Recent Posts
How Do I Clear Up my Pool Water?
Posted on by Jen“Oh, no…. Really?”
That’s almost always the thought that runs through my head when I see a pool looking a little hazy…or downright cloudy. Instantly I’m grabbing all of my testing supplies and checking to see what the problem could be.
First thought: How’s my filter system? Is there plenty of water flow? When did I backwash last? Are my skimmer baskets clean, pump running, and everything looking good? Always start there and make sure that isn’t the issue. Often, it is. Go ahead and backwash. Check that your returns aren’t sending air bubbles out into your water, too.
Next thought: my chlorine got too low somehow and now we have an issue…. If that’s the problem, a heavy shock might fix it. If the chlorine levels are just fine, though, the search is on. Make sure you’re testing for FREE chlorine and not just TOTAL chlorine. (Check here for more information on that.)
Check through the rest of your water balance. Is your water’s alkalinity at a good level? What about the PH? Not too high, right? Make sure you’ve got it in the 7.4-7.6 range and carry on.
If everything seems pretty okay with your water chemistry, and you’ve backwashed your filter, likely your water will clear up on its own in a day or two or three. If you’re like me, you’re not necessarily that patient. I’d like my pretty water back NOW!
Here’s what I do:
First up is a Filter Aid. It’s in the Soft Swim line of products by BioGuard but can be used with chlorine programs as well. Pre-mix it in some water, pour slowly into your skimmer. It will make your sand filter a LOT more efficient, allowing it to catch the very tiny particles that may be floating in your water and causing the haze. (Sidenote–it ALSO helps remove phosphates!)
Next is a good clarifier. I have two favorites right now…. I can’t help it, I like them both! The first is an old standby, Polysheen Blue. It clumps all of those tiny particles together to make them even easier for your filter to capture. Be careful to follow the correct dosing, though. If you use too much, you may end up with an even cloudier pool, temporarily. My NEW favorite is called Natural Clarifier. It has no artificial dyes or other ingredients, and uses Chitosan, produced from the exoskeletons of crustaceans (such as crab and shrimp). It’s completely safe to use, and you can’t overdose your pool, so if it’s VERY cloudy you can double or triple the dose for faster results.
Do those two things and give your pool a little time. 24-48 hours later you should have some sparkling, clear water. At that point, you’ll want to backwash, and stand around being impressed at all the gunk that your amazingly efficient filter system took out of your water. Be proud of yourself. (I always feel like super-woman when I clear a pool’s water up, even if I’ve done it a million times.)
I’ll go ahead and tell you: Good job!
Here are some other articles you may enjoy:
How, Why, and When to Clean Your Pool Filter
How Do I Get Balanced, Safe, Clear Pool Water?
Does it Matter Where I Buy my Chemicals?
Thanks, as always. Any questions, comments, trials and errors? I would LOVE to hear about them! Seriously. We’re here to help.
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900
Mineral Springs Pool vs Salt Pool: Pros and Cons
Posted on by JenFirst off, to eliminate any confusion, a salt pool is still a chlorine pool.
One more time: salt pools are still chlorine pools.
There seems to be a lot of confusion about this, as if salt were a chlorine alternative. Such is NOT the case. Any pool using salt or minerals is also using a chlorine generator of some sort, turning Sodium Chloride (salt) into Chlorine. When the chlorine is used up, it converts back to salt, then back to chlorine in the generator, etc. This conversion typically causes the PH to RISE in a pool, so you have to account for that.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’d like to discuss the differences between a plain salt pool and a Mineral Springs pool.
There are typically two reasons that people use for changing from a normal chlorine pool that uses sticks or tabs into a salt or Mineral Springs pool. The first is that they want lower maintenance and more reliability from their pool. The second is that they want to lower expenses overall. We’ll talk about both of these things, as they’re closely related.
