The popularity of above ground pools has grown in recent years, and many homeowners who may have never before considered owning one are now taking a second look. The reasons for this turn around are numerous, but three major contributors to the rise in popularity of above ground pools include cost, selection, and appearance.

Cost

Even before the onset of current economic problems, in ground pools were cost prohibitive for many homeowners. In fact, “sales of new [in ground] pools have fallen nearly 75% from their 2004 peak,” according to research conducted by P.K. Data, Inc. Comparing the cost of purchasing and installing an in ground pool with the cost of purchasing and installing an above ground pool reveals a significant difference. Above ground pools, in most cases, cost thousands of dollars less, making them a much more affordable option for homeowners, even in today’s tough economic climate.

Selection

More than ever, today’s above ground pools are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Round, rectangular, and oval pools give homeowners the freedom and flexibility to choose the most suitable pool for their specific situation. Smaller sizes can accommodate smaller yards, while much larger pools are available for homes where backyard space is not an issue.

Appearance

The most common critique of above ground pools has always focused on their traditionally unattractive appearance. These pools have come a long way, though, in terms of how they look. The state-of-the-art materials and protective coatings used in the construction of above ground pools prevent the appearance of unsightly rust and other damage caused by harsh weather. Additionally, decorative elements on contemporary pools give homeowners the ability to customize the look of their pool. Design choices can include colors that complement a home’s decor and finishes that resemble weathered stone or other decorative effects. Also, vertical supports are made to either blend into the pool’s design or to add a sophisticated touch to the pool’s appearance. Some pools, for example, feature vertical supports that are reminiscent of the simple and elegant style found in roman Doric columns.

Other ways that homeowners choose to enhance the appearance of above ground pools include adding attractive landscaping features, wooden pool decks, or decorative stone patios. Some above ground pools are even constructed so that they can be installed partially or mostly in the ground, giving them the feel of in ground pools.

Enjoying the luxury of a backyard swimming pool can be a reality for many homeowners who are willing to take another look at above ground pools. Thanks to advanced materials, expanded selections, and attractive designs, above ground pools can finally move beyond the negative images that have plagued them in the past. More homeowners than ever before are finding these pools to be an appealing and affordable alternative to in ground pools.

One of the advantages of owning your own backyard swimming pool, whether it be an above ground pool or an in ground pool, is enjoying the freedom of swimming at any time of the day or night. Night time swimming, though, is not safe unless your swimming pool is equipped with pool lights to illuminate the sides and bottom of the swimming pool.* Swimming pool lights come in a wide variety of styles, colors, and shapes, and choosing the right one depends only on the type of pool you have and your own personal tastes.

In ground swimming pool lights are often installed when the pool itself is constructed, but this is not the case for above ground pools. Above ground pool lights must be attached to the pool in one of several ways. Some lights hook over the top of the pool wall, some are mounted to the side of the pool wall, and some are installed directly to your pool’s return line. Each option has its own advantages, but many above ground pool owners prefer lights that hook over the top of the pool wall because this prevents the need to drill holes in the side of the swimming pool and makes the lights easier to remove or adjust.

Another choice to be made when selecting swimming lights is color. White lights are the standard choice, but colors add ambiance and fun to the swimming experience. Some lights offer the best of both worlds — a white bulb and different colored lenses that can be snapped into place as desired. Other lights are able to cycle through a series of different colors for an ever-changing effect.

Some of the most fun and colorful swimming pool lights are floating lights. Floating lights can illuminate both in ground and above ground pools, and they come in a multitude of creative styles. Floating lights that resemble lily pads or graceful jelly fish are just two examples of the unique pool lights available. Some floating lights feature a fountain on the top which sprays colorful streams of water. A favorite choice for pool parties are floating lights whose multiple colors spin and dance underwater like a kaleidoscope.

Having so many choices for swimming pool lights makes the selection process fun, but the choice itself doesn’t matter as much as ensuring that there are some kind of lights installed in your backyard swimming pool. Safety should always be the first consideration.

