As modern technology evolves, the experience of owning a pool evolves with it. While smart pools may not be totally ubiquitous just yet, they are gaining popularity in the Nowra region, all over Australia, and all over the globe. Especially for families who want the experience of having a large, private swimming pool but who may not have the time and energy to perform the amount of maintenance that a traditional pool requires, smart pools can be a perfect option.
In this article, we’re covering everything you need to know in order to decide whether a smart pool is right for you and your family.
What is a smart pool?
A smart pool is very similar to a traditional to a regular pool, with one big exception—automation. Unlike a normal swimming pool, smart pools (also frequently referred to as intelligent pools, future pools, or clever pools) have the potential to be fully automated. From lighting, to temperature, to cleaning routines, a smart pool essentially cares for itself, leaving you with far fewer responsibilities and far more free time to enjoy the pool you’re dreaming about.
What components of a pool can be automated?
Virtually every component of pool care and maintenance can be automated. Here are just a few of the most commonly automated pool systems.
1. Pool cleaning
By far, the worst part about owning a pool is the cleaning. For as much pleasure as a pool can bring you and as much beauty as it can provide on your property, maintaining a pool manually is a huge undertaking. Typical pool maintenance requires regular chemical balancing, scrubbing the pool with long hoses, and fishing out tiny pieces of debris with awkward nets. While these activities are anything but pleasant, they are a necessary part of caring for your investment.
Many people try to get around manual cleaning by purchasing a robot cleaner or working with a pool cleaning company. While robot cleaners do eliminate much of the work at first, they are notoriously un-thorough. Many people who choose robot cleaners find themselves feeling that their pool is never fully clean no matter how frequently they run the cleaner.
A pool cleaning company is likely to be more efficient. However, hiring people to come over and clean your pool regularly can easily become very expensive. It also involves working around the cleaning company’s schedule, which can be difficult given how busy most peoples’ schedules tend to be.
Automated self-cleaning pools, on the other hand, ensure that your pool is squeaky clean any time you’d like to use it. Though there are a number of intelligent pool cleaners on the market, one of the more popular choices is the Vantage System by Compass Pools. The Vantage system works via a system of nozzles installed on the bottom of your pool. The nozzles create a steady circulation of water during cleaning cycles, evenly distributing the chemicals and preventing any still spots that might encourage algae growth. It also uses jets of water to push debris into the pool drain, thus cleaning the whole pool from the bottom up without you ever having to lift a finger.
2. Pool heating
One of the more desired benefits of smart pools is the ability to control the temperature of your pool from a mobile device. With a regular heated pool, you have to plan well ahead of time if you’d like to adjust the temperature of your pool water. With a smart pool though, you can make changes any time, from anywhere. This is particularly useful for people who travel. You can turn off your pool heater to conserve energy while you’re gone, then turn in back on when you’re ready so that you return home to a comfortably temperate pool.
3. Pool pumps
The average pool owner drastically under-utilises their pool pump due to the fact that pumps can be extremely inefficient. Most people who manually control their pump don’t run their pump as frequently or as long as they should in an effort to save on energy costs. The result is inconsistently mixed chemicals, cool spots, and a pool prone to bacterial growth.
Automated intelligent pool pumps save you from having to stress about whether you’re using your pool pump properly. They use, on average, about 85 percent less energy than a regular pump, so you’re free to simply let the smart pool do its work full-time with no risk of receiving a massive energy bill.
4. Pool lighting
Thanks to modern technology, smart pool lights can be easily controlled from your mobile device. If you’re arriving home at night and know you plan to hop in the pool once you’re home, you can switch on the lights from your phone. You can also use your phone to create sequences of colours and interesting light effects when you’re entertaining.
5. Salt chlorinator
Maintaining an appropriate balance of chlorine in your pool is an arduous task for any pool owner. If the pH is off, your pool becomes virtually unusable. This creates a lot of stress and pressure for some families. With a smart pool, your salt chlorination process is totally automated. The pool checks its own pH level and adds chlorine as necessary, saving you time and frustration.
6. Centralised pool management
You may be familiar with the concept of a centralised pool management system, but in recent years, updates to technology have allowed for control of this central system from your phone. Intelligent pool management systems come as apps, online control panels, and downloadable software and all you to control all the technology on your smart pool from anywhere. This relieves you of the need to pre-program anything.
Benefits of smart pools
Smart pools aren’t just technologically interesting—they’re extremely convenient. For starters, smart pools free up hours and hours of your time each month. Once you’re free from the bonds of pool maintenance and cleaning, you’ll have ample time to actually enjoy your pool and your backyard space.
Smart pools also save money by markedly cutting energy use. Manual pool technology is imperfect and inefficient. Intelligent pool systems, on the other hand, reduce the electricity you use for cleaning and pool heating. They also require less chemicals than your average pool, thus saving extra money on chlorine. While smart pools are a greater investment up front, they more than pay for the difference in cost over time.
While any pool will inevitably increase the value of your property, smart pools add extra value due to the fact that they’re so easy to care for. Installing a smart pool means convenience now and a higher price for your home later if you ever decide to sell.
Customising your smart pool
Another lesser-known aspect of smart pools that many pool owners love is that they are aesthetically quite customisable. Many pool companies allow pool buyers to choose from a variety of fibreglass colours to create whatever water colour they desire. At Nowra Local Pools, we use a bi-luminite colour system to create stunning three-dimensional effects in your pool water. This is not only a truly gorgeous effect; it also provides an added layer of protection. Beneath the gel coat surface layer, there’s a second colour layer made from high-quality vinyl ester resin. This provides extra waterproofing protection for your pool’s structure.
Our gelcoat interior also plays its part by providing a durable surface and by protecting the underlying vinyl ester colour layer from direct exposure to sunlight. This will help your pool to maintain a consistent appearance as it ages, and to continue looking great throughout its lifetime. For more information about our selection of ten vivid, three-dimensional colours, visit our bi-luminite colour page.
Are smart pools durable?
Smart pools are created from highly durable fibreglass material. Our pools are all built with an extra strong ceramic core, so you never have to worry about the safety or durability of your investment. Our pools are tougher than any other fibreglass pool on the market, do not absorb water, and easily cope with seasonal ground movement or earthquakes. The Compass Pools team was dedicated to designing the highest quality, most high-performance pool on the market, and we’ve exceeded that goal. For more information about how our smart pools are built for strength and durability, check out this page.
Learn more about smart pools
If you’re on the market for a new smart pool, we’d be honoured to help you through the design process. We’re also happy to work with owners of traditional pools who seek to automate and upgrade their existing pool. Please contact us and we will do our best to figure out the best solutions for your family’s needs.
