Recent Posts
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
How Much Does an Above Ground Pool Cost?
Posted on by JenHow Much Does an Above Ground Pool Cost?
There are a lot of different kinds of above ground pools. You can go to Wal-Mart or a similar store and get very cheap pools just about anytime. These have a number of downsides we’ll discuss. You can also go to a true pool and spa store and check out a variety of above ground pool types, mostly permanent installations. Some have pretty limited capabilities, some that with a little imagination can look like you had an inground pool installed for 1/3 of the price! Let’s go over some options and examples.
Intex pools are ones you can find at Wal-Mart and other big box stores. They will be inexpensive and temporary–you cannot leave them up over winter. They come with a pump and filter system, but you’ll want to replace those. It’s a small cartridge filter, and most people I’ve talked to who have had an Intex pool were replacing their filters weekly, which can get costly. The problem there is that they are small filters on a small pump, without enough room or power to ACTUALLY keep your pool clean. This means more money on chemicals and replacement filters. For the same price as what you likely paid for the pool, you can get a sand filter and pump that will be much better. You won’t have to replace the sand for years, and it’ll cut down on your chemical spending.
Personally, I find the Intex pools very unappealing visually. The bright blue color and the general shape seem very cartoon-like to me, but some people love it, which is great. I would also be very concerned about owning this pool if I had a dog, or the neighbors had dogs, because it really doesn’t take much to tear the vinyl of the pool construction, and there is nothing to protect it. Keep that in mind–according to their website, Intex Pools only have a warranty on their pump (you have to have receipt and pay for shipping yourself), or 3 months on manufacturers defects on the pool. Essentially–plan that you’ll be replacing everything at least yearly. Most of the time, you cannot purchase replacement parts or repair parts anywhere, including where you purchased the pool. They want you to buy a new one yearly.
Whispering Winds pools by Lomart are a very different kind of above ground pool. Lifetime warranty, steel sided liner pool that can be buried up to 2′ in the ground AND can have a deep end of up to 6′. This is a permanent installation type of pool, so if you want to build a deck around it you can. If you have a hill or slope in your backyard, we can dig into it and install the pool right in the hill in many cases. These pools are very versatile and with a good installation crew, we can work to make your ideal pool happen! I’ve seen them installed and decked in such a way that you’d swear it was an inground pool. At a third of the price, mind you!
SO! Let’s talk cost vs price on these pools. Let’s give it a 10 year time period.
Intex – 15′ round (largest I could find)
Replace Yearly- Total: $1150
Ladder- Replace 3x – $195
Solar Cover- replace 5x- $579
Filters – 10 per year – $1000
Maintenance Equip (pole, net, etc) – $200
New Pumps – $500
100 hrs YOUR time putting up and taking it down every year – $1500
Total basic cost over 10 years: $5345. Plus all the time and energy it takes you to be driving for new filters weekly, purchasing a new pool yearly, troubleshooting water issues caused by a too-small filter system, vacuuming and attempting to keep the water clean on a pool that doesn’t have a skimmer, replacing the water when it’s gotten too bad and you don’t know what to do about it, etc, etc, etc…. Plus…you know….it’s funny looking. It just is. We can all admit it. 
Whispering Winds Pools 21′ round (we don’t do 15′)
Purchase ONCE – $4,650
Install (buried 2′ and 6′ deepend) – $2,200
Sand filter and pump system, solar cover, winter cover, maintenance kit, skimmer, hoses, heavy duty ladder and/or deck ladder, liner (patterns available), pool cover, and POOL SCHOOL included at no additional cost. Also–typically–your first set of chemicals are included, as well as an education on how and when to use them!
Total Cost over 10 years: $6,850. AND it’s pretty.
It’s always up to you to decide what you want. Personally, I would think about how you want your backyard to LOOK, since you’ll be looking at it a lot. I would think about how much WORK you want to put into the pool – the nicer the pool (and filter system), the less work you’ll need to do. I would figure out how much excess equipment you will need, and find out how much that would cost if not included in the price of the pool. I would also think about whether you want to support the big box stores (who can’t support you with technical or or chemical assistance), or whether you’d like to shop local at a place with in-house technicians, their own installation crew, and a dedicated water care team.
