Category: Pools

Your pool is a big investment. At best, many of us only get 50% of the year to use it. How to heat your pool to extend your swim season, will essentially come down to answering the following 3 questions.

Your pool is a big investment. At best, many of us only get 50% of the year to use it. How to heat your pool to extend your swim season, will essentially come down to answering the following 3 questions:

• How will I use my pool in the cooler months?
• How much can I afford in running costs?
• How much do I want to impact the environment?

When it comes to pool heating there are 3 main options for consideration.

 

Solar heating will prove the least expensive in running costs and will have the least impact on the environment. However, it will be impacted by the weather as it relies on radiant heat and is affected by the presence of cloud and wind.

Solar heating is popular due to its low running costs & it’s fairly low set up costs. Typically water is pumped to a Collector (generally stored on a roof) which is heated by the solar and then returned to the pool at a warmer temperature. Read more to see how a solar system is set up.

A heat pump will prove more expensive to run than solar, with a greater impact on greenhouse emissions but it does allow you to have a warm pool all year round regardless of the impending weather. While it does take a few days for the pump to heat the water to your desired temperature once reached it has an auto temperature control to maintain the warmth.

Using an inverted heat pump and connecting to off-peak electricity can both help to make the heat pump a relatively low cost option for pool heating. Higher efficiency will be achieved in more temperate locations because of the way in which they work. Find out how a heat pump works

Gas heating is another pool heating option and has its place particularly when you need your pool heated quickly for only a short period of time i.e. for an event or get together. Gas heating offers the advantage of heating a pool up to 14 degrees Celsius higher in just 24 hours. So if you don’t need to heat your pool for longer periods of time but only specific times or days then gas heating may prove the smarter choice for you. You can find more information on gas heating here.

Pool Covers will help make any pool heating option more efficient. In fact AES illustrates the savings you can make by covering your pool here.  Note that this data is slightly old now and based on data for South East Queensland but it does clearly demonstrate the importance of using a pool cover to save energy and money. In fact it is now mandatory that a pool cover be used if you use a heat pump or gas heating (source: http://sunbather.com.au/downunder/)

SPASA has a very useful guide about Pool Efficiency where you can read more to help make decisions about heating your pool based on your needs and budget.

Arm yourself with the knowledge to get it right the first time and avoid those common mistakes that can not only be time consuming but more importantly, very costly.

Gary Bazzana can assist you with the selecting of your natural stone that’s 100% suitable for you pool or landscaping projects.

It’s worth taking the time to find a pool designer or builder that is right for you.

Follow the useful list below to help you in your search of a pool designer or builder that is right for you.

1. Research & locate a number of local pool builders & designers before you sign a contract. Meet with each of them to get an idea of their recent work, years of experience and customer service approach.
2. Select at least 3 and request a no obligation quote from each one. That way you can identify which designer/builder will fulfil your brief and budget requirements the best.
3. Establish what they can offer in regards to your ideas and budget. Check what their availability is & expected time frames for the scope of work.
4. Find out if your builder also manages landscaping – if so, consider what they can offer you in completing both the pool installation and the landscaping.
5. Check their credentials and that they are certified. Visit Swimming Pool & Spa Association of Australia (SPASA) http://www.spasa.com.au/ & click on the link to your State Association website to locate SPASA members.
6. Check with the Department of Fair Trading in your state to ensure they are a reputable builder.
7. Ask for a list of previous customers and their phone numbers and call a few of them for a reference. If possible check out a recent job they have completed.
8. Review & understand thoroughly your state building codes & pool laws, as well as who will approve your pool plans, prior to signing the contract.

You’ve seen those gorgeous pools in the pages of the glossy magazines and on television shows about the rich and famous but now it’s your turn. How will you get just what you want and make it absolutely perfect?

No doubt you’ve got lots of pool ideas in mind or at least you’ve seen lots of gorgeous outdoor spaces that are your inspiration. Now it’s time to hone in on what you want, can afford and what suits your space. For real!

Pool tiles and pavers add that final touch to the overall look and feel of your new pool; therefore choosing right the type of tile or paver around your pool is just as important as the overall design. The choice of tile or paver becomes integral to the overall design so having an idea of what you want at the start will certainly ensure you have a great looking pool when finished. The most popular natural stone choices for around a pool are; Travertine, Sandstone and Granite.

So it’s decided. Summer isn’t far away and you really want to put a pool in at your place. If you’re a novice at this pool building business then read on.

Our resident Pool & Landscape expert Gary Bazzana, revisits the Pool Smarts of building a pool which will arm you with much of the information you need to get through the process in one piece.

Before you jump into buying a pool here are a few things to consider…