Pools and flood insurance?

[Stephen Cherry]

Just looking around at houses in other states besides maryland (has anyone heard about our new "rain tax"?), and have seen some nice places with pools. Does anyone have any experience with how much time and money is involved in running a built in pool?

Also, does anyone have any idea how much flood insurance costs in a coastal area? I'm looking at NC, below the outer banks.

Thanks
Steve

[Brian Kent]

Our water usage is small. Maybe $10-20 per month for pump electricity. Pool service is $89 per month. This is necessary for us because our pool care was too inconsistent on our own and problems could multiply on themselves. Include the cost of a fence is it does not have one. I took out a slide because the insurance company wanted over $100 per month just for the slide.

[Dan Hintz]

If you get a pool, make sure you get a salination system rather than chlorination. No more stinging eyes, no more chemical balance checks every month, etc. My dad had chlorination for 20 years and hated it... swapped to a salination system about 10 years ago and loves the nearly maintenance-free aspect of it.

[Jay Runde]

You still have to do the chemical checks with salination. If the pH is too high, the salt cell will with clog with calcium deposits.

[Mike Henderson]

Around here, everyone who has a pool complains about their electric bill. If you figure a 2HP pump, run about 4 hours per day, for 31 days per month and electricity at $0.30/kWh (electricity is expensive out here), it would cost about $65/mo to run the pool pump (about $16.50/mo per hour of daily use). And it could be worse because electricity is priced in tiers and the most expensive is about $0.36/kWh. At that rate, it would cost almost $80/mo to run the pump 4 hours per day.

But there's a saying about pools: The first year, everyone uses it almost every day. The second year, the kids use it sometime. The third year, it gets used a few times a year. After that, all you do is clean it.

Mike

[Greg R Bradley]

I have a large pool in SoCal - 45,000 gallons. Electric cost is a big factor. You can't actually buy a pump here above 1hp unless it is multi-speed so that you can run the filter at a lower more efficient speed. I changed out my 2hp old-tech pump to one of the new 3.2hp DC computer controlled pumps. I dropped my summer pump cost from $80 to $20, partially because it was all tier 5 usage and now I stay in tier 3. It figures out the most efficient speed to filter based upon gpm, current draw. It is now quiet enough, I can let it filter at night.

All pools sanitize with chlorine. A "saltwater pool" just uses electrolysis to break down salty water and generate chlorine. There isn't less chlorine in a salt water pool unless there was too much in the regular pool. It is just that mildly salty water is easier on your eyes and other sensitive tissue than regular water. There is nothing that stops you from adding salt to a regular pool. The salt water pool has sensors that determine chlorine level and run the electrolysis as required. The salt water sensor, computer control, electrolysis unit, and electricity add costs. I add some salt and some borates to make the pool easier on eyes.

Keeping the cost down is mostly a matter or getting the pool balanced and keeping it that way. There are also some intelligent ways to buy chemicals, which usually means NOT the pool store. You have to check the water every day until you figure out how to keep it balanced and then you can check it once a week or two and just confirm it is right. It is kind of like learning to drive and just holding the wheel straight instead of jerking left, then right, then left again.

I would have some concerns having a pool in a place with lots of bugs, leaves, or wind.

[Stephen Cherry]

Thanks for the responses guys- I never knew about the different types of chlorine and didn't think that it would take so much juice to run the pump. I'm hoping this will be my last move, so maybe I should be thinking about solar.

[Chuck Saunders]

I cared for our community pool for a few years (180,000 gal). Using Clorox bleach, I kept the water at 6ppm. Never had burning eyes, chlorine smell, algae or slime. Water stayed clear without adding anything else and chemical costs dropped dramatically. Most of the bad that is attributed to Chlorine is actually due to Chloromines. Chloromines are a chlorine/ammonia compound. It is a good stable disinfectant for long term uses (think water lines) but not good for pools. Salt pools are supposed to feel silky smooth and I have heard nice things about them.

[Jeremy Hamaker]

For myself, I've had one pool. I only bought the house after seeing that it had a pool because the pool was situated in the back corner of the lot, and with its own fence around it, it made it feel tucked away as opposed to taking up the whole back yard. If it was in the middle of the back yard I wouldn't have.
My experience with upkeep is similar to above: Stay on top of it, pay the pump electricity, plus the monthly chemical cost. That being said, I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever buy a house (or even rent one if I'm responsible for upkeep) with a pool again. As pointed out above, it was a nifty novelty at first to me, and then nothing but a drag after that. A drag I had to keep paying for and thinking about. Your homeowner's insurance is higher, and if it gets out of balance you end up in a swing cycle of over and under treating it until it comes back into balance. I was constantly out skimming pine neeedles off of it.
Mine was in Georgia and it was still cold enough in the winter that you had to 'close' the pool over the winter and 'open' it in the spring (I didn't have a pool heater-more cost...) So that means the flushing of pipes and special chemical treatment to sort of 'hibernate' the water. And then opening puts you right into a cycle of bringing it into balance again.
I guess what it really boils down to is: If you are really going to love it, and commit to the maintenance, go for it. If you have -any- doubts, then don't do it.
I'm sure there will be pool owners who will read this and try to 'defend' pools. Don't get me wrong. I'm totally happy that you have your pool and love it, and that the upkeep doesn't bother or burden you. I just am not one of those people and would hate for someone to buy a house with a pool and then find out they're like me...

[Brian Elfert]

All I know about flood insurance is someone I know who was hit by hurricane Sandy. They live in a house on a peninsula jutting out into a bay on the ocean. They have (had) a boat moored at the house. The house was filled with water during the hurricane. They have insurance that should cover that damage, but they really need to have the house lifted up and put on piers so this isn't a once a decade experience. The cost is something around $75,000 to lift the house. Government will pay $30,000 of the cost through a grant. If they don't lift the house their flood insurance will go to $25,000 a year! My guess is government figures it is cheaper to pay for piers than to keep paying flood insurance claims every decade or two.

(Flood insurance is backed by the federal government as no insurance company could offer affordable coverage without federal backing.)

[Stephen Cherry]

Thanks for the insights. The more I think about it, the more I think that I want to live in a community that has a pool, and a boat ramp, rather than being right on the water, or having my own pool. From the flood maps, it looks like every bit of altitude helps. Also, I'm more or less hoping that this will be my last move, so in retirement, I don't want any surprises with insurance rates, etc.