# Costs in running and maintaining a pool



## Spike1306 (Jan 20, 2021)

Hi
We are looking at properties and ideally we would like our own pool but are unsure of the costs of running one.
On average from what i have been looking at the average pool size is around 8 x 4 meters.

Do you use a pool company to look after it for you or do you look after it yourself?
Heating a pool and costs per month, do you need a heated pool?

Is there much involved in maintaining your own pool?

Thanks


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Spike1306 said:


> Hi
> We are looking at properties and ideally we would like our own pool but are unsure of the costs of running one.
> On average from what i have been looking at the average pool size is around 8 x 4 meters.
> 
> ...


To be honest I don't think they are worth it. Also I think its no longer possible to have one installed in old properties (could be wrong) but Polop (where we are) don't give out permits anymore

My FIL has one and I reckon, even with us using it, lets say from July to September 2 or 3 times a week max. Other times it just collects leaves and stuff.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Barriej said:


> To be honest I don't think they are worth it. Also I think its no longer possible to have one installed in old properties (could be wrong) but Polop (where we are) don't give out permits anymore
> 
> My FIL has one and I reckon, even with us using it, lets say from July to September 2 or 3 times a week max. Other times it just collects leaves and stuff.


Agree. Ok if you want to spend lots of money heating it but the season for swimming comfortably is far too short. Have sat around ours late Sept. really hot weather but pool was only around 22C. Still have to maintain it the rest of the year too.

PS loved Polop and the mountain views. Haven’t been for decades, has it changed?


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Isobella said:


> Agree. Ok if you want to spend lots of money heating it but the season for swimming comfortably is far too short. Have sat around ours late Sept. really hot weather but pool was only around 22C. Still have to maintain it the rest of the year too.
> 
> PS loved Polop and the mountain views. Haven’t been for decades, has it changed?


From memory the FIL put the pool in around 15 years ago, he applied for a licence (both he and his partner speak good Spanish) and the Spanish builder also made sure there was a permit and it was correct.
Well they built the pool and refurbished the old generator room (there was no power at the house when they first purchased) and around 6 months later they got fined because the pool was bigger than they had submitted the plans for.
The reason was the steps into the shallow end were not included in the pool size (something that the builder checked originally) so they were issued with the fine.
They were also warned that they should not have worked on the pump room either but they were going to overlook this as long as he paid up within 30 days.

The pool is not heated and he doesn't run the pump to the pool (but Ive fitted a bypass to allow the pump to be flushed and run to keep it moving) in the winter months.
He usually cleans the pool, I do the tiles that always seem to fall off (usually in the deep end) in March, he them cycles the pump and runs the chemicals in May. the pump is run for a couple of hours a day from June and we do a water test.

Where we are (about 300m above sea level) the pool is not warm enough to swim in until early July even with the sun on it most of the day (and then its still only about 20c) Late July and August are the best times and we have swum in early October once.

I prefer the sea and we usually head down to Albir in late July onwards and swim there.

When we lived in the Uk, I swam in the sea at Shoreham where we lived from around August to September (did go in once at Easter but that was for a dare) 


Isobella,
Polop town has not changed, we have been coming here for around 17 years, before moving last year finally.
The Castle (graveyard) is still a nice place to visit and the little bar there is cosy and friendly, as are the little bars in the town.
There are some new builds (2000ish) but they don't look out of place.
There are a few Brits as well as French, German & Scandinavians
The town square (3 bars, one British owned and 2 Spanish) is now car free as we have a nice car park just round the corner.
No supermarket as such, but a fruit and veg market where the fountains are is great.
There are a couple of big urbanisations all off the CV70 and La Nucia is now the bigger of the two towns.
We live in Xirles which is a little village just outside Polop, but included in its postcode.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Barriej said:


> From memory the FIL put the pool in around 15 years ago, he applied for a licence (both he and his partner speak good Spanish) and the Spanish builder also made sure there was a permit and it was correct.
> Well they built the pool and refurbished the old generator room (there was no power at the house when they first purchased) and around 6 months later they got fined because the pool was bigger than they had submitted the plans for.
> The reason was the steps into the shallow end were not included in the pool size (something that the builder checked originally) so they were issued with the fine.
> They were also warned that they should not have worked on the pump room either but they were going to overlook this as long as he paid up within 30 days.
> ...


Thanks for that  brought back memories. The last time I was there I went with a Spanish friend whose Grandparents lived there. I know exactly when it was as the World cup was on and Pavarotti was singing Nessun Dorma as we drove up to Polop. The view ond Leon Dormido was exceptional. I can feel a trip coming on ha ha.


