Cost to run a pool

Depends on the size of the pump and how much you run it, but we run hours six hours per day at about $250/month WAPA.

You can calculate based on kWh consumption of oump, figure ~6-8 hr run time and ~$0.55 kWh cost of electricity. Run time depends on how much sun is on ur pool and whether it is summer or winter. Pool service maybe ~$250 per month incl chemicals. There are some energy efficient pumps on the market that run maybe $1200-1500, but at $0.55 per kWh payback is not too bad.

Once we added a solar powered filter, we were able to cut our electric filter usage down to two hours a day. (Actually getting it here is the trick).

We have always done out own cleaning which is not hard. Just takes being diligent about remembering to do it!

I have a 3/4 HP pool pump that I have run for 5 hours a day for years with no water clarity issues. My tile pool is 12 feet by 22 feet and ranges from 4 feet deep to 7 feet deep and I do all the maintenance myself. I buy a large bucket of chlorine tablets from Cost-U-Less probably twice a year and typically use two or three 3 inch tablets a week and have no algae issues. I add calcium hardness and alkalinity chemicals, which are relatively inexpensive, every couple of months. So my total chemical cost is somewhere in the $350 to $450 per year range. A general rule of thumb for electrical usage by small pumps is to assume that a 3/4 HP pump will use about 1 KW per hour. Assuming our electricity has been about 51 cents/KW for the past year then my electrical cost for the past year was around $930. Typically I only have to add water to my pool a few times each year, so my water cost is negligible. So an approximate yearly cost for my pool would be in the $1300 to $1500 range. If you have a tile pool you will need to re-grout it every 5 years or so, and replace the water at that time. And my pool is fairly unusual in that does not leak - many pools do so their water usage is much greater, and I live in the Cane Bay area and get more rain than the far east.

My pool is quite small, maybe 8" x 14" and only 4' deep. I call it a cocktail pool. I only run the 3/4 HP pump for half an hour at three times a day with no clarity or algae issues. I also have a 6 person hot tub which I use every night. I'd guess the hot tub costs about $40/month to run and well worth the cost.

We had an old pump running 8 hours a day for a cost of about $150 per month (after doing several tests while watching the meter). We replaced the pump with an highly efficient pump from Ecopump (I don't work for them or get any benefit from recommending them). Power consumption dropped to $50/month for the pump and we are now running 12 hours a day. P
Since the pump cost $800, it will pay for itself in 8 months...

Once we added a solar powered filter, we were able to cut our electric filter usage down to two hours a day. (Actually getting it here is the trick).

500$?

wow, if I could run my pump like 1 hour a day or so instead of 5 the payback on that would be like 2 months!

I think I have too big of a pool though, mine is like 24' long and I'd guess 6-10' wide, kidney bean shapped; and goes 4 foot to 10 foot deep.. I dunno maybe 20,000 gal?

Wow...Mixie...why run your pool pump 12 hours a day??? Unless you have an Olympic sized pool, probably less than half that time would be more than sufficient.

Kind of like a water heater. With a timer, you need only run it 2-3 hrs. max. instead of 24.
I don't have a pool. Would have liked one but between our escalating WAPA costs and costs of maintaining one, opted out.

It really doesn't cost much to maintain a pool or a hot tub, both of which I have. I couldn't live here unless I had at least a pool but the hot tub is really is awesome.

Thank you for all the good info! Wouldn't solar be a good option?

I looked into solar for our pool, but basically there are no "solar pool pumps." You have to just install a solar panel system and hook your electric pump up to it. We decided to wait as we weren't ready to install a solar system.

I think the main issue with a solar pump is the "jump" the pump needs to start up and which necessitates a big system. My understanding is that it's easy enough to keep the pump actually running with a smaller system but, unless you're installing a big whole-house grid, you need your regular system to get it going. To be taken with a grain of salt since I've no first hand experience but gain knowledge from reading and listening!

You need a variable speed DC pool pump to mitigate the start up jump referred to.