With a Mineral Springs pool, you have just a couple of products. Typically, you’ll add Beginnings in the…well…beginning. This will get you salt and mineral content where it needs to be, but it also does a lot of other things. In a bag of Beginnings you have minerals, but you also have Optimizer (keeps algae from growing), scale inhibitors, water softeners, clarifiers, Back-Up(algaecide), and Sunshield, which protects your chlorine from the sun, and it has a very pleasant scent. As a weekly treatment, to replace anything lost in splash out, you’ll add one bag of Renewal, which has the same assortment of ingredients, and also helps to maintain and balance your PH and alkalinity. (Remember how we said that the salt conversion into chlorine will cause your PH to rise? This knows, and takes care of it for you.) You should still test your water to make sure that everything is level, but most of our Mineral Springs customers don’t add anything extra unless we have a big rain storm.
Mineral Springs: Maintenance-add one bag of Renewal weekly, test water for peace of mind. Cost: After start-up, about $17/week.
Now let’s talk salt pools. With a salt pool you’ll need to add bags of salt to get it started up. You’ll also need to purchase separately and add stabilizers, clarifiers, alkalinity increaser, PH up and down, Algaecide. Your generator will take care of your chlorine levels, but you’ll need to test and add products every week to make sure that your alkalinity and PH stay in line (Remember that your PH will always be rising from salt conversion.). You’ll also want to add a weekly algae treatment and a clarifier.
Salt Pools: Maintenance: test weekly and add salt if needed. Test and add products for alkalinity, lowering PH, algae, and clarifier. Cost: After start-up, you’ll have monthly costs for algae treatments, PH maintenance, and clarifiers. Spending around $75 wouldn’t be rare.
So….what have we learned here? If you’re getting into a salt or mineral system for lower maintenance and lower cost, you’re better off with Mineral Springs. The costs even out between the two systems, and the Mineral Springs is MUCH easier to maintain.
Thank you for reading, as always! Any questions, comments, or discussion is welcomed!
Other articles you may enjoy:
How do I get Balanced, Safe, Clear Pool Water?
BioGuard Pool Chemicals
How Do I Finance my Pool or Spa Project?
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900
We’re the Best Pool Company in Des Moines, Iowa.
Posted on by JenWe are the best pool company in Des Moines, Iowa. Aw, heck, we’ll go so far as to say all of Central Iowa. Big claim? Sure, but let me tell you why we think so, by listing:
Top 5 Things to Know about YOUR Pool Company!
1. We are Licensed & Insured. Why is this important? One–it protects YOU if there are any accidents or mistakes on the job site, and to be realistic, we must understand that things like that DO happen sometimes. On the other hand, it also means that this company is SAFE enough and EXPERIENCED enough to be able to qualify for and keep our licenses and our insurance. Make sure your pool company is trying to keep you safe.
2. We are EXPERIENCED. Central Iowa Pool & Spa has been in business over 15 years, locally owned and operated. We make sure our staff is well-trained and certified in their work, whether it be our sales consultants, our technicians, our water testers and consultants, or our building crew. Our experience means we are confident we can give you great, expected results time after time, and that we can educate you best on how to take care of and enjoy your new pool that was expertly installed.
Mario Alba, Owner.
3. We LOVE Customer Service. If you Google this, it’ll pull up many images of smiling people talking on the phone. While we will answer the phone when you call, THAT is not the kind of customer service I’m talking about. I’m talking about truly caring for our customers, offering the most reliable products and service, and being willing to GO THE EXTRA MILE. Maybe that means a consultation after hours. Maybe it means stopping by your house to grab a water sample to help you trouble-shoot and issue. Maybe it means spending hours writing and putting educational articles on our blog. That’s okay–we’re here for YOU!
Katelin Eaton, Store Manager
4. We are BBB approved and APSP Certified. We’re all familiar with the Better Business Bureau–and we’re a member in top standing! You can check the internet for information on that anytime. We’re proud of our A+ rating and ZERO complaints on our record. We’re also proudly APSP Certified, which is the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. They set the standards and expectations for the industry, not only in education but also in ethics. It takes a lot of work and proof to become a certified member in good standing, and we’re very happy to be one of those companies.
