Owning a swimming pool is fun. It’s on the wish list for any homeowner who has a backyard.
Even if you don’t know how to swim, who doesn’t enjoy a good dip in the pool on a hot summer day. Right?
There are so many reasons why having a swimming pool in your backyard is rewarding.
Pool party anyone?
It’s not all just fun and games
For most of us, a pool, more or less, is a big hole in the ground filled with water. It is easy to forget pool maintenance; it’s a chore. But overlook regular maintenance for too long, and you’ll wind up with spending a lot of money to fix it.
But it doesn’t come without it’s fair share of responsibilities. Pool ownership is a privilege for many homeowners — it’s an expensive investment and should be treated with utmost care.
Regular pool maintenance is one of the best ways to make sure your pool is in its best condition year after year.
Most people hire pool service companies to maintain their pool — usually weekly monitoring of water levels, pool cleaning, and checking for signs of wear and tear.
But if you have the time and experience to care for your own pool, then you’ll save $50 to $80 per week by doing it yourself.
At some point in your pools lifespan, it will need some kind of repair. The type of repair is unpredictable; depending on how often you use the pool, how you maintain it, and what type of pool you have — but repairs is part of pool ownership.
If you are a homeowner with a pool, or thinking of installing a new pool, there are a list of pool repairs that you need to be aware of.
Some of these repairs are costly. Others might be a simple fix. While many will be an out of pocket expense, there are certain pool parts that are covered by your home owner’s insurance policy.
If an expensive repair is needed, for instance, changing your pump, make sure you call your home owner’s insurance company to find out if anything is covered.
Filter Changes & Cleanings
Experts recommend changing your pool filter paper annually. The actual filter itself should last for 20 years and can withstand the daily wear and tear of the heavy lifting by removing particles down to very small sizes, which improves the efficacy of your sanitizer, and helps to keep pool water balanced.
Changing a new filter can be expensive. A decent pool filter costs around $600 for a new unit.
It is advised to clean your filter once a month. If it’s clogged, all you need to do is reach in and unclog it — and it’ll be humming smoothly again.
Pump Changes & Cleanings
The heart of the pool — the water pump.
A swimming pool pump uses centrifugal force to push pool water. It relies on atmospheric pressure to move water from the swimming pool down the plumbing to the pool pump
In physics, centrifugal force is the force that makes objects move outward when they are spinning around something or traveling in a curve. The juice is extracted by centrifugal force.
A new pool pump ranges from $150 to $800 depending on the type.
Heater Repairs
If you have a heated pool, you’re one of the luck homeowner who can enjoy your pull all year round, for the most part.
But that comes at a higher cost of ownership.
While the average lifespan of a pool heater is 7 – 10 years, it is not uncommon for pool heating systems to require repairs within 3 years.
Swimming pool heaters are the most complicated equipment on your pool. Whether it’s gas or electric, it consists of many parts that can be costly to replace.
The average cost to repair a swimming pool heater will run you $400 to $600.
This will vary depending on the Simi Valley local repair pricing.
Automatic Pool Cleaners
If you are cleaning your pool by hand, then it’s time to invest in an automatic pool cleaner. Go to the store now!
Seriously, it’s one of the best investment you’ll make. There are many pool stores in Simi Valley where you can pick one from the store.
If you don’t know what a telescoping pole or skimmer is – then you already have an automatic pool cleaner doing the dirty work for you.
You have basically one of three types of automatic pool cleaners — pressure-side, suction-side, and robotic.
We have a robotic pool cleaner for our pool. And from experience, it lasts between 3 to 5 years. If your automatic cleaner isn’t working, most of the time you just need to replace parts you can buy from a local pool store.
Valve Repair & Replacements
In a nutshell, pool valves control the direction of water flow, to and from the pool.
Pool valves are relatively inexpensive.
The cost to repair or replace pool valves vary by brand. To be sure of which valve you need, consult with your pool maintenance guy — which will determine which part you need to buy at the pool store.
Timer Repairs & Replacements
They may not have invented a remote for you to turn your pool pump on or off yet. So until then, you’ll just have to get by with a pool timer. There are automatic control systems that have apps allowing to to control your pool functions — but that does costs more money.
A timer has limited function — actually just one, as far as I am aware of. It improves your pools overall efficiency by reducing the time it takes to manually maintain your pool
Timers cost between $40 to $100 to replace.
Automatic Control Systems
A pool automatic control system does all the heavy lifting by automating sanitizing, balancing pH, cleaning and filtration, among other things.
An automatic control system costs hundreds to thousands of dollars; but it takes away practically your need to tend to your pool so you can enjoy it more.
It is easy to forget what goes on behind the scene with such intelligent systems. Repairing such systems will require specialized skills — so you might have call the manufacturer so they send a technician to address your issue.
