Pool guy - ballpark costs or DIY

Ag13

3:48p, 5/7/24

I realize that every pool is going to be different, but just curious for ballpark what others pay to have someone come out and check on their pool/chemicals/clean weekly?

I'm supposed to be paying around $180/month but with the chemical delivery charges and other things they seem to find wrong each month it's routinely $400-$500/month. I know owning a pool isn't going to be cheap, but this seems expensive. Have had the house for under a year and nothing major has gone wrong with the pool yet paying this company thousands to deliver chemicals and skim the pool once a week.

I'm tempted to just DIY for everything typical pool maintenance related (then call the pool guy if the pool turns green or something breaks) - but I'm not sure where to start. Any resources or thoughts on making that transition?

I'm in Houston by the way in case anyone has a recommendation for pool guys they like. I would be a lot less eager to DIY if there is someone that can actually do this for $180 or less/month

The System

4:04p, 5/7/24

In reply to Ag13

I DIY and have zero issues. Never had a green pool in almost 10 years of DIY. Maybe it's luck, or my setup just works, but I have no idea why people pay.

Keep the chlorinator full. Test water 1-2 times a week. Throw the robot in and let it run daily. Empty skimmers daily. Bring water to pool store occasionally to compare or if something looks off. Brush occasionally if I start noticing a build up. I spend less than an hour a week and my pool is always crystal clear. I use Amazon for chlorine tabs, shock, and whatever other pool chemicals/supplies I may need.

For reference: 20,000 gallon chlorine pool, with Pentair cartridge filter.

redaszag99

4:36p, 5/7/24

I changed pool guys last year and pay $175 per month including chemicals, but I don't really like the company and would change again if I found better service

Texker

8:11p, 5/7/24

I'm a first time pool owner and DIY. There are plenty of online resources to guide you.

Corps_Ag12

8:23p, 5/7/24

You can do it yourself easily, most people just don't want to put in the effort. Keep your skimmers clean, empty the Polaris basket, brush the pool occasionally.

Get a Taylor K-2006 kit off of Amazon and download the orenda app. Go to their YouTube channel and watch the video of how to use the app.

Test your water weekly or twice weekly if possible and save $$$$ over a mediocre pool guy who is just dumping in acid and adding tabs.

Keep your CYA around 50 with tabs, shock with cal hypo (granular) or sodium hypo (liquid) weekly, and add acid as prescribed in the Orenda app. Add sodium bicarb to raise alkalinity as needed and calcium to raise hardness as needed. I prefer a total of 400 between alkalinity and hardness.

The Taylor kit can test everything you need besides TDS and phosphates. Leslie's can do this for you but I wouldn't follow their advice on chemical additions (Orenda does this for you when you balance to LSI) and I typically check their numbers on alk, ph, & CH.

I build pools and teach homeowners how not to waste money on ****ty pool guys

chap

8:23p, 5/7/24

When we bought our current house that has a pool I kept the pool guy the previous owners used. He charged $150/month for everything. I told myself I'd keep him 6 months then take over myself. 60 months later and I still haven't fired him. He did increase to $170/month about 2 years ago. But I never do a thing to the pool. Ever.

Ag13

8:44p, 5/7/24

In reply to chap

chap said:
When we bought our current house that has a pool I kept the pool guy the previous owners used. He charged $150/month for everything. I told myself I'd keep him 6 months then take over myself. 60 months later and I still haven't fired him. He did increase to $170/month about 2 years ago. But I never do a thing to the pool. Ever.

Any chance he's in Houston?

Ag13

8:45p, 5/7/24

In reply to Corps_Ag12

Corps_Ag12 said:
You can do it yourself easily, most people just don't want to put in the effort. Keep your skimmers clean, empty the Polaris basket, brush the pool occasionally.

Get a Taylor K-2006 kit off of Amazon and download the orenda app. Go to their YouTube channel and watch the video of how to use the app.

Test your water weekly or twice weekly if possible and save $$$$ over a mediocre pool guy who is just dumping in acid and adding tabs.

Keep your CYA around 50 with tabs, shock with cal hypo (granular) or sodium hypo (liquid) weekly, and add acid as prescribed in the Orenda app. Add sodium bicarb to raise alkalinity as needed and calcium to raise hardness as needed. I prefer a total of 400 between alkalinity and hardness.

The Taylor kit can test everything you need besides TDS and phosphates. Leslie's can do this for you but I wouldn't follow their advice on chemical additions (Orenda does this for you when you balance to LSI) and I typically check their numbers on alk, ph, & CH.

I build pools and teach homeowners how not to waste money on ****ty pool guys

Thank you for all this. Still considering options but sounds like you're not a fan of the pool cleaning industry ha! Definitely seems to be some shadiness with it, unfortunately.

chap

8:47p, 5/7/24

In reply to Ag13

The Woodlands

aggiepaintrain

9:15p, 5/7/24

it is so easy, you are wasting your $$

Keep pucks in the clorinator

I just use the test strips from amazon, I ain't watching videos

find a pool store that does free water tests they will tell you what chemicals to buy (if any)

buy muriatic acid from
lowe's

buy algae killer & hardener on amazon

buy some baking soda at H-E-B

If you have a DE filter you can buy that on amazon too, back washing is easy too. If you don't know how I can send you some
instructions

get a robot if you don't have one , I have the cheapest dolphin and it's great.

memace

9:41p, 5/7/24

Just to check in on the robots…Is Marina pool still the place to buy? What a good one since I need to replace mine that lasted about 4 yrs.
Thanks

RoyVal

6:44a, 5/8/24

I switched over to saltwater years ago....and it was a game changer for me. I throw in my robot vacuum once a week, maybe throw a bag of shock in there every couple of weeks or more it we get a lot of rain and probably add acid and salt to my pool 2-3 times a year max. easy and very low maintenance.