5. We are not the CHEAPEST. If you’ve ever been shopping for a big ticket item, perhaps a new car, you know that the cheapest one available is likely NOT the car you’re going to be happy with. That said, you can also tell when something is simply over priced. Here at Central Iowa Pool & Spa we strive to give you a fair price on the pools that we sell and build, but we do not offer bad products. This means if you’re looking for the cheapest option possible, you’ll want to look elsewhere. We want to work with you to get you the best QUALITY and FUNCTION for your money. This means we won’t be pushy about all the bells and whistles, but that we WILL make sure you have a pool that you will be happy with for many, many years to come. (And of course, if you WANT the bells and whistles, we’ll be happy to oblige!)
Just like a car, you get what you pay for. If you want quality, and something you can be proud of, please contact us for a consultation and we’ll talk about what YOU want to see in your backyard!
–The Central Iowa Pool & Spa Team
Meet the Staff!
PLEASE browse through the many topics and articles that we have available, and check out our website. We put a TON of information here so that YOU can find out what you need to know! Any questions? Just ask! We’ll get back to you quickly, and if it’s a topic that should be on the website, we’ll write it up!
How, Why, and When to Clean your Pool Filter
Posted on by JenYour filter system is the heart and soul of your pool. When it’s working well, it’s much easier to have the beautiful clean, clear, and safe pool water that we all desire. When your filter is dirty, you may find yourself constantly battling to keep the water balanced, adding many extra chemicals, and fighting cloudy water. So, how do you know when to clean your filter? Why do you need to clean it? And just how should you clean it, anyway?
First things first. Hopefully, you’re keeping an eye on the pressure gauge of your filter and backwashing when it goes 10-20 psi above where it sets when it’s clean. If not, you’re at least backwashing weekly…right? (Oh, golly….if you’re not, PLEASE DO!) Backwashing your filter takes all the layers of dust, bugs, algae, oils, who-knows-what off the top layers of your sand and washes it OUT of your filter. This needs done on a regular basis so that your filter can run efficiently. If it’s too dirty, the water flow will be slowed greatly. Circulation is the #1 key to keeping you pool water healthy!
Even if you are backwashing regularly, I recommend you do a chemical cleaning of your filter at least once a year. WHEN? This can be done in the fall when you close you pool, or in the spring when you open it.
WHY?! The chemical clean is going to strip any oils off your sand and pull out anything that might be stuck in those oils. I’ve seen the backwash water, afterwards, run nearly black before. Ew. Get that stuff out of your filter! If you know, logically, that you may get quite a bit of oils and the like in your filter, (for instance, if you use tanning oils, body oils, etc, or your family members do) feel free to clean it again mid-season.
{HOW to Chemically Clean Your Filter: Purchase your cleaner–we recommend Quik Strip by BioGuard. With your filter system running normally, pour the bottle down the skimmer closest to your sand filter. Give it a moment for the water with the cleaner in it to reach your filter, then shut your system off. Let it sit for about an hour, then switch to backwash and let it run until you’ve got clear water showing in your site glass. This may take a few minutes–let it run! After that, make sure you rinse your filter before putting it back on it’s normal setting.}
I hope all of this helps! Feel free, PLEASE, to ask any questions or voice any thoughts that come to mind!
Here are a few other articles you may be interested in:
100 Reasons for Cloudy Pool Water
Cleaning with Enzymes: Natural Result
How Do I get Balanced, Safe Pool Water?
Thanks, as always!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
515-263-6900
jen@soakandswim.com
Sundance ClearRAY System – UV for your Spa!
Posted on by JenCheck out the full article from the Sundance Spas website here: ClearRAY.
To learn more about the CLEARRAY advanced water purification system, download a FREE Sundance Spas brochure.
