POOL FAQS SWIMMING POOLS YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Our experts provide the answers to some of the day-to-day questions and concerns about swimming pool ownership and swimming
Q. We are looking to build a pool in the garden of our family home. We want to install something of quality that will add to its value but talking to my local estate agent he says that some pools will actually make a property harder to sell. A. If your property has a swimming pool you are likely to attract buyers who have always wanted, or have previously owned, a pool. So what will determine whether yours puts them off will be the condition it is in when you come to sell, as well as the running costs. Anyone in the know who is looking to buy a home with a pool will know something about the day-to- day running costs and problems involved so it won’t be new to them.
These pool running costs can basically
be broken down into maintenance, heating and chemically treating the water. Each type of pool will have its own associated overheads. It would be a good idea to run a separate audit of what your pool is costing you.
Q. I’ve had a new pool liner fitted and the supplier wasn’t very convincing about how long it will last. How long before I need a new one? A. Pool liners are supplied in different grades and a large variety of patterns
Picture: M Clark Swimming Pools Ltd
Q. I am concerned the cost of heating my planned outdoor pool will be excessive. How much should I be worried? A. Swimming pools can be heated by way of electricity, gas, oil, geothermal/ground source heat, solar or even wind turbines. Renewable and free energy is great but is only suitable for outdoor swimming pools. Indoor pools require a more complex air heating and dehumidification system, which can only operate on gas, oil or electricity. Air to water heat pumps are very popular for outdoor pools and only require an electrical supply to the plant
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and styles. The standard 0.5mm liner should be guaranteed for five years and should generally last for 7 to 10 years. The manufacturing process for liners has improved the quality of the product dramatically and pool liners are more resilient to UV rays, bad chemical balance and heavier bathing loads than ever before. The slightly thicker 0.75mm option should last close to 10 years as long as the pool is maintained and chemicalised correctly.
Q. What age is it OK for my baby to go swimming? A. Most health visitors recommend waiting until after your baby has had their first course of immunisations at say eight weeks although Government guidelines suggest swimming in public pools does not pose a risk to younger babies as the chlorine kills off any potential threat, most obviously from polio. As long as the pool is warm enough it’s fine to take a baby of any age swimming. Do remember though, mums should not swim until after their six week check. Most pools will not take babies unless they have had their first three courses of immunisations (12 weeks old). Try the Swimming Teachers’ Association for more help –
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room. As this power supply is already required to run the filtration pump, underwater lights and other pool components this merely means upsizing the cable to accommodate the heater as well. In this case around a 40 Amp single phase supply to the plant room is sufficient. Heat pumps should cost no more than £1.50 per day to heat an average size outdoor family pool. We recommend you take advice from a qualified Building Regulations Part P engineer for all such installations.
Q. I’ve been advised to invest quite a lot of money on a pool cover. Is it really necessary? A. Yes, always when possible. Installing a good quality pool cover will save you money from the day you start to use it. A swimming pool or spa loses the majority of heat from the surface area therefore if you use a pool cover the heat will not escape! Most people use a cover in the winter months and leave it off during the summer. If you use a cover there will be less evaporation of water and expensive chemicals, it keeps dirt and debris from entering the pool, reduces the running cost by more than half when you’re heating the pool, reduces the size of your swimming pool heat pump by half and cuts your electricity costs. It will also bring you some comfort in terms of safety reducing the danger of children or pets falling in accidentally. Automatic covers on the market are clearly much easier to use.
Q. How can I make the foaming in my pool water disappear? A. Most foaming in pool water is caused by elevated levels of algaecide or a foaming algaecide being used in a pool with water jets or water features. You can buy Anti-Foam products to eliminate the foam quickly and it should be an easy problem to put right.
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