Arizona is hot, and pools are cool! If you are thinking of moving to Phoenix and you want to have a pool, you need to know the good and the bad that you’re walking (or diving) into. Check out these pros and cons to owning a pool in Phoenix, Arizona.
Pros of having a pool in your backyard in Phoenix, AZ
1. They Look Nice
There is just something about a pool in the yard that instantly says “oasis.” (Maybe because a shimmering body of water is literally what an oasis is…) Just looking at the water when you are somewhere hot seems to make you feel cooler. If you have a pool in your backyard, every other aspect of the home seems to shine a bit brighter.
The outside looks more inviting from the inside looking out, and when those who will never see your home look at it when walking by, it greatly enhances the look and property value.
2. A Pool Is the Best Way to Cool off in the Phoenix Summer Heat
This sounds like a given, but trust me, you will try many activities to cool off during the Arizona summer, none with such efficacy as jumping into a pool. Whether you are part fish, or just looking for a respite from the rising mercury, everybody loves a pool. When it gets so hot that there isn’t much you can actually do outside at all, you can still enjoy your pool with your family and friends (so get ready to be the most popular person you know!)
Learn More: Living in Phoenix vs Las Vegas
3. Pools Can Be Dangerous
This somber fact lies in the back of the mind of anyone who owns a pool and has children or knows there are children living nearby. CDC statistics show drowning is the number one cause of death in children under four years old. In children under 14, it is the second leading cause of death following motor vehicle accidents.
Even if you think you have an eye on your children all the time, it takes seconds for them to slip away and end up in the pool, and these are seconds that can never be taken back. If you have a pool and throw pool parties for your children, the added stress of other people’s children being in your pool is often a risk pool owners don’t even want to take.
4. Pool Use Can Be Limited
While most people think of Arizona as a place that experiences endless summer, you cannot (generally) use your pool all year long. Some pools are heated, in which case you likely can leave it open. But for those who have pools without a heating system that water gets chilly!
Water temps only reach a bearable temperature somewhere around mid to late May, and if you are pushing it and like the cold, you may be able to swim into October. After that, goodbye pool. Once the pool is closed up for the other 2/3 of the year, it just becomes a responsibility you have to look at and care for but not use. The best kind of responsibility, right?!
Learn More: Top Cities to Live in Phoenix, Arizona
5. Pools Are a Great Exercise and Relaxation Tool
Are you a person who likes to get up with the sun and get your blood pumping? Swimming laps, aqua-aerobics, and even underwater breathing exercises are all excellent ways to use your pool to stay in shape. Just as the pool can be a tool for getting your heart rate up, it’s also the perfect place to wind down.
The therapeutic and restorative nature of water is indisputable. Being able to go out to the pool and unwind from a long (and hot!) day is often just what the doctor ordered.
Cons of Having a Pool at Your Phoenix Home
1. Pools Are High Maintenance
Whether you are doing it yourself, or paying someone to do it for you, your pool is going to require a lot of work. Even if you do have a regular maintenance professional who cares for your pool, you’re going to have to learn at least minimal pool care to keep it running smoothly in between checkups. Sweeping leaves, checking the water/chemicals, and making sure equipment is all running smoothly needs to happen almost daily when a pool is open and operating.
Learn More: Five things to know before moving to Phoenix, AZ
2. Operating Costs Add Up
Pools are expensive! The electricity they pull to run equipment, the price of chemicals and testing, and let’s not forget paying for the water to fill that sucker…it all adds up. New pool owners tend to be under the impression that the pool will cost a good deal of money upfront, but then be fairly low expense to maintain.
This couldn’t be less true. There will always be something your pool is asking for you, and it’s almost always your time or money.
3. Pools Can Be Dangerous
This somber fact lies in the back of the mind of anyone who owns a pool and has children or knows there are children living nearby. CDC statistics show drowning is the number one cause of death in children under four years old. In children under 14, it is the second leading cause of death following motor vehicle accidents.
4. Pool Use Can Be Limited
While most people think of Arizona as a place that experiences endless summer, you cannot (generally) use your pool all year long. Some pools are heated, in which case you likely can leave it open. But for those who have pools without a heating system that water gets chilly!
Water temps only reach a bearable temperature somewhere around mid to late May, and if you are pushing it and like the cold, you may be able to swim into October. After that, goodbye pool. Once the pool is closed up for the other 2/3 of the year, it just becomes a responsibility you have to look at and care for but not use. The best kind of responsibility, right?!
5. Surprise Problems:
Mr. Murphy must have had a swimming pool, because that’s likely when he coined the phrase “If it can go wrong, it will go wrong.” There will inevitably be surprises your pool has up its sleeve for you. You have a Memorial Day cookout planned and everyone is one their way? The pump just quit working for no explained reason. Your in-laws are visiting and are just about to hop in when they walk out to find the pool turned green overnight?
Who knows why, but there it is! You’ll have to be patient and have more than a little bit of extra cash at all times if you want to have a pool.
