[diamondgirl45]

I think we might buy a house with a gunite pool this summer. I have never had a pool before and wondered if anyone can tell me the costs and work involved with maintenance. I think it will be a heated pool, and I have no idea what the cost of heating it is....does it have to be heated all year? Thanks

[Coldjensens]

Gunite pools are considerably more expensive to maintain and repair. Consider vinyl or fiberglass. Vinyl is the cheapest. Spend the money that you save on better filtertration or a salt based chlorinator.

Heating a pool is expensive. You would only heat it all year if you have an enclosure. Otherwise you shut it down for the winter in about November. (we last swam on Thanksgiving and then shut it down). Shutting the pool down costs about $300. Heating it in the winter costs about $300/$500 per month. November is a bit late to keep it open but we had a warm fall this past year.

You can reduce maintenance costs by spending more up front. If you get a salt chlorination system, you do not have to mess with chemicals so much. Get a really good sand filter system and a robot pool cleaner (Dirt Devil makes one, there was one called the Dolphin. they cost about $1000, but worth ever penny). After a lot of research, we determined that a sand filter is better than a catridge. Cartridge systems are too costly.


Our pool requires very little maintenance, but you still have to stay on top of it. If the algae gets ahead of you, it is costly and difficult to get it back under control. Keep in mind a pool can be pretty expensive. If there is a community pool nearby, it is a much better deal. However you cannot beat the privacy and convenience. I am going for a morning swim right now.

[Dexterguy]

DO NOT buy a house with a vinyl pool, cheap, cheap, cheap and very expensive to repair. Gunite is a little bit better but does have some high costs when they get older. They can be expensive to keep up with. But if you will use it alot then go for it. If you think that you will only use it a few times a summer, then it is not worth it. You will be throwing money into something that you will not be using.

[Coldjensens]

We have had a vinyl pol for several years. It is much better than the gunnite that we used to have. Rpair is simple -put in a new liner. Repair of gunnite is insanely expensive. Chemicals cost more. Gunite is unpleasant. Vinyl using the new system is great.

Fiberglass is nice too but tends to float and crack. Also it is very expensive and has limits in size and shape

[dagnabit9]

I have a gunite pool (28' x 16', about 15,500 gallons) and don't find it that expensive to maintain. I have to replace some things (nickel and dime stuff) every spring when I open it but the real expense every year is the chemicals (chlorine, shock, algaecide, DE, etc.).

I could see how a gunite pool could be expensive if you let minor repairs go for a while and then they become major headaches fast. The only repairs I've had to do with mine in the last 13 years is replace some coping around the outside - pretty minor stuff.

I replaced the filter and added a heater and then replumbed the whole thing for about $2500, but that was out of want not necessity.

[Coldjensens]

Gunite requires more chemicals. Something about the materials in the gunite. It also tends to grow algae more quickly. I am not sure why. A pool guy told me once and it made sense, but I no longer remember the reasons. there is a noticable difference in the amount of chemicals needed, having experienced both types.

When gunite cracks or requires replacement, the cost is astronomical. With vinyl or fiberglass minor leaks are just patched. Replacing a vinyl liner costs about $2000-$3000. (replacing a fiberglass pool costs about $30,000). Vinyl needs repalcement every 10-12 years. Gunnite is usually 15 years, but it all depends on conditions. Freeze thaw and groundwater can change that time dramatically. I have heard of people who do no repairs on a gunite pool for 25 years. Other get 5 years or less.

Vinyl and to a lesser extent fiberglass are not affected by hydrostatic pressure that will break a gunnite pool to pieces.

I am not really sure why they still use gunnite. It is kind of like copper piping in a house. Why use it when PEX is cheaper, lasts longer and is completely inert?

There are a lot of things that do nto seem to make sense, but they keep using them Central heating, wall to wall carpeting, I could probably think of a few others.