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

I really don't understand some of the statements on this thread. Your own pool is worth absoluteley every effort and expense it takes to maintain it. What is so difficult about fishing out some leaves, regular cleaning and maintaining the correct chemical levels? With regards to expense, on average 500€ a year will easily cover it if you maintain the pool yourself. (This includes all chemicals, filter maintenance and water evaporation). As for usage, that is very individual but I use mine usually twice a day between April and end of October (without heating) at an altitude of 380m in Andalucia but then I'm not afraid to go swiming at 20 C. So unless you don't care about privacy and your property is next to the sea, a pool is essential in my opinion.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

DonMarco said:


> I really don't understand some of the statements on this thread. Your own pool is worth absoluteley every effort and expense it takes to maintain it. What is so difficult about fishing out some leaves, regular cleaning and maintaining the correct chemical levels? With regards to expense, on average 500€ a year will easily cover it if you maintain the pool yourself. (This includes all chemicals, filter maintenance and water evaporation). As for usage, that is very individual but I use mine usually twice a day between April and end of October (without heating) at an altitude of 380m in Andalucia but then I'm not afraid to go swiming at 20 C. So unless you don't care about privacy and your property is next to the sea, a pool is essential in my opinion.


 And thats why the OP asked, so he (or she) could get some different advice. Each to their own.

The maintenance doesn't bother me either, but if I were looking at properties a pool would not be on my list of must haves. 
A nice big garage with a pit so I could work on the classic cars would have been on mine. . My wife just wanted sunshine.

I don't like swimming that much (which is my choice) and from experience, a large number of pools round here are covered for most of the year as they just are not used as much as the owners thought they would be. 
None of our friends who have them, use them for more than a month or so in summer.
We have a great public pool in La Nucia and from memory its about €7.00 a week to swim and its open all year round. The beach is 10km away.

It comes down to personal choice.

I do know, if I were looking for properties I would ask what the difference in asking price would be with and without a pool. (new pools round here cost in the region of €15,000 for a 8x4 rectangle with skimmer and pump house) if you can get the permission.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

DonMarco said:


> I really don't understand some of the statements on this thread. Your own pool is worth absoluteley every effort and expense it takes to maintain it. What is so difficult about fishing out some leaves, regular cleaning and maintaining the correct chemical levels? With regards to expense, on average 500€ a year will easily cover it if you maintain the pool yourself. (This includes all chemicals, filter maintenance and water evaporation). As for usage, that is very individual but I use mine usually twice a day between April and end of October (without heating) at an altitude of 380m in Andalucia but then I'm not afraid to go swiming at 20 C. So unless you don't care about privacy and your property is next to the sea, a pool is essential in my opinion.


I had to buy a house with a pool because that was my wife's condition for agreeing to move to Spain! We've been here for 13 years now and I agree that a pool is definitely worth the effort and cost, although I am surprised to hear that you spend €500 a year on maintenance. I doubt that I spend more than €100 a year on my 7x4 metre pool although I did spend €3,000 on a complete refurbishment four years ago (walls re-rendered with specialist water-proof product, completely re-tiled, new pump and filtration system). My house is 530m above sea-level and 25 miles as the crow flies from the coast (but over an hour's drive on winding mountain roads!). The pool water temperature in April is usually about 18c rising to 28c in July and August when the air temperature is normally in the high 30s and on occasions over 40c. Life without a pool would be pretty uncomfortable in the summer months. By the way, hundreds of thousands of Brits who take their summer holidays in UK coastal resorts swim in the sea which at best reaches 18c at the height of summer when air temperatures struggle to match our April highs!


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

TBH I wouldn't want to be without a pool if there July and August. Was in every day. I notice some hotels shut their pools around September 15th on the CDS and that is just about when I would finish swimming. I knew someone who had a great pool and they never went in unless they had family there. Everyone is different, just have to weigh up the pros and cons. Also a lot pay for someone to maintain the pool. I remember OH backwashing and once we had to buy a new pump. I think we spent about € 35 per month on those floaty things. Have heard from a few of their pools leaking. I would rarely swim in UK. even the CDS can feel cool in summer the closer you get to Gibraltar. Warmest sea for me was the Indian ocean, like a warm bath.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I am a keen swimmer (do 50 laps of the indoor public pool 2 or 3 times a week) and would never want a private pool as the vast majority are just too small to swim properly in, and I never go in just to get wet. I also want to be able to swim all year round, not just in the summer months. I can buy an annual pass for either/both of the 2 indoor pools in my municipality for €25, which can be used as many times as I like. I am hoping ours will be reopened this week as non essential activity was able to reopen yesterday and we are no longer confined to the municipality either.

Before we moved here I would happily swim in unheated hotel or apartment communal pools when on holiday, even in the winter, but the last time I did (on the Algarve in June) it just felt too cold to be comfortable.


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## Melosine (Apr 28, 2013)

10x5 pool. Chlorine tablets etc €100 pa. Top up water due to evaporation €100/ € 150 pa.
Decent automatic hoover approx €500 . However the best way is manual hoovering once a week for a max couple of hours. Certainly wouldn’t entertain living in Spain without a pool.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Lynn R said:


> I am a keen swimmer (do 50 laps of the indoor public pool 2 or 3 times a week) and would never want a private pool as the vast majority are just too small to swim properly in, and I never go in just to get wet. I also want to be able to swim all year round, not just in the summer months. I can buy an annual pass for either/both of the 2 indoor pools in my municipality for €25, which can be used as many times as I like. I am hoping ours will be reopened this week as non essential activity was able to reopen yesterday and we are no longer confined to the municipality either.
> 
> Before we moved here I would happily swim in unheated hotel or apartment communal pools when on holiday, even in the winter, but the last time I did (on the Algarve in June) it just felt too cold to be comfortable.


