Dividing the Nation
Responses to our chemical and equipment survey came in from 18 states. As we have come to expect, responses were heaviest from the areas with the highest number of pools. The top states in order of participation were California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida.
For statistical purposes, we divided the country into seven geographic regions, based on their location and the number of responses we received.
The following is the way we broke it down:
Northern California — From the Oregon Border south to Bakersfield. Northern California represents 11 percent of the responses we received. We also included Oregon in this region.
Southern California — From the Mexican Border north to Bakersfield. Southern California represents 39 percent of the responses we received.
Southwest —Arizona; Colorado; Nevada; New Mexico; Oklahoma; Texas; and Utah. The Southwest represents 19 percent of the responses we received this year.
Florida —The Service Industry is large enough in this state for it to qualify as a separate region. Florida represents 8 percent of the responses received.
Southeast —Alabama;Arkansas; Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Mississippi; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Virginia; and West Virginia. The Southeast represents 11 percent of the responses we received this year.
Northeast — Connecticut; Delaware; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; and Vermont. The Northeast represents 5 percent of the total number of responses that we received this year.
Midwest — Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; North Dakota; Ohio; South Dakota; Wisconsin; and Wyoming. Because the Midwest represents 7 percent of the responses we received this year the data obtained was insufficient to include in this issue.
The average is actually the median Whenever possible, we use the median figure for determining averages. So the “average” price for the various levels of service represents actual prices that someone is charging. Half of the reported pricing is higher than the median, and half is lower.
When responses from a region were considered insufficient to give us an accurate reading, we dropped that region from our pricing survey. And whenever possible, we provide Survey
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“highs” and “lows” for each level of service, to give you an idea of the ranges of pricing that we were dealing with. When considering dollar amounts, we rounded up or down to the nearest whole dollar.
To make it easier to evaluate business practices, all prices are organized by region.
Not all regions of the country respond to each survey section at the same level, but those that did will find these pricing guidelines useful in evaluating their business practices.
In general, the data that inspires the most confidence is based on higher participation and came from Southern California and the Southwest.
Northern California
Northern California represents 11 percent of the responses we received for the survey.
For chlorine testing, respondents from Northern California indicated equal preference for DPD and ORP with 57 percent usage. OTO is in use by 14 percent of respondents, and test strips are used by 29 percent of those who responded.
Service professionals from this region indicated an equal preference for liquid chlorine and trichlor to sanitize pools, with 100 percent of regular technician usage. They get liquid chlorine at $5.70 per gallon on average. For trichlor, Northern California professionals responding to the survey are paying $177 for a 50-pound bucket, which works out to $3.93 per pound of available chlorine for trichlor. Trichlor still costs less than liquid on a per-pound basis.
Calcium hypochlorite is used by 29 percent of those responding to the survey, and they pay an average of $3.63 per pound of available chlorine. Dichlor, used by 38 percent of respondents, purchased in 50-pound increments, costs an average of between $6.25 and $6.92 per pound of available chlorine, depending on whether it is anhydrous.
Service technicians from Northern California reported that on average of 79 percent of all their pools are equipped with an automatic pool cleaner. The cleaners are mostly pressure-side compared to suctionside – 91 percent compared to 6 percent, and only 3 percent are robots.
Salt water chlorine generators are Survey
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used on an average of 19 percent of pools for sanitation.
Respondents indicated that about 8 percent of their pools utilize UV, and 2 percent of their pools incorporate ozone.
Southern California
Southern California includes the region from the Mexican Border north to Bakersfield. Responses from Hawaii were included in this region. This region represented 39 percent of the responses we received in this year’s survey.
Relative to the response received from other areas of the country, the response from Southern California was particularly heavy so that the data for this region is the most reliable.
For testing methods, responses to the survey indicate that Southern California services techs use all forms of chlorine testing methods and rely most heavily on test strips: 58 percent use. 50 percent reported also reported using DPD, 46 percent report to using OTO, and 17 percent reported using ORP.
Liquid chlorine is used predominantly over other chlorine sources, with 96 percent usage. Trichlor is used at a high rate as well, with 88 percent usage. Dichlor is used by 38 percent, and calcium hypochlorite is less used by only 13 percent of those who responded to the survey.
Southern California service technicians pay a median price of $5 per gallon for liquid chlorine.
A 50-pound bucket of trichlor is priced at an average $165, which works out to $3.67 per pound of available chlorine — lower than liquid.
For dichlor, Southern California service professionals are paying an average of between $6.66 and $7.38 per pound of available chlorine, depending on whether it is anhydrous.
Calcium hypochlorite prices are a median price of $3.35 per pound of available chlorine Service pros responding to our survey indicated the average of 73 percent of their pools have automatic pool cleaners. As in years past, a large number of them, 96 percent, are suction-side cleaners as opposed to only 2 percent employing pressure- Survey
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side cleaners. Robotic cleaners are used in 2 percent of the pools of those who responded.
Southern California service professionals reported that an average of 21 percent of their pools have salt water chlorine generators.
Respondents indicated that about 1 percent of their pools utilize UV and less than 1 percent of their pools incorporate ozone.
Southwest
The Southwest represented 19 percent of the responses we received in this year’s survey.
Responses to the survey were particularly heavy from Arizona and Texas, and are thus much more representative of the maintenance preferences of those states in particular.
Service technicians responding to the survey reported a heavier use of test strips, employed by 75 percent of respondents. About 50 percent of respondents also use DPD, 8 percent use OTO, and less than 1 percent use ORP to assess chlorination levels.