If you’re thinking of purchasing a pool – What are some of YOUR concerns and questions?
If you already own a pool – What do you wish you had considered or learned before you purchased one?
Thanks for reading!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
Other Articles of Interest:
How Much Does an Inground Pool Cost?
How to Install an Above Ground Pool?
100 Reasons Your Pool Water Might be Cloudy
Our Pools and Information!
What to Look for in a New Hot Tub or Spa
Posted on by Jen
First,WHY do you want a hot tub, and HOW do you intend to use it? Most of us think of hot water and jets first. Next, comfortable seats, relaxing alone after a long day, spending time with loved ones, or having great conversations with friends. This is a great place to start!
We Have the Best Hot Tubs in Iowa.
Posted on by JenWe have the best hot tubs in Iowa.
I say this, because I believe it, and I’ve seen it time and time again.
They are beautiful, have features unavailable anywhere else, deliver the BEST massage and hydrotherapy, are easy to take care of, easy to repair, and will out-last any other hot tub on the market. Best quality in a hot tub, best filtration in a hot tub, best style in a hot tub, best jet technology in a hot tub, and the very best dealer and technician team in Iowa.
It sounds like hype. I know what you’re thinking. I’ve been in your shoes! (Contrary to popular belief, none of us were born Sundance technicians or salespeople.) We’ve worked on many, many different hot tub models and there are certain ones that are, simply, not worth working on! Then there are those who are easy to work on and leave you feeling great about!
If you want to see them compared side-by-side with some other brands like Hotspring Spas and Jacuzzi Spas, I have linked you to those posts. There is a lot of information in those articles to show you the differences in brands. I just want to talk about a few great points on Sundance Spas that make them the BEST HOT TUBS in Iowa, and also why WE are the BEST HOT TUB DEALER to buy from!
1. Quality Assurance - There are 100 points of quality assurance that are checked over before these hot tubs leave the factory. They are also filled with water, warmed up, and fully operated TWICE before they are ever shipped out. This means that when they arrive at your door delivered by our technicians you will have a perfect spa that you don’t have to worry about.
2. Bearingless technology. Our jets have no bearings (moving parts) and therefore have no parts that will wear down or break. For you, this means that the great massage you get on day one in your spa is the same one you’ll be receiving 10 years from now. NO OTHER COMPANY HAS OUR BEARINGLESS JETS. There are companies that have more jets than we do in their tubs, but that means you’ll have more jets to replace when they keep wearing down and breaking. No one can beat us on jet quality.
3. Filtration! It’s the heart and soul of your spa, and it WAY to often overlooked. If you have a great filtration system, you’ll have clean, safe water that is easy to maintain. A poor filtration system will leave you needing to add chemicals all the time, scrubbing scum rings off your tub, and draining/refilling much more often. The Sundance Spas filtration system is the best out there right now, the ONLY one that is FDA approved and NSF certified. You don’t have to know what that means, but you SHOULD know that it’s the best out there, and one of the MOST important components to a spa. Like I said, it’s the heart and soul! No one can beat us on filtration quality.
4. Style and Beauty. When you’re making an investment in something that you plan to spend a lot of time around, it’s a good idea to make sure you like how it LOOKS, too! Sundance Spas come with the best style options around. Classy and modern without being over the top or getting too….glitzy. The synthetic sides come in great colors like Mahogany and Teak, and we also have a Terrastone siding that is striking. Beautiful lit waterfall that can change into a babbling brook and isn’t just pretty–you can get a pretty good massage under it, too, and it’ll never splash you in the face! LED lights always come standard and have a variety of colors. Stainless steel covers on the jets also come standard and give the hot tub a great deal of class. You can’t beat the functional style of the Sundance Hot Tubs.
Now that you know a little bit about why I believe Sundance Spas are the BEST Hot Tubs in Iowa, I’m going to tell you about why Central Iowa Pool & Spa is the BEST hot tub dealer in Iowa.
