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Vent: My neighbor in Phoenix said a pool is a money pit, not an upgrade
We were talking over the fence about my plan to put in a small plunge pool. He just laughed and said, 'You're adding a $30,000 hole that costs $200 a month to maintain.' I always thought it was the ultimate backyard goal, but his math on the water and chemicals in this heat really hit different. Anyone with a pool in a hot, dry climate regret it?
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lewis.finley3mo ago
Ever think your neighbor might be overstating it just to be a downer? I get the heat and water costs are real, but a small plunge pool isn't the same as a full size one. That monthly number sounds like worst case scenario to me. Sometimes people just hate seeing others make a change they wouldn't make themselves.
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anderson.piper23d ago
Honestly, I used to roll my eyes at those big bill claims too. I thought people were just exaggerating or didn't know how to manage their thermostats. But after my dad put in a decent sized hot tub and his power bill jumped by nearly $90 the first month, I totally get it. A plunge pool with a pump and heater could easily hit those numbers if the insulation isn't top notch or the weather is working against it.
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His $200 a month estimate seems a bit high to me.
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avery_jackson3mo ago
Oh man, that number is totally possible. My buddy Mark got a new place last year and his first electric bill was a shocker, over $180. Turns out his old water heater was running non-stop. He fixed that, but then in summer, running one window AC unit in his bedroom all night still kept it around $140. So @the_diana, I can see how someone with a bigger house or older appliances could hit $200 without even trying.
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