Getting butt soaked in the pool with champagne by the side sounds like a great way to holiday away at home. But when it’s time to empty, fill up or maintain the pool, that’s where many start questioning their reasons for owning a pool.
You have to fill up the pool with fresh water now and then. It’s beneficial for your skin’s health, general well-being, and sanity.
But here’s one question.
How long does it take to fill a pool?
It takes several hours to fill up a pool. Several factors also determine this. Among them are the pool’s size, such as depth, length, breadth and hose size, and water pressure.
Practically, it would take somewhere around 12 to 24 hours to fill up a pool with water. It won’t exceed a day unless the pool is massive.
However, if you increase the hose’s flow rate to 22 GPM (gallon per minute), you can fill up an 18 feet pool in as little as 4 hours.
There’s more on this topic, so continue reading.
What Factors Determine How Long It Takes to Fill A Pool?
The factors are pool length, depth, water pressure, and hose size. All these contribute to deciding how long it would take for you to fill a pool.
A Handy Tip: You need patience when filling a pool. If you have a tight schedule, do it only when you have the entire 24 hours to yourself. This will make huge sense if it’s your first time filling the pool. But take note of how long it took you to fill the pool for the first time so that you can plan your schedule next time.
Alright, let’s throw more light on factors that influence how long filling up a pool takes.
Pool depth:
Pool depth implies how deep the pool is. If you have plans to install a diving board, 8 feet is enough depth for your swimming pool. But keep in mind that pool builders are ready to go even deeper on request.
The exercise pool is not usually that deep. Thus, filling up such a pool will be much faster. It’s the same thing with a children’s pool. These pools are not too deep. Therefore, you can fill them up in a couple of hours.
A Handy Tip: If you’re building a swimming pool for toddlers, 2 feet is a reasonable depth. You can raise that to 3 feet as they grow.
Pool length:
Pool length also influences how long it takes to fill a pool. It’s also crucial to note that pools come in varied shapes. These include oval, rectangular, circular, and square shapes. But what matters is the length.
A Handy Tip: Standard pool length is 25 yards. It’s also how long most competitive pools in the United States of America are.
Furthermore, you can’t expect a pool of length 10 yards to fill up much faster than one measuring 25 yards. So, if you have a long pool, be ready to spend more hours filling it.
Water hose size:
Hose size equally determines the time it would take to fill a pool. If you’re using a garden hose of 1/2 inch (standard size), you’ll spend approximately 9 hours filling up a 5000-gallon pool.
A Handy Tip: An easy and quick way to determine how long it takes to fill a swimming pool is this. Firstly, know how many gallons of water your pool holds. Then multiply the number by .0018.
It’s also important to note that a standard hose can deliver 9 gallons per minute and 540 gallons per hour.
How Much It Cost To Fill A Pool
Having a pool in a property raises its value. That’s because the property buyers and those in the real estate industry know how expensive mounting and maintaining a pool is.
You can maintain a pool in several ways besides emptying the water or cleaning. Filling the pool with water is also a way to maintain it. It’s even more crucial because leaving the swimming pool without water for too long can damage it.
When the pool dries out, expect it to expand and stretch. And when this happens, the pool would crack and have some imperfections.
Finally, when water becomes available, and you decide to fill the already cracked pool, water could seep into the cracks causing more damage.
So, don’t allow your pool to remain dry for long. If you have the interest and finances to install a pool in your hotel, residential area, or whatever you decide to mount, have plans to fill the pool from time to time.
Here’s is the cost of filling a pool with water.
| Number of Gallons (water) | Amount (US dollars) | |
| 1. | 5,000 | $45 |
| 2. | 10,000 | $90 |
| 3. | 15,000 | $135 |
| 4. | 20,000 | $180 |
A Handy Tip: With what’s on ground, filling an average size swimming pool will cost somewhere between $75 to $200.
Should You Hire A Water Hauler To Fill Your Pool?
Well, it depends on you. But if you have the time to spare, why not! You can fill up your pool by yourself. After all, what’s most important is adding water, testing and re-balancing the chemical in the pool.
But let’s be honest. How many people would be ready to spend 12 hours filling up a pool? Plus, if it’s a new pool, the installer has to be around for a while.
Now here’s another question. Will your pool’s installer be ready to spend 12 hours waiting for your pool to fill up with water? That’s not feasible. You won’t even wish that on yourself.
If you decide to fill the pool yourself, chances are you could miss out on some potential problems such as cracks and others. There’s always a set-it-and-go mentality pool owners have when filling their pool with water.
What Makes Hiring A Water Hauler A Wise Choice?
There are several reasons. However, as mentioned earlier, you can use your garden hose to fill up your pool if you have time. But if you don’t have the time and patience, a water hauler is your best bet.
A water hauler will supply your gorgeous pool with quality water. Plus, they can achieve this in a pretty short time.
So, even if you want the installer to be around to address any potential problem the pool might have, it will be possible. The reason is that the filling will be complete much quicker, given the hose size water haulers use.
A water hauler will also pay more attention when filling the pool. So, there’s a high chance that he or she might spot any damage before it escalates.
A Handy Tip: It makes sense to have your pool installer around when filling your pool for the first time. But discuss with the person how you intend to fill the pool beforehand. Do you intend to use a water haul or go with a garden hose?
Factors To Consider Before Filing A Pool With Water
Filling a pool is more than just adding water to the brim or a certain level. There are certain factors that you have to consider before you even start pouring water into the pool.
Let’s discuss each factor quickly.
Pool’s capacity:
Think about the pool’s capacity before you hire an installer. Consider the pool’s use and age bracket of those that will be using it.
It would help if you also paid attention to how much you’re willing to splash to install a new pool. Then consider the cost of maintaining the pool from time to time.
Maintaining a large pool, which involves cleaning, draining out the water, and filling it with water, will cost more. Take that into consideration.
Fill water:
You have two choices to fill your pool. These include the well water and city water. The former is quite cheap, but before you settle for it, know the cons.
The well water might contain several minerals and trace elements. These include iron, calcium, arsenic, copper, nickel, selenium, magnesium, cobalt, etc.
So there’s a chance that filling a pool with well water can cause you some problems. For example, calcium hardened water can clog filters and pipes.
On the other hand, iron and magnesium in the water create the ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. A high iron level can make the pool water appear a bit brownish, consequently staining the tiles.
A Handy Tip: If you insist on filling your pool with well water, you must do the following. Firstly, test the water to know the minerals and trace elements there or whether it has been contaminated.
If you notice chemical imbalances after testing, balance them with the ideal chemical treatment. From the test result, you’ll know if the pH is low or high. Use a pH- basicity corrector if pH is extremely high.
If pH is quite low, a pH+ basicity corrector should get the job done.
Conclusion
So, how long does it take to fill a pool? That’s the question, and we hope we did justice to it. The time it takes for pool filling varies, and it depends on pool size and water pressure, including hose size.
We also discussed the cost of filling a pool, including factors to consider when filling one. You can use well or city water to fill your pool. Some people even prefer hiring water haulers to fill their pools.
It all boils down to one’s personal preference and financial capacity. If you have the finances, hiring a water hauler would be a good decision. But if you see it as a waste of money, you can use other means to fill your pool.