1. The Service Can’t Be Beat. Whether you’re a new or returning customer, we’re dedicated to taking care of you. During the process of finding the perfect hot tub, we try not to be “sales people.” We want to be your consultant. It’s not about just selling you the most expensive hot tub–it’s about finding which model is going to be the one you fall in love with and STAY in love with for the next 10 years. When it comes to maintenance and repair, our certified technicians are there for you to not only keep you in wonderfully hot water and strong jet power, but also to explain how YOU can best maintain your hot tub. We also do free water testing in-store to help you stay safe, healthy, and worry-free!
2. We have been in business over 15 years. That’s right. That means we take good care of our customers, some of whom have been with us for 15 years! It means we have the knowledge to help you and to keep your purchasing and owning experience simple and easy. We can answer your questions, we can educate you, we can help you, or we can take care of any problems for you. We are absolutely devoted to our customers.
3. We don’t pack on sneaky extras. When we do an invoice for you, or quote you a price on a new product, you’ll know exactly what it is going to cost you. We include everything you’ll need–no sneaky add-ons later. No extra service fees. New Sundance Spas come with your cover, cover lifter, steps, etc. Everything you need and want will be discussed up front, from color choices to which type of chemical you’d like to use for water care. (It’s not just Chlorine and Bromine anymore!)
Thank you so much for being on our website and for reading this. I welcome you and encourage you to check out the many other postings, to comment, to question, and to contact us!
Thank you!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
515-263-6900
Other Articles of Interest:
Why Salt Water in a Hot Tub is a Bad Idea.
Help! Watchdog error on Sundance Spa —- Four Dashes
Posted on by Jen
You went out to your Sundance Spa and you see that it’s not working and the display panel shows “—-”. This is the Watchdog error. What’s that mean? What do you do now? I’ve got some answers!
Most of the time, you ARE going to need to call a technician. BEFORE you do that, though, the best thing to do is shut off all power to your hot tub and give it at least 15 minutes for everything to reset. Go do that now, if you’re having this problem, then read on!
Alright. What causes the Watchdog error? MOST of the time, this is caused by a faulty temp sensor or flow switch, possibly a circuit board. On very rare occasions it could be the control panel or a transformer. It could also just be a power spike, which is why we want to give it a chance to reset before you call anyone out to work on it.
If it is the temp sensor or the flow switch, it will be fairly quick and inexpensive to replace, and those are the most common problems. A Sundance Certified Technician won’t have any problem replacing the faulty parts and getting you quickly back to enjoying your hot tub. When they come out, they will test different jumpers on your circuit panel to diagnose which component of your spa needs replaced.
Now that you know more about the Watchdog Error on Sundance Spas, go ahead and try powering your spa on again (as long as it’s been at least 15 minutes) and see how it does! If it’s working like normal again, don’t worry about it. If it goes into Watchdog again, call your local service tech–and don’t worry about it!
Thanks for reading!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
jen@soakandswim.com
Other articles of Interest:
FLO error on Sundance Spas
Does it Matter Where I buy my Pool and Spa Chemicals?
Posted on by JenI, very obviously, work in a pool and spa store where we sell, among other things, chemicals. In doing research over the internet, it’s pretty easy to see pool stores getting a bad reputation for having EXPENSIVE chemicals. We hear of more and more people going Big Box Stores, that we will collectively call Store X, because the prices are lower.
So…. Does it really matter WHERE you buy your pool chemicals? It’s all the same stuff, right? WRONG. There is a big difference, and I’ll tell you multiple reasons why I would always recommend finding a local pool store you trust that has helpful, knowledgeable employees versus going to a large chain store, no matter where you live.
#1. Quality of product. There IS a big, BIG difference in the products available. For instance, X’s pool shock is less expensive than ours, and contains 45% chlorine, or less, on average. That means 55%+ of that bag is full of stuff that will dissolve in your water and could cause problems eventually. Our Smart Shock has 63% chlorine and includes trace amounts of things like copper (helpful for keeping mustard algae down), AND you can swim 15 minutes after you use it.