But with technology advancements improving at the speed of light, there is a likelihood that the company that installs your ACS for you can diagnose the problem remotely and maybe even fix the issue with a software update.
Now that’s a good reason to consider an automatic control system. Something to think about.
Chlorinators
Most residential chlorinators lasts approximately 10,000 hours or 3 to 5 years, depending on the size of your pool.
Pool chlorinators use either chlorine tablets or sticks to sanitize your water and slowly disperse them into your pool so your water is always sparkling clean and bacteria free.
The four main types of chlorinators include floating chlorinators, tablet chlorinators, salt chlorinators, and automatic chlorinators.
Most people have the floating or tablet chlorinators. Those are inexpensive to replace.
But you will need expert repair service if you are using a high tech automatic system. The labor costs could run you $100 to $500 or more if you need to replace parts.
LED Pool Lights
A well designed pool with the proper LED lighting can bring your backyard to life.
The number of lights you have illuminating your pool depends on the size of your pool. There’s not much needed to maintain your pool lights.
The replacement cost of a LED pool light runs $150 to $650. Additionally, labor cost could add another $100 to $400.
Your total pool light repair costs will range from $250 to $1,150.
Equipment Leaks
Leaky pool is never a good sign for any home owner. If you noticed water leaking from your pool equipment, or anywhere else, you need to contact a pool repair service in Simi Valley right away.
Why? Escaping water means your pump will need to push more water into your pull. But the leakage will prevent the pool from being filled up properly.
Before you know it, your next water bill could be a sticker shock. Trust me. I’ve experienced it myself. It was a financial blow.
Here’s the good news. Homeowners insurance usually help pay for leaky equipment — if it’s a part covered by your policy.
Depending on what is causing the leak, your repair costs could run hundreds of dollars.
To have a good idea of what the leak is caused by and how much it costs to fix it, get a quote from a Simi Valley pool service or plumber; as they will have the equipment to detect the leak and experience to fix it.
Safety Valve Release Systems
This is a fail-safe mechanism that stops the pool pump suction so that any object trapped against the suction can be freed.
Main Drain Replacements
A pool’s main drain is not exactly a drain thatyou use to drain the pool.
It’s an actual outlet at the lowest point of the pool’s bottom, housing a pipe that runs to the pump that sucks the water through a filter and back to the pool from inlets.
It keeps the bottom of the pool clean by sucking heavy particulate matter that sinks to a pool’s bottom through a main drain.
Plumbing leaks caused by a pool’s main drain can be difficult to find and costlier to fix.
Call in a professional plumber and get a quote on the repairs. In fact, getting multiple quotes from Simi Valley plumbers can save you some money to make your shopping around worthwhile.
One-Time Cleanings
One time pool cleanings run $75 to $100 per hour and generally takes 3 hours, depending on the size of your pool.
If your pool is so murky that you can’t even see the bottom, then you will require a drain and clean services.
That means your pool will be emptied so it can be scrubbed and cleaned to restore it back to normal.
That costs $500 to $600 to get the job done.
General Pool Inspections
Usually a one-time expense; a standard requirement when purchasing a new home.
A typical pool inspection might cost a few hundred dollars.
However, highly experienced pool inspectors with more specific knowledge may charge a higher fee, perhaps as much as $600.
As part of the pool inspection, your inspector will check plumbing, electrical and engineering to make sure everything is in good condition.
While most pools are not expected to have major issues, it’s a precautionary step to make sure the previous owner has maintained the pool in tip-top condition.
Mastic Replacements
Pool mastic generally refers to the seal from your inground pool’s edge.
Mastic is a waterproof, putty-like adhesive providing a firm, flexible, waterproof seal between the concrete sections surrounding the pool.
You can purchase this pool mastic at your local Home Depot or any hardware store.
Here in Simi Valley, you can buy pool mastic at the local DIY Home Center.
Whether you want to apply the pool mastic yourself or hire help, it is time consuming especially if you removing the old mastic before applying the new sealant.
Acid Washes
If it comes to this, your pool has become a “black lagoon,” — it starts to look unusually black or green.
For a pool measuring approximately 500 square feet, the costs for an acid wash range from a $170 to $260.
This price includes the cost of the labor and all of the necessary chemicals.
Pool experts recommend acid-washing every five to seven years. Doing it too often will cause the plaster coating of your pool to peel off every time you bleach it.
If you intend to clean your own pool, then your only expenses are the various chemicals, which cost around $30.
Wrapping it up
Most pool repairs are minor. Where it gets pricey is when the minor issues don’t get addressed immediately and getting out of control later on.
It’s easy to find a pool repair service company in Simi Valley. There are many reputable pool companies that can help you with any pool repair you need.
You’ve got a telescoping pole, a stiff pool brush for scrubbing, a skimmer, and a vacuum. You balance your pool water, keep algae at bay, and—most importantly—you enjoy your pool.
There’s is price of labor which can be an additional $80 to $200.
