One of many great things about living in the Los Angeles area, particularly the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, is the great weather we have for swimming. One question I often hear from prospective home owners is how much will their utility bills increase if they buy a home with a pool.
The answer depends on several factors. The main factor is the pool pump itself. Newer pool pumps have variable speed settings, which can use far less electricity than traditional one-speed pool pumps. A pool pump usually needs to run on an average of 8 hours a day in the middle of summer to prevent algae, so running a pump on a lower speed can add up to significant savings.
The next cost is water. Swimming pools actually lose water nearly everyday via evaporation. How much water your pool will lose can depend on how much direct sun light it gets and how much wind blows directly over the pool. During hot dry Santa Ana winds, it’s not uncommon to lose several inches of water in a week. Keep in mind, for the filter to work effectively, the water line must be above the skimmer level. Low water can result in the water not getting properly filtered, and the pump over heating.
Heating a pool is another potential cost. Most pool heaters in Southern California run on natural gas. It is rare to see an electric powered water heater in Los Angeles. Thankfully, the cost of natural gas is significantly cheaper than the cost of electricity, so the actual cost of heat itself is not hugely significant. However, to heat a pool, the pump has to be running to move the water through the heater. Depending on your usage and desired temperature setting, this may or may not be an increase over your regular pump use.
As you can see, there is no clear one answer on how much your utility bills will be if you own a pool. A good idea is to ask the seller about their utility bills, and how often they run their pump and heater to arrive at that bill.
And when buying a home with a pool, be sure to hire a home inspector who is certified to inspect swimming pools and find out about the pump and heater that is currently in place. IM Home Inspections is certified by the International Association of Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) to inspect swimming pools.