The list goes on and on like this. I have some people who use Super Soluble as their weekly shock because it is 99% pure chlorine. You don’t have to use very much and you aren’t adding anything extra to your water. It’s a smart choice. Whether it’s an algae treatment or preventative, PH increaser or decreaser, shock or your chlorine sticks, the products are going to be of a MUCH higher quality at a true pool store, more pure products versus filler. It’s kind of like eating whole and organic foods instead of eating all processed foods. It’s an obvious, healthier choice.
$$$ – Will you pay a few dollars more at the cash register? Sure. Sort of. For instance, let’s say you buy a 2lb bottle of Super Soluble. That’s around $18. It’s equal to over 4lbs of Store X’s shock, so you save money there. It also isn’t interfering with your water’s balance, so there isn’t anything to correct with other chemicals. You’ll also get instructions on just how to use it at a small pool store, so you don’t have to guess and go through trial and error, which can be very costly.
#2. Those People that Work in the Store. Did you know that they are there for? YOU. And they are likely well trained and knowledgeable. If you ask them questions about your water, your filter, different chemicals….they will actually be able to answer you! If you stop a random Store X employee and ask them what combination of products you should use to get rid of your green water, or to keep mustard algae from coming back, or to stop the ring around your water line, etc….they really won’t have a clue. They aren’t trained for that.
When you purchase your chemicals at your local pool store you are supporting your community and giving yourself a better chance to ENJOY your pool or spa at home. Most of the time, if you are a customer who purchases chemicals at that store, they will test your water for free, give you free advice, instruction, help. They’ll check in on you and make sure that you understand what you are doing and what the chemicals are doing. Water chemistry can be tricky. If you WANT to settle in and learn all of that yourself, go for it, but unless you have many hours to devote to researching and learning, I would find a pool store you trust.
$$$–In the short and long run, Box Store X can cost you a lot more. Let’s say, for instance, that your pool water looks green. Algae, right? So you go buy some chlorine and some algae remover at Store X and dump it in. Water is still green. You talk to the people who work there, but they can’t help you. So you do it again. Maybe again and again. Eventually, you realize it’s not working and you take it to your local pool store for testing. They tell you it is NOT algae, it’s copper in your water. You need copper remover and a filter aid, and you’ll have clear water soon. Everything you’ve been buying and adding from Store X was useless, because you weren’t treating the right problem.
Save money, save time, save energy, save your pool water – find a good pool store.
Thanks for reading!
Jen Allen
Central Iowa Pool & Spa
515-263-6900
jen@soakandswim.com
Other articles of interest:
What is the Difference Between Chlorine and Bromine for Hot Tubs? 100 Reasons Why your Pool Water Might be Cloudy.
Problems with Salt Water Systems for Hot Tubs
4 BIG Problems with Sundance Spas
Posted on by Jen4 BIG Problems with Sundance Spas
I share my office with Eric, who is our technical lead. All day long, he’s on his speaker phone, talking to our technicians out in the field, making orders for parts, and talking with customers about what repairs are needed for their hot tubs or pools. We get TONS of calls, many of which we can’t help….because we are not the dealer for the tub in question.
We are a Sundance Spa dealer, and proud of it. We’ve worked with many hot tub brands over the years, and went with this one for a reason–it’s the best. Now, you came here to hear about problems, so let’s go over those! I actually had to do quite a bit of online research for this, so strap in!
1. LEAKS! I’ve read a bunch about leaking issues in Sundance Spas. Well…ones from 1994. If your 1994 Sundance Spa is finally leaking…I really wouldn’t count that as a problem. I’d be very happy if something I spent good money on almost 20 years ago was still up, running, and providing me with entertainment and therapy. In general, the only leaks we repair on newer Sundance Spas are ones that were caused by improper winterization. If you leave water in the lines when you shutdown your spa over the winter, you will have very predictable problems…with ANY brand of hot tub.
2. Problems with Electronics. I have read quite a few complaints about circuit boards failing after 5 or six years. Personally, I find that to be pretty exceptional. How many appliances in your home put wires, connections, computer parts, right next to hot steaming water, chemicals, and condensation….and are just fine for 5-6 years? To me, this says excellent craftsmanship and the kind of repairs you would EXPECT to do on a long term appliance or product.
