A Swimming Pool Buyer’s Guide

If you have gone through one-too-many summers without a swimming pool and have decided that you want to finally have the ability to splash around and have a little fun in the sun, take a look at this guide to finding the pool that best suits you.

Before you start phoning up the pool companies, do a little research and consider all the options that are available to you, as there is a very large variety!

The two most common types of pools are constructed with either concrete or fibreglass, with the slightly less common being vinyl, steel and aluminium.

To start off, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• What is my budget?
• What will the pool be used for? (Water-sports, diving, kids, swimming laps)
• Do I want a Simplistic or Exotic design?
• How big is my designated space to place the pool?
• What bout maintenance?
• Will I use my pool through all seasons?

What is my budget?

Your budget will decide many things, such was the size of the pool, material used, complexity of design and of course all the additional features and options that accompany the more opulent types. Fortunately, there is a pool to suit most budgets and you simply need to do a bit of research and then shop around for quotes with your local pool companies.

What will the pool be used for?

Answering this question will help you narrow down the design needs of your pool. A pool that requires volley-ball and other water-sports will generally be relatively shallow at both ends, while a diving pool might have a very deep end that tapers off towards a shallow side in a sort of tear-drop design. A pool for kids is generally mid-shallow or has a separate partition where they can play safely. A pool designed for laps will have an elongated rectangular design which facilitates the upwards-downwards motions of a lap-swimmer.

Do I want a Simplistic or Exotic design?

Depending on your budget, taste, and perhaps if you plan to frequently entertain guests at your poolside, you might want to opt for a more exotic setup. Some exotic pools include rim-flows (where one side of the pool has water dropping off into a collection trench below. Goes well with open scenery), walk-over bridges, waterfalls, built-in water “chairs”, glass-sides and so on. Various light options

Exotic designs are limited only by imagination and there are some truly amazing pool designs that can be found in the homes of celebrities and penthouses all over the world.

How big is my designated space to place the pool?

Space is often one of the biggest issues when deciding on the pool. Remember that not only do you need enough space to place the desired pool itself, but you need to have an adequate amount of walking space around the pool in order to avoid accidents. You might also wish to install a perimeter fence should you have many young children. You also need to have a space where the filter and pump components will be assembled in order for the pool to be cleaned and maintained.

What about maintenance?

Typically, the larger pools are more costly when you are looking at on-going maintenance as there is a greater body of water that needs to be cleaned with chloride or salt. This will require a larger filter and pump assembly which will also eat into your budget a little so you need to take that into consideration. If you have a reasonable budget, the pool can include automated surface-cleaning options as well as a the standard pool cleaner.

Will I use my pool through all seasons?

If the answer is yes, then you will need to install a heated system into the pool to stop the water temperature from dropping to undesired levels during the autumn and winter seasons. This can be quite costly, not only on installation but in terms of your electricity bill too, so consideration will need to be placed on the necessity of all-round swimming.

As you can see, there is a lot of choices and decisions to be made when it comes to buying a pool. You should never rush into a buy, but rather take the time to research and get the best possible pool for the best possible price.

Image supplied by La Peyrecout Gites.

This article was written by ScribeZA. Talking about water products, a great long-term drinking water solution for the home is undoubtedly the mains fed water coolers solution. Not only will you be drinking chilled filtered water, but there is by far less maintenance involved as compared with the bottled water cooler variety.