You Wanted the Pool—Now It Wants You Back

The Hidden Truth About Pool Ownership: Attaining vs. Maintaining

Picture this: You've just installed the pool of your dreams. The financing is sorted, the contractors have packed up their tools, and you're ready to dive into endless summer fun. But here's where many pool owners make a costly mistake—they think the hard part is over. According to Sarah, a seasoned pool professional from the Talking Pools Podcast, there's a world of difference between simply having a pool and properly maintaining one. And trust us, you want to know this difference before your dream pool turns into a nightmare.

You can't tell if the chemistry's good by looking at it. It wasn't clear yesterday! For the last time, the saltwater pool is... This is the Talking Pools Podcast with pool pros from every region in the country. If it happens in a pool, you'll hear about it here.

— Sarah, Talking Pools Podcast

The Financial Reality: Beyond the Initial Investment

When most people think about getting a pool, they focus on the big-ticket items: excavation, construction, permits, and financing. Sarah explains that this is what she calls "attaining" a pool—the upfront costs that everyone expects and prepares for. Whether you're taking out a loan or paying cash for that $60,000 installation, you know these expenses are coming.

But here's where it gets tricky. The real cost of pool ownership begins after the contractors leave. Sarah points out several ongoing expenses that catch pool owners off guard:

• Monthly service expenses that many homeowners don't budget for
• Equipment failures outside warranty periods (like pumps failing after three years and two months)
• Salt cell replacements based on run hours rather than years
• Chemical costs for proper water maintenance
• Repair costs that can't be ignored without consequences

The mistake many pool owners make is thinking they can cut corners on these ongoing costs. But as Sarah's real-world examples show, this approach leads to much bigger problems down the road.

When Pools Become Abandoned: The Consequences of Neglect

Sarah shares some eye-opening stories about what happens when pool owners "attain" without maintaining. One particularly memorable example involves a client who became a dog foster, but took it to an extreme level.

The lady, she started fostering dogs. And I'm not kidding. It was like a dog hoarding situation. She had like 20-something dogs... These dogs would shit all around the pool, everywhere. On the decking, on the coping. Like it was just absolutely everywhere. We nicknamed the pool the dog shit pool.

— Sarah, Talking Pools Podcast

While this is an extreme case, it illustrates a broader point about neglect. Other signs of "attaining without maintaining" include:

• Allowing vegetation to overgrow around pumps and filters
• Letting wasps build nests in equipment
• Ignoring landscaping around the pool area
• Choosing the cheapest possible service without considering quality
• Never addressing necessary repairs

These issues don't just make pools unsightly—they create serious health and safety hazards while dramatically increasing long-term costs.

The False Economy of Cheap Pool Service

One of Sarah's most important points concerns the temptation to hire the cheapest pool service available. She explains why those $125-per-month services that seem too good to be true usually are.

You can't get like really great service, at least not in my area, for $125 a month... If they can't even pay for that based off of what they're charging you, they're not making money. So, they're making their money somehow and it's literally probably off of skipping visits every week and not doing chemicals the way that they should.

— Sarah, Talking Pools Podcast

When pool service companies can't cover their basic expenses—gas, chemicals, labor, and equipment—they make up the difference by cutting corners. This might mean:

• Skipping scheduled visits
• Using substandard or insufficient chemicals
• Rushing through service calls
• Ignoring developing problems
• Not properly testing and balancing water chemistry

The result is a pool that looks maintained on the surface but is actually deteriorating. By the time problems become visible, they're often expensive to fix.

The Domino Effect: How Small Problems Become Big Disasters

Sarah emphasizes that maintenance issues rarely stay small. One of her most telling examples involves a client who refused to fix a leak, despite repeated warnings from the service team.

Once you have a leak going, all of a sudden your chemicals are getting flushed. Here in Houston, we're prone to mustard algae. If your chemicals are flushing out every week, you don't have any chlorine in there to fight anything. And so now you're going to have mustard algae.

— Sarah, Talking Pools Podcast

This particular situation escalated to black algae contamination, requiring expensive specialty treatments. Eventually, the service company had to drop the client because the cost of treating the ongoing algae problems exceeded the service fees. The lesson? A relatively simple leak repair could have prevented a much more expensive algae remediation process.

Other examples of small problems becoming big disasters include:

• Delaying filter replacements until they're literally falling apart
• Ignoring equipment malfunctions until pumps won't start
• Letting water levels drop too low, causing equipment damage
• Skipping regular cleanings, leading to algae outbreaks

What True Pool Maintenance Looks Like

So what does it mean to properly maintain a pool? Sarah's insights point to several key principles:

Consistent Professional Service: Invest in quality pool service from reputable companies that properly test and balance water chemistry, maintain equipment, and catch problems early.

Timely Repairs: Address equipment issues and leaks promptly, before they cascade into larger problems. The cost of a quick repair is always less than the cost of emergency remediation.

Proper Equipment Care: Keep areas around pumps and filters clear, replace filters when needed, and ensure equipment can operate efficiently.

Water Chemistry Management: Maintain proper chemical balance consistently, not just when you want to use the pool. This prevents algae growth and protects both swimmers and equipment.

Environmental Awareness: Consider factors like nearby trees, fountains, or other contamination sources that might require additional attention.

Making the Smart Choice: Investment vs. Expense

The key insight from Sarah's experience is that pool maintenance should be viewed as an investment in your property and lifestyle, not just an expense to minimize. When you properly maintain a pool, you get:

• A consistently clean, safe swimming environment
• Lower long-term costs due to prevented major repairs
• Extended equipment life
• Maintained property value
• Peace of mind that your pool is ready when you want to use it

On the other hand, trying to save money through neglect or cheap service typically results in:

• Higher overall costs due to emergency repairs and treatments
• Potential health hazards from poor water quality
• Unusable pool during peak swimming season
• Decreased property value
• Possible safety issues from malfunctioning equipment

The choice between attaining and maintaining ultimately comes down to whether you want a pool that enhances your life or one that becomes a constant source of stress and unexpected expenses. As Sarah's real-world examples clearly demonstrate, cutting corners on maintenance is a false economy that always costs more in the long run.

If you're considering a pool installation, budget not just for the construction costs, but for ongoing professional maintenance. And if you already have a pool, take an honest look at your maintenance approach. Your future self—and your wallet—will thank you for investing in proper care rather than just settling for bare minimum upkeep.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction - Attaining vs Maintaining
• 05:00 The True Cost of Pool Ownership
• 12:00 Real-World Examples of Pool Neglect
• 18:00 Why Cheap Pool Service Costs More
• 25:00 How Small Problems Become Big Disasters
• 32:00 What Proper Pool Maintenance Looks Like