Average Maintenance Costs?

[mkelley]

We're also in a community with rules -- indeed, I doubt whether you could have *more* rules than we do <bg> (over 55 communities are just paranoid, I guess). In any case, not only is solar allowed, it *has* to be allowed (due to federal energy guidelines) so I would assume the case would be true with you as well (at least if you can put the panels on your roof).

Indeed, while we need to get permission to plant a bush anywhere on our yard, and can't have a flagpole or paint our house an "unapproved" color, folks here just go ahead and install solar without asking. I suspect if you start looking around at your community you will see that is the case, that there are homes with pools that have solar panels on the roof.

[Pool_Mike]

WoW!! how in the heck are you guys only spending about 150.00 a year on the pump it-self?


I been reading off garden web and the average joe is spending at least $80.00 more a month on it's electricity bill every month.

I don't know, maybe b/c in NY or MI the summer is not as hot?

Unless I mistaken this, I feel that I will be spending at least $80-$100 additional a month just on the electric due the the pump usage

[mkelley]

That's certainly the case with me, Mike. I feel my electric bill is about $80 per month for the pump.

However, recently I've lowered the number of hours it runs and I'm hoping to cut that in half. Let's say that's so -- then $160 per season would be correct for a four month pool season (quite often the case without solar).

Before we bought the pool I understood the pump would be the biggest user of electricity next to air conditioning, and it's turned out to be the case. Then again, I have a 2 1/2hp pump (which apparently is overkill for our size pool).

Perhaps if you correctly size the pump AND run it the proper number of hours to clean the pool without over running it, then you can keep your costs down.