The CLEARRAY system uses UV-C technology to neutralize 99.9% of waterborne pathogens and does not introduce gases, chemicals, or other byproducts into the hot tub water. CLEARRAY will also reduce the amount of sanitizer you use in your hot tub*, which means less skin irritation and eye irritation for bathers from chlorine- or bromine-based products. No more drying out, no more red-eye.
New for 2012, the CLEARRAY™ Water Purification System is standard on all Sundance® Spa models. (If you have an older hot tub but want the newest technology in the water purification category, you’ll want to purchase the CLEARRAY aftermarket kit. Retrofittable to 2006 models.)
The healthy hot tub lifestyle includes using fewer chemicals to keep the spa’s water clean, and spending less time maintaining water purity. The exclusive CLEARRAY hot tub water purification system in all 2012 Sundance models is an innovation in hot tubs that meets the highest standards for water purity with minimal upkeep.
See the latest 2012 Sundance spa models online and visit your local dealer for more information about the new CLEARRAY hot tub water purification system.
*Our laboratory testing has shown that CLEARRAY can reduce your sanitizer usage up to 50%. Always refer to your state or local government agency standards and regulations on how to maintain your water chemistry.
How Do I Get Balanced, Safe, Clear Pool Water?
Posted on by JenClean and clear pool water is important to all of us. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it’s safe to swim in. Every year, people seem to struggle with keeping their pool water the way they want it–I’m going to give you some basic guidelines as well as some trouble-shooting ideas to help you LOVE your pool this year.
If your pool is looking pretty good in the spring, and everything is fairly balanced, your weekly maintenance should be simple but MUST be followed. We’ll use chlorine for our examples.
1. Sanitizer–Keep the right number of sticks or tabs in your skimmer or floater to make sure that you always have some new chlorine in the pool water.
2. Algaecide–It’s a preventative AND a killer, so make sure you use it! Big dose when you open your pool, then a smaller dose weekly. It can be the difference between beautiful water and green water, without question.
3. SHOCK! –Some people forget about shock. You really MUST shock your pool weekly. Why? Let me give you a run-down on what chlorine is doing in your pool.
{You’ve got chlorine and germs in your pool. When chlorine is first added, or is in clean water, it is FREE chlorine. Once it gets used up attacking germs and bacteria, it becomes COMBINED chlorine, which will not sanitize anymore. What your test strips often measure is TOTAL chlorine, so sometimes that number looks just fine when it isn’t. SHOCK is going to free up that combined chlorine so that you no longer have harmful or useless combinations in your pool. Without it, your pool could SEEM like it has chlorine, SMELL like it has chlorine, but not ACTUALLY have any functional chlorine at all.}
To break it down in one other way: your test strips may say 5 total chlorine, but it’s possible 4 or 5 parts of that is actually combined, dead chlorine that is no longer sanitizing your pool. You may only have one or two parts free chlorine. (PLEASE–ask questions if this doesn’t make sense!)
Aside from those three basics, keep an eye on your PH and Alkalinity. Those are important, and when balanced they help your added chemicals, like sanitizers, can work properly.
Good Practices!
Backwash your filter weekly, or as needed. If your water seems to be getting a bit hazy, or recently cleared up, backwash to get the gunk out of your filter. Chemically clean at least once a year, too.
Test Water weekly, or bring it into your pool store to have tested. If you have a large pool, or an inground pool, I recommend you check it twice weekly.
Keep leaves, dirt, debris out of your water–use your net whenever you can, and vacuum when you need to.
Trouble-shooting ideas!
Problem: Cloudy Water. Solution? 100 Reasons Why Your Water Might Be Cloudy. Start there. If you can figure out WHY it’s cloudy or hazy, you’ll have a better chance of fixing it. Make sure you have plenty of FREE chlorine in your water, make sure your filter is clean and backwash as needed. You may consider using a clarifier and/or filter aid to get the water to clear up faster.