IslandAg76

7:23a, 5/8/24

Do you want a pool to swim in and relax or do you want a part time job that HAS to be done regularly. What is your time worth?

Corps_Ag12

7:30a, 5/8/24

In reply to Ag13

I'm just not a fan of laziness or lack of professionalism in any industry, especially mine.

My buddy has a pool cleaning company in Fort Worth and he's $195/month plus chemicals but his guys are professionals, balance the water properly, brush & vacuum, and over communicate any issues.

Most of the cheap guys are sloppily dressed, probably addicted to drugs or an alcoholic, and just fill the tab feeder to the top and pour in half a gallon of acid. Is that really someone you want in your backyard?

cevans_40

9:30a, 5/8/24

Bleach, borax, baking soda, and acid. Thats it

ComeAndTakeIt

9:50a, 5/8/24

In reply to memace

I asked my local pool store to match Marina quoted prices and they did. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Quad Dog

9:58a, 5/8/24

I do mine myself like others on this thread with no problems. The big trick is to stay on top of it. Spend a few minutes on the pool everyday and you won't have to spend a ton of time and money.

Ag13

11:14a, 5/8/24

In reply to Quad Dog

Quad Dog said:
I do mine myself like others on this thread with no problems. The big trick is to stay on top of it. Spend a few minutes on the pool everyday and you won't have to spend a ton of time and money.

Just curious for you (and others that DIY) - what's your approach when something goes wrong with the equipment? I like the idea that someone else is constantly looking at it all, at least in theory. But not sure it's worth it for how much I'm paying

texsn95

11:37a, 5/8/24

In reply to RoyVal

RoyVal said:
I switched over to saltwater years ago....and it was a game changer for me. I throw in my robot vacuum once a week, maybe throw a bag of shock in there every couple of weeks or more it we get a lot of rain and probably add acid and salt to my pool 2-3 times a year max. easy and very low maintenance.

Same, 3 years ago, will never go back to pucks and fighting the ever-increasing CYA levels.

The System

11:40a, 5/8/24

In reply to Ag13

If you notice a problem you can't fix or piece of equipment (pump, filter, chlorinator, etc) goes out…just call a pool guy out to fix it. It's always nice to have a reliable guy/company on stand by for those things. But the general weekly maintenance/cleaning is a breeze. Trust me, you'll know there's a problem when there is one. And a lot of them can be easily treated/fixed. When you can't, call someone.

The System

11:43a, 5/8/24

In reply to texsn95

texsn95 said:
RoyVal said:
I switched over to saltwater years ago....and it was a game changer for me. I throw in my robot vacuum once a week, maybe throw a bag of shock in there every couple of weeks or more it we get a lot of rain and probably add acid and salt to my pool 2-3 times a year max. easy and very low maintenance.
Same, 3 years ago, will never go back to pucks and fighting the ever-increasing CYA levels.

I'm not saying the CYA thing is a myth, but it's a problem that is way overhyped. I've had CYA levels over 100 and had zero issues balancing the water. I've been running tabs for almost 10 years and CYA has never been a big problem.

Quad Dog

12:33p, 5/8/24

In reply to Ag13

Ag13 said:
Quad Dog said:
I do mine myself like others on this thread with no problems. The big trick is to stay on top of it. Spend a few minutes on the pool everyday and you won't have to spend a ton of time and money.
Just curious for you (and others that DIY) - what's your approach when something goes wrong with the equipment? I like the idea that someone else is constantly looking at it all, at least in theory. But not sure it's worth it for how much I'm paying

Same way I treat my Air Conditioner. I can do a few basics, and recognize bigger problems. Then have the right person to call when the bigger problems happen.

ag0207

5:59p, 5/8/24

Go to this website & read pool school:

https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/

I have used their methods for 7 years with no issues.

Roger That

6:22p, 5/8/24

In reply to The System

The System said:
texsn95 said:
RoyVal said:
I switched over to sal****er years ago....and it was a game changer for me. I throw in my robot vacuum once a week, maybe throw a bag of shock in there every couple of weeks or more it we get a lot of rain and probably add acid and salt to my pool 2-3 times a year max. easy and very low maintenance.
Same, 3 years ago, will never go back to pucks and fighting the ever-increasing CYA levels.

I'm not saying the CYA thing is a myth, but it's a problem that is way overhyped. I've had CYA levels over 100 and had zero issues balancing the water. I've been running tabs for almost 10 years and CYA has never been a big problem.

This can be true, especially if you live in an area that gets regular rainfall that you need to drain off. You're naturally diluting (and removing) more of your higher CYA in Houston with 50" of rain in a year vs. a place like Phoenix where you only get 7" in a year.

agcivengineer

6:46p, 5/8/24

I follow troublefreepool.com method in Houston and DIY. It doesn't take much time and I've never had algae.

fire09

4:56a, 5/9/24

I own a pool cleaning company in Houston. I can say with 100% certainty that most of the opinions on here are spot on. Who you work with will determine the quality of your experience and cost. There are hundreds of companies to choose from, maybe I can count 5-10 who I would ever let in my yard. If you decide not to do it yourself, and would like someone to help you look over a list of companies you have narrowed down, I'm happy to help.

fire09

5:00a, 5/9/24

In reply to The System

CyA is definitely a thing that needs to be tracked and addressed when it reaches certain concentrations. We come across chlorine locked pools nearly weekly. Unfortunately, many of these are being serviced by 'professionals' and need to be partially drained to recover.

SoTxAg

8:12a, 5/9/24

Did my own pool for 7 years, easy and no issues. The folks at my local Leslies pool supply were always helpful if i had a question.