*Safety Note: Children, even older children who may have strong swimming skills, should never be permitted to swim after dark unless closely supervised by a responsible adult.

That hidden danger could be unsafe drain covers in pools and spas.  Why are pool and spa drains so dangerous? Because if the drain cover is flat, any object or body part that covers that drain can become trapped by a powerful suction from which escape is difficult, and sometimes impossible. Luckily, the Pool and Spa Safety Act, also known as the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, was signed into law in 2007. This law requires that every public pool and spa in the U.S. be “equipped with anti-entrapment devices or systems that comply with the ASME/ANSI A112.19.8 performance standard, or any successor standard.” Flat pool drains are assumed to be a thing of the past in public pools and spas. The law does not apply, however, to residential pools and spas, and, unfortunately, this is where a majority of entrapment injuries and deaths occur.

Anti-entrapment drain covers for residential pools and spas are readily available and easy to install. The difference is in the design. Anti-entrapment drain covers are not flat, but domed, or shaped in some way that prevents objects or bodies from completely covering the drain and creating a dangerous suction. They offer an inexpensive and simple solution to a serious and sometimes deadly problem.

One of the most desirable materials used to make high quality pool furniture today is resin, and two of the most popular types of resin furniture are molded resin and resin wicker. The molded resin furniture referred to here is not the same as you would find in the local discount store. Top quality molded resin furniture, unlike the cheaper variety, is constructed of a special mineral-reinforced polypropylene resin. This superior synthetic material absorbs the sun’s heat and resists fading, cracking, and yellowing. It is also not affected by weather conditions because it expands and contracts with the temperature.

Likewise, the resin found in high quality resin wicker pool furniture is just as durable and weather resistant. The only real difference between molded resin furniture and resin wicker furniture is appearance. Molded resin furniture brings a more casual look and feel to the pool side. It is most often white with smooth surfaces and clean, simple lines, and it can be used comfortably with or without outdoor seat and back cushions. Resin wicker, on the other hand, brings a more sumptuously formal look and feel to the pool area. Available colors include rich and dramatic browns and blacks, but one can easily find white resin wicker furniture as well. Seat cushions made with beautiful and weather proof fabrics are the norm with resin wicker furniture.

In general, high quality molded resin and resin wicker pool furniture have many advantages over pool furniture made from other materials. They are both good-looking, durable, able to withstand all kinds of pool side abuses, and easy to clean and maintain. It’s hard to deny the value of high-quality furniture for your pool when compared to its cheaper, flimsier, and significantly shorter-lived competition.

Even if you have safety fencing installed around your in ground or above ground swimming pool, you should seriously consider adding pool alarms to your swimming pool protection plan.  Protecting against accidents in and around the pool requires the implementation of multiple safety devices. 

What to Look for in a Pool Alarm

Pool alarms may come with many more features than are presented here, but the following is a list of recommended features to look for when deciding on a pool alarm for your own backyard swimming pool:

• Easy installation
• Tamper proof
• Includes a remote receiver with a range of up to 200 ft or more
• Low battery indicator on alarm and on receiver
• Recommended for the size and shape of your swimming pool
• Able to detect an object as small as a 1 year old child, approximately 18 pounds
• A loud and distinct alarm should sound within 20 seconds when a child simulator is dropped into the pool.

After you decide which pool alarm you need, performing regular tests of the alarm’s effectiveness will ensure that your alarm continues to function properly over time.

Multiple layers of protection significantly decrease the chance that accidents in and around the pool will occur.  No matter how many safety devices you choose to install, though, constant supervision by a responsible adult should always be part of the protection plan.

Choosing a pool ladder that has safety features built-in is the best way to prevent pool access while also saving you from the hassle of removing the ladder after each day the pool is used.  Here are 3 common options:

1.  Pool ladders that are equipped with locking gates are one option above ground pool owners can choose to prevent pool access.

2.  A ladder that features a unique rolling barrier is another way that above ground pool owners can block access to the pool.

3.  A third alternative to standard above ground pool ladders is one whose outer steps can swing into an upright position and be locked into place to keep ladder rungs out of reach.