Problem: Chlorine Demand Solution? First, understand what a chlorine demand is and what causes it. A chlorine demand happens when there is so much bacteria/algae/ammonia/other organic matter in the pool, that it is essentially sitting negative on chlorine. The amount of your demand is the amount of chlorine needed to get you back up to level. Think of it as a ladder in a hole. When you have a demand, you’re down that hole–you’ll need to climb back up to get on the ground. Sometimes it may take 10lbs of chlorine to get you back up, sometimes it may take 100lbs. Keeping a close eye on your pool and your FREE chlorine is very helpful in avoiding chlorine demands.
Have a problem to trouble-shoot? Tell me about it! 
Thanks for reading! Check out the rest of the blog and website, and feel free to write me!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900
How Do I Open my Swimming Pool?
Posted on by JenWe’ve had an AMAZING start to spring here in Iowa, and it has many of us thinking about opening our pools! In fact, we opened our pools at the store a few days ago–it was so nice to get to work on them in the warm sunshine!
Some of you are new pool owners, some maybe just want a refresher on what to do, and perhaps some of you are just curious as to how our service team opens your pool every year. Remember–every pool is a little bit different. These are general guidelines to follow, but the specifics are up to you and your pool. Read on!
Opening a Pool
- First thing to do is to remove your cover. If there is any debris or leaves, remove that first as best as possible.
- Pump off any standing water from your cover. Make sure you aren’t pumping water from the pool itself by accident; this can happen if there is a hole in your cover.
- After removing the cover, be sure to clean it, let it dry, and store for the season. We recommend using BioGuard Stowaway. It cleans well, and allows you to even put your cover away still wet.
- Remove any freeze plugs, Gizzmo’s, and other items installed to protect against freezing, and re-connect all of your hoses with clamps. Double check that they’re plumbed correctly!
- Fill up the pool with new water, back to a normal operating level or even a little bit higher.
- If you didn’t clean your filter chemically last fall, make sure you do it now! We recommend BioGuard’s StripKwik if you’re on a chlorine system, and SoftSwim Filter Cleaner if you’re using a Biguanide.
- Now, start your filter system up, being sure to prime the pump before starting the motor. I normally backwash at the start, as well.
- Check for any leaks in you hoses, plugs, and clamps.
- Check the pool water itself. Hopefully it’s just as clean and clear as when you closed it. If there IS any debris, remove with a net or similar tool of your choice as best you can.
- Dirt, sand, algae, and other small debris should be vacuumed to waste.
- Once your pool is clean, we can worry about water chemistry.
- DON’T just throw a bunch of chlorine into the water–we don’t want to damage your liner.
- Give your pool 24-48 hours to circulate and filter–backwash as often as needed.
- After that, test your water thoroughly and add chemicals in the proper order to correct your water balance. We highly suggest bringing us a water sample to test forpH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, etc. Be sure to follow the procedure they describe to avoid damage to your pool’s surface.
- Install handrails, ladders, etc. being sure to inspect them for wear and damage. If you apply car wax to the stainless steel rails, it will help protect them from corrosion.
- If you have a diving board, check it over! Make sure there are no cracks or other signs of damage, and that the surface isn’t worn smooth.
If this sounds like a lot to handle, you can ALWAYS call a pool professional to come out and open your pool for you. There are different options available, whether you want full-service (we’ll even take care of removing the cover and pumping water off for you), or a smaller service where you can do some of the easier parts yourself. There are always options!
Now it’s time to start enjoying your beautiful pool!
Other articles that may interest you:
WHEN Should I Open my Pool?
Does it Matter WHERE I buy my Chemicals?
Pool Service
100 Reasons for Cloudy Pool Water
As always–THANK YOU for reading! Your questions are welcomed and loved. Send them my way!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
515-263-6900
jen@soakandswim.com
When Should I Open my Swimming Pool?
