Though pool prices in Peachtree City can vary from one pool installer to another, the basic elements of what goes into the installation price of an in-ground pool are fairly standard. However, once installed, the day-to-day costs of pool ownership are what can make a backyard pool either a dream or a nightmare. To avoid the nightmare, it’s best to know up front, even before a pool is installed, what composes those costs and which are affected by the decisions you make at the time of installation. Pool size, surface material, pump, filter, and heater all add up to the cost of installing a new pool, but they also impact its ongoing costs over time. Pool Size Aside from the cost of additional water for a larger pool, which can be minimal, as well as the cost to heat and filter the pool, which is discussed below, a larger pool simply requires more sanitizers to keep algae growth and bacteria under control. These chemicals also maintain water clarity as well as help to reduce the occurrence of microorganisms and viruses. Basically, there are 3 chemicals to choose from and all effectively kill algae and bacteria in your pool. Chlorine is the most popular and cheapest, followed by bromine, which doesn’t have as strong an odor as chlorine. Biguanide is the most expensive, but swimmers swear by it as being best for the skin, so if you use your pool primarily for lap swimming, this may be your choice despite the cost. Surface Material Though concrete pools are the most expensive to install, they last the longest—typically decades—and need to be resurfaced only every 10 to 12 years at most. Fiberglass pools are cheaper than concrete and will last around 20 years, but cracked or chipped fiberglass pools are not only unsightly but can be hazardous. Though these pools typically don’t need to be resurfaced like concrete pools, if they crack or chip they need to be resurfaced in those areas. Vinyl lined pools are the cheapest to install, don’t need to be refinished, but last only about 10 years. Consider how long you anticipate being in your house when deciding on a surface. Obviously, the longer you’ll be there, the more economical is a pool that won’t need to be replaced. Pumps and Filters Pool pumps are meant to work in conjunction with filters by recirculating water through the filtration system in order to keep the water free from dirt, bacteria, and algae. Single speed pumps are the cheapest to install and most expensive to run. Dual speed pumps are a little more expensive but cheaper to run, and variable speed pumps are the most expensive to install but are much more efficient and far cheaper to run. As for filters, the most efficient is a diatomaceous earth filter, but it’s the most expensive to install. A cartridge system is more economical but will require your time and labor to clean it. The sand filter system is the least efficient, though the cheapest to install. The diatomaceous earth filter is not only considered by most as the best filter to use; it can save money in the long run. Heaters Here’s where the costs of maintaining a pool can add up. Whether solar, gas, or electric, all use energy of one sort or another to run. Solar heaters require a pump running in order operate and use of supplementary heaters to keep a pool warm at night and on cloudy days. Gas heaters use propane or natural gas to operate, and though currently cheaper than electricity, the cost of gas is beginning to skyrocket. Finally, a heat pump, which runs on electricity, is ironically cheaper to operate than gas heaters, costing as little as one-third as much as propane and around half the cost of natural gas to deliver the same amount of heat. This is because they’re more efficient at heating a pool in their ability to capture heat from the air temperature and efficiently return it to heat the pool water. All in all, it’s important to take all of this into consideration before installing a new pool, since those initial decisions can affect the long-term costs of pool ownership. Of course, any quality contractor who can advise you on pool prices in Peachtree City can certainly help you in making all of these decisions.
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