 While convenience is certainly a benefit of the pool safety ladders shown here, safety is at the heart of their importance.  Sure, you can save your time and your back by not having to haul the ladder out of the water at the end of each swimming day, but you may also save a life simply by ensuring that the safety features are engaged before leaving the pool side.

Ensuring the highest level of safety around the backyard swimming pool means creating a plan of protection that makes it extremely difficult for children or pets to gain entry to the pool water.  Proper adult supervision is one important part of this plan, but it doesn’t provide the entire solution. 

Along with supervision, a pool fence should be installed around the pool to prevent entry.  Pool fences that surround in ground pools should be at least 4 feet in height and should be constructed of a material that cannot be climbed.  Gate entry points should always remain locked, and gate handles should be out of reach of small children.  

If the side of your home makes up the 4th wall of your fenced pool area, be sure to install a door alarm on the door that allows entry to the pool area.  Keep the alarm on at all times, and make sure it’s loud enough to hear in all parts of your home.

The same fencing will work well around an above ground swimming pool, but you should also consider installing a safety fence on the pool itself.  A safety fence designed specifically for above ground pools provides an additional safety barrier that prevents unauthorized entry to the pool.

There’s no such thing as too much safety when it comes to backyard swimming pools.  Responsible adult supervision and proper pool fencing are just two parts of the protection plan that homeowners should implement to help prevent accidents in and around the pool.

Adequate supervision is active supervision.  The designated “water watcher” should keep his or her attention focused on the children in the pool at all times.  Books, cell phones, conversations with friends, and other distractions should be put aside until another responsible adult takes his or her turn providing supervision.

Accidents can happen in a split second, so keeping both eyes on the action in a swimming pool is essential to ensure safe swimming.  Learn more about proper pool supervision in the following video produced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign:

Why should you care about making your swimming pool more energy-efficient in 2012 and beyond?  Saving energy is one excellent reason, but saving money is another good one, too.  Greening your pool means keeping more green in your wallet. 

This series of posts on creating an energy-efficient pool has so far recommended Solar Pool Covers, Solar Pool Heaters, and the Pool Filter Timer as three sure-fire ways to cut energy consumption and costs.  The last and final recommendation in this series is the Pool Pump.

4. Swimming Pool Pump

The fourth way to increase energy-efficiency in your swimming pool is to install and operate a swimming pool pump. You can conserve energy and sustain a comfortable swimming pool temperature by using a smaller, higher efficiency pump and by operating it less frequently.  In a study of 120 pools by the Center for Energy Conservation at Florida Atlantic University, some pool owners saved as much as 75% of their original pumping bill when they used these energy conservation measures.

These aren’t the only four ways to increase energy-efficiency in your backyard swimming pool, but they do offer a variety of options for accomplishing the task.  Whether you decide to take on these four recommendations one at a time, or choose to adopt them all at once, any steps you take toward greater energy-efficiency will make a positive difference for the environment and for your wallet.

Sometimes, the most simple of devices can increase energy-efficiency.  Replace your incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs, for example, and the energy savings happen automatically.  When it comes to swimming pools, one simple and inexpensive device that can decrease the amount of energy used and dollars wasted is the pool filter timer, the 3rd recommendation in my series of four on how to make your swimming pool more energy-efficient in 2012.

3. Pool Filter Timer

A third way to save energy is to use a Pool Filter Timer. Automating a pool’s filter operation pays for itself in energy savings within the first couple of months. Except during times of heavy use, most swimming pools only need to filter 12 hours per day. Pool filter timers can save you money on electricity and chemicals. Look for a pool filter timer that is weather proof, durable, and has multiple settings to give you ultimate control.

It’s the simple solutions, like this one, that can be the easiest ones to adopt first.  On your journey to greater energy-efficiency and money savings, the pool filter timer is a good place to start.  Once you start seeing your energy bills decrease, you can take on one or more of the other three recommendations in this series — Solar Pool Covers, Solar Pool Heaters, or the subject of my next post…coming soon.