Posted on by JenIt’s getting to be that time of year when people start wondering about opening their pool. Whether you have an above ground pool or an inground pool, it’s an important thing to consider! Living in Iowa like many of us do, it can be a tricky question! Earlier is always better if you want to get a head start on having beautiful, clean, and SAFE water once it’s warm enough to get in and enjoy it, but there are a few different factors to consider.
If you open your pool too early, with our crazy Iowa weather, you may end up with problems. A good freeze or snow can sometimes come out of nowhere, and if you’re pool is up and running, you risk water freezing in the lines or pump causing a BIG issue. If you wait too long to open you pool (especially if you haven’t added any winter shock or algaecide), you may take off the cover to discover that your once beautiful water is now starting to turn green. Or IS green. Or worse…black.
Best recommendation? You want to open your pool and get it going as SOON as you feel comfortable that our last big freeze is beyond us. Knowing Iowa, that may be March, it may be April. If you are planning some sort of event (say, Memorial Day weekend?), make sure that you also plan to open your pool AT LEAST three weeks in advance. It *may* take that long, or longer, to get your water clean and clear, unless you’ve kept up with some maintenance through the winter.
Right now, looking out the window, I can see our uncovered above ground pools sparkling in the sun…and just a tiny hint of green in the bottom. They’ll be getting a dose of algaecide and shock to help hold them through until we open them in a few weeks.
What are YOUR plans, and how are YOUR pools looking?
Any questions? Just ask! You can write here, or you can call our service department, especially if you’re planning to have US open your pool. Whether you’re here or one of our readers across the country: if you’re planning on having a pool company open your pool, call and schedule it early–many are booked far ahead.
Thanks for reading! Here are some other articles that may interest you:
Help! What to do with a Green Pool in Winter?
Does it Matter Where I Buy my Chemicals?
100 Reasons for Cloudy Water
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900
Help! What to do with a Green Pool in Winter?
Posted on by JenHere in Iowa we’ve had an unusually warm winter, and for some of you, that may mean that you’re starting to see hints of algae in your water…or perhaps it’s full-out turning green! We know we’ll have some hard freezes again before spring (hopefully!), so we *don’t* want to hook up our equipment and start our pools. What can you do to keep the problem from getting worse?
You have a couple of different options!
One–you can wait until spring and clean up the mess then. No one will blame you, but be prepared for it! You’ll likely be looking at a week or two of running your pump constantly, vacuuming and back-washing daily, super-chlorinating every few days, and adding large doses of algaecide. (If it’s already spring as you’re reading this, and this describes your pool, start working! Don’t wait until a couple of days before your Memorial Day party–it WILL take awhile for you water to clear.) Make sure you also get your water balanced early on–if your PH and Alkalinity are out of line, and they likely are, it’ll be much harder to get rid of your green water.
Two–you can start working on your pool right now. You won’t want to use anything powdered, as it won’t dissolve well in the cold water and you may just end up bleaching your liner. Grab a five gallon bucket and use lukewarm water to fill it about 3/4 of the way. Add some shock to it–since you’re likely needing to super chlorinate, I’d recommend adding 2-3 times what you would shock it with during the warm season. So, for example, add three 1# bags of Smart Shock by BioGuard. Mix it well, then slowly pour into you pool around the edge. Don’t just dump it all in one spot–keep in mind that you don’t have any circulation right now! You could also add some algaecide using the same method. If you do not have ice on top of your pool at all, consider taking a brush to your pool after that–it’ll mix things up, loosen the algae, and get the ball rolling for you.
I won’t say that either method is easy or fool-proof. If you wait until spring it may take your pool THREE weeks instead of two to clear….or it may look pretty darn good in just a couple of days. If you treat it for algae during the winter, it may slow it down, stop it, clear it up…or you may still have a green pool in the spring. Without being able to truly open our pools, all we can do is the best we can do. In the least, if you choose to treat your pool now, you’ll know that you did do what you could, and you won’t feel bad about it in the springtime.
