases you might struggle to know what to ask a potential pool builder and if this is the case you might benefit from this E-book about how to hire a pool contractor.
Most of the people who go on to regret having a new pool installed will be due to a poor builder / building experience or someone who underappreciates that you need to learn water chemistry. If you end up hating your pool builder then that sounds like a guaranteed way to have a bad time. If you are at the constant mercy of the local pool store water lab because you do not understand water chemistry fundamentals then you will overspend on chemicals. If you fail to budget for future repairs and fail to maintain your pool properly then surely your pool will end up costing you more in added money and frustration. If you go in with your eyes open and ready to learn then having a new pool installed can be one of the single best purchases you ever make. Health, fun, friends and family right in your own backyard.
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool and spa specialist from Ontario Canada. With over 10,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the 2018 Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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