My wife likes to swim during the winter in the huge indoor public pool at our nearest town but she would not be without our own pool which she often jumps into during the early hours of the morning when she can't sleep on a hot summer night. I'm not much of a swimmer and tend to just dive in to cool off or take a siesta on a half-inflated Lilo with the water just lapping over the top. You can't do that in a public pool! And, of course, when the grandchildren visit (remember those days?) they amuse themselves for hours on end in the pool.


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

Yeah but c'mon you can't beat stepping out of your living room and and go for a dip any time you like starkers and then dry off on your sun bed before having breakfast in the shade next to he pool.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I am a very happy bunny today because our pools are open again from tomorrow so I can get back to my swimming. It's great that you pool owners enjoy them so much for whatever you like to use them for, but sorry I still don't share your taste for dunking myself in seriously cold water - especially in the middle of the night when I'd end up with soaking wet hair and have to wait for it to dry off before trying to go back to bed if the reason I'd got wet in the first place was because I couldn't sleep. Personally I find a tepid shower immediately before going to bed and sleeping under a ceiling fan means I sleep just fine even in the hottest weather. Sun beds? What are they? I used to sunbathe when we came on holiday and for a little while after we first moved over but the novelty wore off and I just never bother any more.


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## blondebob (Aug 16, 2019)

I always take my hairpiece off before night time dunking in my pool 😅


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## Spike1306 (Jan 20, 2021)

Thanks for all the replys. the cost to run it is a lot less than I expected which is good. We will be retired when we buy the property so maintaining it and cleaning it would not be a problem.
Th property we will be buying will have a lot of land with it, so did do a quick look at solar panels the other night to heat the pool. costs nothing once the initial outlay cost is done.
No idea what planning permision would be like for solar panels but again I found they where not that expensive. probably a darn sight cheaper than a heat pump run from electric.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Spike1306 said:


> Thanks for all the replys. the cost to run it is a lot less than I expected which is good. We will be retired when we buy the property so maintaining it and cleaning it would not be a problem.
> Th property we will be buying will have a lot of land with it, so did do a quick look at solar panels the other night to heat the pool. costs nothing once the initial outlay cost is done.
> No idea what planning permision would be like for solar panels but again I found they where not that expensive. probably a darn sight cheaper than a heat pump run from electric.



Beware the cheaper panels, as the temperature goes up they get worse at producing electric. The energy loss is exponential and will become quite serious as most units are tested and calibrated at 25c.
I have a mate in the Uk who installs solar and he used the same units here in Spain. 
On average he has found that the Uk install produces almost as much as the Spanish one due to the lower temp in the Uk (even though we have more than twice the sunny days here)

See this, its not from his webpage.









How Does Heat Affect Solar Panel Efficiencies?


Excessive heat can significantly reduce the output of a PV system. This article gives some pointers on avoiding unexpected energy loss in an array.




www.cedgreentech.com





Heat pumps are very efficient especially in warmer climates. The energy is used to pull the heat from the air (or the ground) and use it to warm water is lower than most other systems. 
We have cold/hot air con units in the flat and I ran them for a day and then the panel heaters and compared. The hot air con used about a 1/3 of the electric the panel heaters did. And the rooms were around the same temp. 

I would suggest you get someone in to give you a quote. You will need permission and permits for the solar and you may need a large array (will need convertor, switch gear as well) the heat pump can run with an existing pool setup (its like a boiler a pipe runs around the water feed transferring the heat).


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## Spike1306 (Jan 20, 2021)

Barriej said:


> Beware the cheaper panels, as the temperature goes up they get worse at producing electric. The energy loss is exponential and will become quite serious as most units are tested and calibrated at 25c.
> I have a mate in the Uk who installs solar and he used the same units here in Spain.
> On average he has found that the Uk install produces almost as much as the Spanish one due to the lower temp in the Uk (even though we have more than twice the sunny days here)
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice, I will look into it more thoroughly once we do eventually buy a home, there are so many options available now so maybe a heat pump might be the way to go. There are a lot more important things to worry about that a heated pool, going to be there long term so this is something to look into once moved in and settled


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Spike1306 said:


> Thanks for the advice, I will look into it more thoroughly once we do eventually buy a home, there are so many options available now so maybe a heat pump might be the way to go. There are a lot more important things to worry about that a heated pool, going to be there long term so this is something to look into once moved in and settled


There is a third option. Forgot about solar water heater. No panels needed just small 24v pump.
Most of the Caribbean use this to heat water and so do a lot of Mediterranean homes these days as well. 
Basically its a series of connected thin hoses (usually painted black) with a reflector behind which allows the water to heat up for free in the sun. 

The link below is for the Uk but a mate in Canada does this and in winter of temps about 15 below freezing he can heat water just with the sun to around 60c. 
He also uses the same system in micro bore tubes to produce electric (but thats another story)









Solar Water Heating - Centre for Alternative Technology


Solar water heating uses sunlight to directly heat the water you use, helping you reduce your carbon footprint. Get free tips and advice from CAT.




www.cat.org.uk


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