[Marioni888]

we have recently hired Pool Service to come clean and maintain our pool.
Cost is 105 $ every month , and filter cleaning every 3 months is extra 45 $.


I have asked them if they can reduce that price if I clean my pool myself, so they come only for chemicals . They said they will reduce by 10 $, so monthly fee only for chemicals will be 95 $.


Does this sound like a reasonable price ?


I'm only concerned about one thing, he said everyone at some point during summer days gets the algae and if that happens he knows what to do.
But isn't the reason to hire pool guy to prevent algae?

[hotjambalaya]

I pay $120 a month. No idea about filter cleaning, I assume that's part of it though!

[Cold Warrior]

everyone at some point during summer days gets the algae

I don't. Find a pool service that doesn't 'get the algae'.

[ND_Irish]

Originally Posted by Marioni888

we have recently hired Pool Service to come clean and maintain our pool.
Cost is 105 $ every month , and filter cleaning every 3 months is extra 45 $.


I have asked them if they can reduce that price if I clean my pool myself, so they come only for chemicals . They said they will reduce by 10 $, so monthly fee only for chemicals will be 95 $.


Does this sound like a reasonable price ?


I'm only concerned about one thing, he said everyone at some point during summer days gets the algae and if that happens he knows what to do.
But isn't the reason to hire pool guy to prevent algae?

If you already are willing to clean the pool, that is the bulk of the labor. The chemistry is the least labor intensive part of the job, in my opinion. You can buy a Taylor pool testing kit from Amazon, and if you are comfortable handling the chemistry part of the maintenance, you should be able to maintain the pool on your own.

I paid a company almost that same amount per month for weekly pool cleaning and maintenance. While the company was good at first, personnel changed, and quality declined. I took over two years ago, and I will not let anyone else maintain my pool. I have let my pool go for over two weeks in warm months while traveling, and I have not come back to a green pool or one with visible algae. Of course, after being gone for that length of time, the pH needs to be adjusted, and the pool typically needs some cleaning. I do use a salt chlorinator which helps keep the maintenance down provided you periodically inspect the cell to ensure it is working efficiently and is not clogged with calcium deposits. Finally, I find that I do not spend anywhere near $1,200 per year in time and materials to maintain the pool myself.

[qingguy]

Originally Posted by ND_Irish

If you already are willing to clean the pool, that is the bulk of the labor. The chemistry is the least labor intensive part of the job, in my opinion. You can buy a Taylor pool testing kit from Amazon, and if you are comfortable handling the chemistry part of the maintenance, you should be able to maintain the pool on your own.

I paid a company almost that same amount per month for weekly pool cleaning and maintenance. While the company was good at first, personnel changed, and quality declined. I took over two years ago, and I will not let anyone else maintain my pool. I have let my pool go for over two weeks in warm months while traveling, and I have not come back to a green pool or one with visible algae. Of course, after being gone for that length of time, the pH needs to be adjusted, and the pool typically needs some cleaning. I do use a salt chlorinator which helps keep the maintenance down provided you periodically inspect the cell to ensure it is working efficiently and is not clogged with calcium deposits. Finally, I find that I do not spend anywhere near $1,200 per year in time and materials to maintain the pool myself.

Ditto, I believe I use the same method as ND_Irish and I spend about 30 minutes a week maintaining my pool. I test three times a week (could probably cut this back), add acid two to three times a week depending on test results and during off season when my salt chlorinator is out I add bleach at the same time as my acid if needed. I brush my pool (son does) once a week and I turn my vac cleaner on once a week. Oh, I empty my skimmers too about every other week, takes all of 5 minutes tops.

Other than the above I clean my filters twice a season which takes about one hour each time.

But to answer your original question, having spoken with someone last week who hired a pool guy after speaking with four, 95 seems like an average price.

[yellowsnow]

There is no way I spend even close $100 per month on chemicals. Never! Learn to do it yourself!

[MediocreButArrogant]

I stopped using a pool service several years ago for a couple reasons. The main reason was that during swimming season, I'm doing a little cleaning, testing the water, and adjusting the chemicals every day, or every couple days. In that case, what do I need with a pool guy who's only coming once a week? Second, most of them don't know squat about pool water chemistry, and only know how to throw in pucks and shock until your CYA level is so high your only choice is a drain and fill. No thanks.

[AA702]

Originally Posted by MediocreButArrogant

I stopped using a pool service several years ago for a couple reasons. The main reason was that during swimming season, I'm doing a little cleaning, testing the water, and adjusting the chemicals every day, or every couple days. In that case, what do I need with a pool guy who's only coming once a week? Second, most of them don't know squat about pool water chemistry, and only know how to throw in pucks and shock until your CYA level is so high your only choice is a drain and fill. No thanks.

There are some pool guys that know what they are doing. Just like most people, only a few are really informed. There are enzymes now that reduce CYA and they work. Not all pools are the same, some pools have a sand or D.E. filter that you can backwash and that is will control CYA if people are using tablets. There are a lot of commercial pools in the valley that use tabs but the CYA is controlled by the backwash process. I added a backwash valve on my pool for 2 reasons (take water out to control CYA and TDS, being able to Vacuum directly to waste and bypass my cartridge filter when the pool is really dirty).

People who have salt pools, well there is a machine now that you can buy and you can make any pool use salt water generated chlorine. The system produces chlorine via salt that is in its own tank and out comes chlorinated water. No need to add salt to your pool and make it an alkaline body of water that has some side effects.

[Tornado Baby]

We pay $25 a week for everything, and filter cleaning. And I don't have to haul buckets of tabs. Worth it to us!

[OmegaSupreme]

Originally Posted by Tornado Baby

We pay $25 a week for everything, and filter cleaning. And I don't have to haul buckets of tabs. Worth it to us!

You should almost never be using tabs anyway, liquid chlorine aka bleach is what you use... this is the reason you pay 5x more than a diyer who spends 20 min/week tending their pool