The Real Cost of Maintaining Your Own Pool: Expert Tips for DIY Pool Owners
(And Why It’s Not as Easy as You Think... But You Can Totally Do It)
So you're thinking about taking over your own pool maintenance to save some money? Respect. But before you swap your pool guy for a test kit and YouTube tutorials, let’s talk about the real costs — in both dollars and time.
First Things First: Pool Chemistry Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Every pool is different. The shape, size, material (vinyl, plaster, concrete), your local water quality, and even surrounding trees all make a difference. Most pools we service are plaster, so we’ll use that as our baseline.
Step 1: Download the Orenda App (Trust Me)
This app is your best friend when it comes to figuring out what chemicals to add and how much. You plug in your test results and pool volume, and it handles the math. It's basically the cheat code.
Download the Orenda App
Pro tip: Don’t use test strips. You're not steeping tea here. Get a real liquid test kit.
Step 2: Know Your Pool’s Gallons
If you don’t know how many gallons your pool holds, it’s time to calculate. For rectangular pools:
Length x Width x Average Depth x 7.5 = Total Gallons
Once you’ve got that number, you can enter it into Orenda with your test values for:
pH
Free Chlorine
CYA (Stabilizer)
Alkalinity
Step 3: Understand the Chemistry Pairs
Here’s the cheat sheet:
Chlorine + CYA: CYA is “sunscreen” for your chlorine. It protects it from UV rays so it can stay in the water longer. But once it’s in, it’s in — you can only remove CYA by draining and replacing water. Keep it between 40–60 ppm. Over 100, and your chlorine won’t work as effectively.
pH + Alkalinity: These go hand-in-hand. High alkalinity helps buffer your pH. Aim for:
Alkalinity: 80–120 ppm
pH: 7.5–7.8
NEVER pour muriatic acid directly over steps or in one spot. Always dilute in a bucket and pour it in with your system running. Pouring straight acid into a still pool can damage your plaster.
Step 4: Test Weekly — But Expect to Learn
Testing is the easy part — couple drops here, couple drops there.
The hard part? Understanding what the test means and what to do next. That’s where the Orenda app helps. And don’t worry — you don’t have to become a chemist overnight. It just takes some time.
Let’s be honest though — the “best lawn on the block” guy? He’s probably also the “best pool on the block” guy. 💪
Tools You’ll Need
To do this right, you’ll need a few essentials:
🧪Taylor K-2006C Test Kit
The gold standard. Accurate, reliable, and gives you everything you need.
🔗 Buy the Taylor K-2006C📱 Orenda App
Your chemical calculator. Enter your test results and pool size — it does the chemistry math.
🔗 Download the Orenda App🧼 Brush, Net, and Vacuum
Basic cleaning tools — even robots need help sometimes.💦 Chlorine, Acid, Conditioner, Bicarb, Tabs
These are your core chemicals. Don’t add them all at once. Learn the order, and let the water circulate.
Real Chemical Costs (Based on a 15,000-Gallon Pool)
Let’s talk numbers. On average, here’s what you’ll need:
Liquid Chlorine (4 gallons) – $40
Muriatic Acid (2 gallons) – $30
50 lb Chlorine Tabs – $250 (lasts the season)
Sodium Bicarb (for alkalinity) – $50 (can last 1–2 months if balanced)
Monthly Average: $70–$90
You’ll also check and adjust stabilizer (CYA) every 3–6 months. In colder weather? Your chemicals go further. Cheaper and easier.
Should You Do It? (Yes. Seriously.)
Here’s the honest truth: you absolutely can do this.
It’s a bit of a learning curve, sure. But unless you’re running a commercial pool with tons of swimmers, residential pools are not that complicated.
It all comes down to:
Sanitize the water (chlorine)
Keep filtration strong (clean those filters!)
Pool looking green? There’s a reason:
You’re low on chlorine
Or your filtration system needs cleaning
Shock the pool. Still green? Check your stabilizer. If your CYA is low, chlorine is burning off too fast. Bring it up to 60 ppm, then shock again. Magic. Huge difference.
Yes, there are other causes (like metals in the water), but 90% of the time? It’s sanitation or filtration. Plain and simple.
If you’ve had a pool service and are now considering doing it yourself — you’re already ahead of the curve. You’ve seen the basics. Now just learn the “why” behind them.
Refilling your pool? Be sure to look up how to properly “start up” your pool. It’s a whole process — not just fill and chill.
I believe in you. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be saving money and flexing your crystal-clear water in no time.
