As you are getting ready for summer, you may be wondering if you should take the plunge and get a backyard pool. There has been an increase in swim spas, as well, over the last few years so you may be entirely sure which you want to go for. So you are now faced with the difficult decision of deciding between a traditional backyard pool or a more modern swim spa. They both have their own unique benefits which should help you decide which model is most suitable for you and your family.
How Big Is Your Backyard?
When you are first starting to look at purchasing a pool or swim spa, one of the first things you need to consider is how big your backyard is and how much of that space you want taken up by a pool. You don’t want to find that the pool takes up your whole yard and there is no space for the children to play or you don’t have enough room to entertain friends and family poolside. Take time to measure your yard against possible pool sizes, this can help you choose between the two drastically different sizes of pool. Typically, if you have a smaller yard then a swim spa is much more suited to your size requirements. However, if your yard is larger, you can get either as you have more space to play around with.
What Are Some Other Costs?
When you are looking to go ahead with the purchase of your chosen pool, installation costs are important to consider as this will be the most significant expense outside of the actual pool. However the costs don’t stop at installation, you also need to be considering the running costs going forward. If you need to have something like a large pump in your new backyard pool then that can increase your energy bills greatly.
Heating bills can also be increased from the basic backyard pools as they will need to heat all of the water that is in the pool. So they can end up being more expensive in the long run. As swim spas are typically smaller there isn’t as much energy used in the heating process which can save, on average, about half the price to run as the traditional backyard pools especially if you plan on heating the water in either pool.
What Kind Of Swimming Season Will You Get?
Another thing you will want to consider is how long your swimming season is. So how much warm weather will you get that allows you to comfortably use your new addition in the yard. This can be extended by having a heated pool of course, but this can end up being very costly as the weather gets colder. If you opt to have a swim spa, they have built-in heaters and are insulated against the colder temperatures so you can use a swim spa for a longer period of the year than the typical backyard pool. So a swim spa can be a more cost-effective choice where you can use your pool for a longer period.
Although there are a lot of advantages to swim spas, it doesn’t always mean they are the best choice for everybody. It depends on what you want to use it for and your specific needs.