Any questions? You KNOW I want to answer them! Ask away!
Thanks for reading!
Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
Suggested Reading:
Cleaning with Enzymes: Natural Result
Does it Matter Where I Buy my Pool Chemicals?
BioGuard Pool Chemicals
Inground Pools: Concrete vs Fiberglass vs Liner Pools
Posted on by JenYou have decided an inground pool would be perfect in your backyard. You can see it now! The kids playing together. Getting up early to swim laps before work. A night of relaxation at pool side, the grill fired up and some cold drinks in hand. The family spending time together. Laying out, catching some sun, and letting the work-week drift away as you float on the water. Having a pool at home can be an amazing experience.
Before you get to enjoy it, you need to have it built. Before you can have it built, you need to choose what *kind* of inground pool, as well as who you would like to have build it! These are very important things to consider, and because the needs are different for every area of the country, I’m going to focus on the Midwest, since we’re based out of Iowa.
Concrete Pools are often the first thing that come to mind when we think of an inground pool. They can be customized to any shape, size, and depth, and they can have a variety of different finishes to make them as intricate or simple as you please. While that sounds great, the reality is that those fancy shapes often create “dead spots,” or places where there is no water circulation. This leads to algae growth, and it would be something you battle for the life of your pool.
In places like the Midwest, you must also consider that we experience extreme cold AND extreme heat. You’ve seen the concrete roads crack and holes develop. The shifting of temperature will do the same thing to a concrete pool. If you’ve ever been in one, you’ve likely seen the cracks. This means you’ll be struggling with contaminants in your water (more money on chemicals), and also potential leaks. Every 5-7 years you need to drain the pool, have it acid washed, and re-finished. While concrete pools are possibly the most BEAUTIFUL option, they are also the most expensive and the most difficult to maintain.
Fiberglass Pools are good pools. They are very well-made these days and can be an attractive addition to any backyard. Low-maintenance is a big selling point on a fiberglass pool, just like on liner pools. They last a long time, and generally don’t need much upkeep on water or appearance, though you *may* find that the finish could be a challenge. In most cases, an easy to conquer challenge, but research the type of finish used on the pool you are thinking of. Lesser quality will be harder to repair, and more prone to spider cracks all over the surface.
The main issue people seem to have with fiberglass pools are the size limitations. The largest pool you can do would be 16×40 feet, up to 8 feet deep. If you want to do much diving, or are looking for an interestingly shaped pool, fiberglass may not be the option for you. They are also, on average, around $10k more than liner pools.
Inground Liner Pools have been around for a long time and have evolved into something with many options regarding beauty and style. With hundreds of liners to choose from, lighting, fountains, and other modifications, you can get a lot of the beauty you would expect from concrete pools for a much lower price. Liners typically have a warranty of 20 years, though they don’t all last that long. The typical complaint is bleaching of the liner, but if you keep your water balanced it shouldn’t be much of an issue. They are available in almost limitless shapes and sizes, they are low-maintenance, and fairly quick to install which helps keep the price lower than all other inground pool options. Liner pools typically start at 3′ deep and can go as deep as you wish!
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Now that you have some pros and cons on concrete, fiberglass, and liner pools, weigh out your options, and what you want to use the pool for. Call some local stores or-better yet- stop into their showrooms and check them out. Talking to employees is a great way to get a feel for a place, as is seeing their showroom. Is it clean? Bright? Taken care-of? Does their inground pool expert know what they’re talking about? If they don’t take care of their place of business, it’s hard to believe they’re going to take care of you and your back yard.
Any questions? Comments? You KNOW I want to hear them? From those who already have had pools–what did you like and dislike about the one you chose?
Thanks for Reading!
Jen Allen
Other Articles for YOU:
How Much Does an Inground Pool Cost?
Meet our Staff!
Pacific Pools – Inground Liner Pools
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
Jen@SoakAndSwim.com
515-263-6900