Respondents from this region indicated greater reliance on trichlor tabs as a chlorination method: 92 percent use trichlor. This area pays an average price of about $155 for 50 pounds, or $3.44 per pound available chlorine. Liquid chlorine is used by 75 percent where the cost of liquid chlorine was reported to be $5.06 per gallon.
Calcium hypochlorite is also widely used by 58 percent of those responding to the survey, where they pay a median price of $3.15 per pound of available chlorine. About 25 percent of respondents use dichlor, paying a median price of between $6.48 and $7.18 per pound of available chlorine, depending on whether or not the dichlor is anhydrous.
Respondents indicated that about 86 percent of their pools employ an automatic cleaner. More service professionals reported seeing suctionside cleaners over pressure-side cleaners, used in 71 percent and 24 percent of pools respectively, with 5 percent of pools using robotic cleaners.
Chlorine generators are employed on an average of 10 percent of those responding to our survey. Survey
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Respondents indicated that about 1 percent of their pools utilize UV and ozone.
Florida
Florida represents 8 percent of the responses received.
Floridians have typically reported a high use of liquid chlorine in years past, with 100 percent of service professionals reported relying on liquid chlorine. Here, the price of chlorine has gone up, but compared to the rest of the country, they still get a great deal on the chemical at an average price of $1.94 a gallon.
With the higher price of trichlor, its use is less common, employed by 80 percent of respondents, averaging $148 for 50 pounds, or $3.28 per pound of available chlorine.
Responses from Florida concerning usage and pricing for dichlor and calcium hypochlorite were insufficient to report meaningful data.
Responses to our survey indicate that service professionals in Florida primarily use DPD as their means of accessing chlorine concentrations: 100 percent of respondents use this method. Test strips were used by 20 percent of respondents.
Salt water chlorine generators sanitize 42 percent of the pools serviced by respondents.
An average of only 39 percent of those responding to this year’s survey have an automatic cleaner, although we suspect the percentage is much higher.
Every year, Floridians usually report among the highest use of suction-side cleaners in the country. Suction cleaners are reported by Survey
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88 percent of respondents, while pressure cleaners are employed by 2 percent of those responding, and robotic cleaners used by 10 percent.
Less than 1 percent of respondent’s pools utilize either UV or ozone.
Southeast
The Southeast represented 11 percent of the responses we received in this year’s survey.
Respondents from this region indicated a preference for dichlor as a chlorination method: 86 percent use it. This area pays an average price of about $217 for 50 pounds, or $7 to 7.75 per pound available chlorine, depending on whether it is anhydrous. Liquid chlorine is used by 57 percent where the cost of liquid chlorine was reported to be $5.35 per gallon.
Trichlor is used by 57 percent of those responding to the survey, where they pay a median price of $175 for a 50-pound bucket, or $3.89 per pound of available chlorine. About 57 percent of respondents also use calcium hypochlorite, paying a median price of $3.42 per pound of available chlorine.
Respondents from this region seem to favor the DPD method for testing chlorine: 86 percent of this area reported using DPD, while 71 percent also uses test strips. ORP was used by 14 percent, and less than 1 percent of respondents use OTO.
Service professionals in the Southeast report to working with chlorine generated pools more than many other parts of the country. Salt water chlorine generators are on an average of 78 percent of the pools that they service.
Respondents from this region indicated that an average of 78 percent of the pools they service incorporate an automatic pool cleaner. Suctionside cleaners make up less than 1 percent of these, pressure-side 93 percent, and robots 7 percent.
Respondents indicated that about 1 percent of their pools utilize UV or ozone.
Northeast
The Northeast represents 5 percent of the total number of responses that we received in this year’s survey.
About 67 percent of those responding to the survey reported that they use trichlor and dichlor to sanitize the pools they service. Survey
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Calcium hypochlorite is used by 90 percent, but liquid chlorine is used by 100 percent.
Respondents from the Northeast declare an average liquid chlorine cost of $5.15 per gallon, and $184 for a 50-pound bucket of trichlor tabs. For trichlor, this works out to $6.12 per pound of available chlorine.
For dichlor, respondents indicated that they pay between $8.89 and $9.84 per pound of active chlorine, depending on whether or not it is anhydrous. They pay a median price of $3.25 per pound of available chlorine for calcium hypochlorite.
For testing purposes, professionals reported reliance on DPD, employed by about 68 percent. About 33 percent are using test strips, while 30 percent are using OTO. None of the respondents from this region reported to using the ORP testing method.
According to our survey, salt water chlorine generators are in use on an average of 31 percent of the pools that they service.
About 2 percent of pools incorporate UV or ozone.
Service technicians reported that 60 percent of the pools they service are equipped with an automatic pool cleaner. Of those that use automatic cleaner, 25 percent are pressure-side cleaners.
As usual, this region also asserts the highest national use of robotic swimming pool cleaners at 70 percent. Only 5 percent reported that their pools are equipped with a suction-side cleaner.
Midwest
The Midwest represents 7 percent of the responses we received. For an area so large, the relatively low survey participation provides low statistical accuracy.
Service technicians responding to the survey reported a higher use of test strips than for all other testing methods: test strips are used by 85 percent. About 20 percent of respondents also use all other test methods.
Respondents from this region indicated a preference for liquid chlorine as their disinfection method: 100 percent usage, paying an average price of $4.16 per gallon.
Data was insufficient to provide pricing on other chlorination methods.
Service technicians reported that 69 percent of the pools they service are equipped with an automatic pool cleaner. Data indicates a preference for robotic cleaners in this region but is insufficient to provide actual numbers.
Chlorine generators are employed on 23 percent of pools serviced by respondents to our survey. About 4 percent of these pools have either UV or ozone.