3. Customer Service/Warranty. Sundance Spas has been around for 32 years and their warranty covers pretty much everything on the spa, 5 years parts and labor, and 10 years on the shell! So, it always surprises me when I hear something negative about the spa brand being associated with bad warranty or customer service. I will tell you right now, the Sundance Spas company is very helpful and reliable. If you see bad reviews, I would question whether the issue came from Sundance or from someone’s local dealer. Here at Central Iowa Pool & Spa, we’ve been servicing, selling, and helping the Des Moines area for over 15 years. We take pride in our work, our product, and our service. You won’t hear those complaints from OUR customers, and you won’t be making them yourself.
4. So NOISY! I have to laugh when I read these complaints online. Our jets are noisy. Well…yes, I suppose. We’ve got a couple of high powered pumps pushing water through creatively designed jets, possibly up to 74 in your hot tub….that WOULD make some noise, I suppose. If you want a hot tub that is noise free, I recommend you just fill up your bath tub and soak in that, really. A hot tub is meant to have jets, and for therapy, the water needs to have some pressure behind it! That is going to make some noise, no matter what hot tub brand. That said, if you want a more relaxing, conversational time in your tub, there are many controls within a hands reach that you can use to lower the water pressure and therefore reduce the noise that is surrounding you. 
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I refer to this often, but purchasing and owning a hot tub is a lot like looking for or owning a new car. The oil will need changed, you’ll need to replace the tires eventually, new spark plugs, new wiper blades, new brakes….we accept that as common repairs and maintenance, but people seem to expect that a hot tub with motors, heaters, circuit boards, etc, just won’t need any maintenance or repairs. It’s not true, and it doesn’t make any sense to think that way.
Just like a car, think about having a technician come out and check things over for you once a year or so. Perhaps in the fall, to prep for winter. Like the furnace in your home, have it checked before you need it and before an electrical failure could cause a larger problem. You wouldn’t purchase a car from a dealer you didn’t trust, so make sure you trust and respect your spa dealer as well. If you maintain your spa and keep your chemicals balanced, hopefully in 20 years all you’ll have to complain about is needing to replace a rubber hose that is leaking, too.
Any questions or comments? Just ask!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Other Pages of Interest:
Sundance Spa Models
Sundance Spas VS Hotspring Spas
Sundance Spas VS Jacuzzi Hot Tubs
Problems with Salt Water in Hot Tubs
We Have the Best Hot Tubs in Iowa!
What is this FLO error on my Sundance Spa?
Posted on by JenWhat is this FLO error on my Sundance Spa?
I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! We’re enjoying shorter hours in the store this week to help celebrate, but I’m finding more and more time to write! Today’s subject: FLO error.
Our technical team gets quite a few calls through the year on this. “My display is flashing ‘FLO.’ What’s that mean?” There are a number of things it could be indicating. Some of them are simple, and you can take care of them yourself! Some of them may require a skilled technician to come out and work on your spa for you.
1. The first thing to do if you have a FLO error is to remove your filter and clean it. A FLO error is going to indicate something is wrong with your circulation system, so start with the simplest problem: your filter. Even if you think it should be fine, give it a try. Sometimes we can’t see the problem with our eyes.
2. If that doesn’t work, you can try cleaning and refilling your hot tub, as there may be a calcium build-up in the lines of your spa, causing slow water flow. (This is part of why we encourage use of a stain and scale product.) BEFORE you empty the tub, use a cleaner such as Spa Purge or Aqua Finnesse Spa Clean tablet. Let it run for 20 minutes or longer with all of your jets running and the filter removed–this should go a long ways towards dissolving any gunk and build-up in your tubes and filter system. Drain, refill.
Still have the FLO error? If it’s still there, it’s time to call a technician. This could indicate that there is something more extensive wrong, though it could still be a fairly easy, inexpensive fix, such as:
3. Flo Switch/Sensor
or
4. Circulation Pump
or
5. Circuit Board
The only way to really be sure of those things is to have one of our certified technicians out to run some tests and diagnose what’s wrong. Then, they’ll have you fixed up and soaking in hot water again in no time.
Any questions or comments? Just ask!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Problems with Salt Water Systems for Hot Tubs
Posted on by JenIt’s become all the rage, in recent years, to add salt water systems to pools and now: hot tubs! Customers and clients ask about them all the time. Personally, I enjoy them on a swimming pool and have had a lot of people tell me they love them. Less maintenance, worry free, etc.
