The cost of maintaining a swimming pool in France

Thinking of having a swimming pool installed in your French home but worried about the maintenance costs? We asked an expert to explain the process and costs of maintaining a swimming pool

In order to calculate the costs, you first need to take a step back and look at the process of managing a pool. At the start of the new season the pool should be ‘opened’ once the water gets to a temperature of around 13°C. This is important because this is the temperature at which algae can begin to develop and grow. This opening process includes ensuring that, among other chemical characteristics, both the water sanitiser (which is usually chlorine) and also the pH levels are established correctly.

However, during the season, the constant need to verify and respond to changes in these levels (and others) is determined by any change to the water including temperature, rainfall, evaporation, introduction of algae by bathers and other routes, and by reaction of the water to contact with metals, plastics and other material.

The entire pool water needs to be circulated in around 4-5 hours. Simply explained, this is to ensure that any algae that are introduced into the water get treated and filtered out within a reasonable period of time. Consequently, the duration that the pump is working is very important.

Therefore, because of the number of variables involved, it is very difficult to offer a definitive cost for running a pool. However, for an average size of pool (typically around 10m x 5m), you should not expect the costs to be of an amount that is so high that it begins to have an effect on the decision to have the pool or not. I would suggest that €300-350 per year for chemicals and electric costs would be typical in a well-run pool.

In order to keep your running costs to the absolute minimum though, there are several technologies available that are able to intelligently run your pump, as well as systems that automatically control chemical levels.

Andy Lees, co-owner of Piscine Plus, suppliers and installers of swimming pools in south-west France www.piscine-plus.comRead our expert guide to starting a property search in France and find out what tax you have to pay on a second home in France