When it comes to hot tubs, however, I would NOT encourage ANYONE to use a salt water system. For one thing, think about what salt does. Most of you reading this are in Iowa or surrounding areas….why do you try to wash your car so often in the winter? What are we protecting the metals of our car from? The corrosive power of the salt that gets put on our road! Hot salt water in your spa will do the same thing–it’s just what salt does!
Problem # 1: The metal components of your pumps, your heater, perhaps even your jets can be affected by corrosion caused by salt. You may not notice it for a year, or even two, but I am quite certain that you’ll be needing replacements and repairs before long. If you’re lucky, they will still be covered under your warranty, but who wants to waste the time with repairs and the risks of them being needed during the winter?
Problem #2: If you have any other extras on your hot tub, perhaps a stereo system or television, expect extra corrosion on the wires and connections with a salt water system, also. Often times, these electronic components (stereos, tvs) only have one year warranties, and there is a reason for that!
There aren’t a LOT of different problems with these systems, but they are catastrophic problems. Why would you want to put yourself at risk of needing to completely replace heaters, pumps, wiring, etc, for a system that really does, essentially, use chlorine or bromine, just like many other chemical systems? Sure, it’s salt water, but salt is sodium chloride, NaCl. The generator separates it into salt and chlorine, simple as that. When used up, the cycle starts again.
Far less maintenance….until you have to start replacing things, and replacing things, and replacing things….
If you want low maintenance, there are a lot of great options out there, including Sundance’s SunPurity system. Keep looking and learning–we’ve got a number of articles on chemical systems and more to come!
Any questions or comments? Please ask!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com
Want more information? Check out this article!
How Much Does an Inground Pool Cost?
Posted on by JenA lot of the phone calls and emails we get about pools ask about the cost, which makes sense! When you’re looking to purchase something like a pool, it is important to look at all the facts and figures. Not only how much the pool is going to cost you, but how much a more expensive option may save you in the long term, and looking at a variety of options to see what you really want and what is not important.
Buying a pool is a lot like buying a car–if you REALLY want those leather seats, you’d better get them from the start. So, it’s good to look at all available options and make sure you are educated on what is available to you in your area.
Start simple: How much does an inground pool cost?
There are a number of factors, like we said. Size and shape can vary to match your imagination on these liner pools! They can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Rectangles, circles, kidney bean shapes, free-style….it’s all up to you. There can also be added costs based on whether you want a deep end, extra plumbing for your filter or vacuum system, water features (waterfalls, etc).
A good guideline is that you can expect to spend around $30,000-35,000 on a high quality practical inground pool–one that has everything you NEED and a few things you WANT, but stays fairly minimal. If you want to have more features, perhaps even some automation of the pool systems so that it’s even lower maintenance for you, think of the $45,000-65,000 range. Installation is included in these prices, as well as equipment. How much your pool costs is REALLY UP TO YOU! There are, like I said, many options to pick and choose from!
Next Step: What are some accessories I may want on my pool?
NOW we get to dive into the options a little bit. On the practical side, there are different choices you can make on your filtering system, covers (manual? automatic?), heating, sanitizing, and cleaning systems. You can ALSO get to look at different styles of diving boards, slides, water features such as waterfalls, lighting, and of course….pool toys! While there are a lot of details that go into building and setting up your dream pool, you don’t need to stress about them–that’s why you go to a knowledgeable pool builder who has years of experience but isn’t a push sales-person. Try to work with someone who will give you all of your options, and explain what is vital and important and what may simply bring you extra joy, and who will let YOU make the decisions.
This pool above is one of my favorites. Beautiful landscaping and thoughtful lighting accent the three waterfalls and the graceful deep-end, and the excellent placement of the seating areas make it a great atmosphere to hang out with friends and family.
Whatever you do, think of the big picture. If all you think of is how much money you are going to spend or not spend, you may end up with something you don’t enjoy. And if you don’t enjoy it, then you didn’t spend that money well. Take the time to figure out what you want and how you plan to use it, or come in and talk with us and we’ll guide you on your way.
Any questions? Comments? Ask away!
–Jen Allen
jen@soakandswim.com