Across Queensland, swimming pools are quickly becoming a must-have feature in backyards. A pool is great to have when summer comes around and your family needs a way to beat the heat. But if you don’t have a big yard or live in a smaller home, installing a full-sized traditional swimming pool may not be an option. This is where plunge pools come into play.
If you’re looking for compact pools, we’ll run through everything you need to know before you decide whether or not small pools are the right choice for your situation.
Understanding What Plunge Pools Are
Also called dipping pools, plunge pools are a great compromise when all of the space in your yard is at a premium. You can still enjoy all of the benefits that come with having a pool without taking up a lot of additional space. Simply put, plunge pools are very compact pools. Generally speaking, they’re usually not much larger than a hot tub. These small above or inground pools measure between four and seven metres long by two to three metres wide. For the depth, these pools stay around 1.2 metres deep.
The smaller size on this pool allows you to easily install it in spaces where you can’t fit a traditional-sized pool. You can tuck it in by a fence or wall, put it along a smaller lot’s side or even place it in a small enclosed area in your home. You don’t sacrifice space to get all of the benefits that come with adding a pool to your home.
How Compact Pools Work
You can think of plunge pools as smaller versions of regular swimming pools, and it works almost identical to traditional pools. Normally, they’ll be small inground pools. However, there are high-quality above ground fibreglass plunge pools available if you want a small above-ground pool. They have the same pump systems and filters as the bigger swimming pools. You typically use this type of pool for one of two activities.
The first activity is relaxation. Your entire family will get a space to enjoy the water and play, lounging along the pool with a nice area to cool down. It’s even possible to install jets in the pool’s seating areas to take your plunge pool to the level of a spa or massage pool.
Low-impact exercise and rehabilitation are the next activities you commonly use compact pools for. You can swim or do water aerobics in this pool without straining your body. In turn, this can help strengthen your muscles and bring you back from an injury.
Plunge Pool Benefits
Small above ground pools are quickly gaining in popularity throughout Queensland for a large variety of reasons. Understanding the benefits can help you decide whether or not this type of pool is a good fit for your wants and needs.
Easier to Maintain and Clean
As a general rule, plunge pools are easier to clean and maintain than traditional pools. The smaller size means that you’ll have less debris in the water, and you can even get away with using a scoop net or manual vacuum as your pool cleaning system. Having a more compact pool also makes it easier to toss a cover on to protect it when you don’t plan on using it. This will also help keep junk and leaves out.
Lower Installation Costs
Building and installing these small pools is cheaper and quicker than installing a full-sized pool at your home. The company will have less area to clear or dig if you go with a small inground pool. You’ll also spend less on construction materials for the surrounding areas of the pool like the fencing, tiling or decking.
Lower Ongoing Costs
You’ll have lower ongoing costs with this pool since your water needs are much lower than a regular pool. This can help you save money in several places. For example, you’ll need fewer chemicals to keep your water clean and safe. The running costs for your heaters, filters and pumps are also lower. When the water levels start to drop, it’s not a big deal to top them back off.
Small Space Requirements
It’s easy to fit your new plunge pool into an area where you would never be able to fit a full-sized model due to the more compact design. A lot of people in Emerald or Gladstone like to set up their small above-ground pools alongside a deck or patio, or they’ll tuck it by a fence or wall in their yard. This can take an area that was wasted space and turn it into the focal point of your yard.
Plunge Pool Drawbacks
Understandably, small inground pools and more compact pools in general have drawbacks associated with them. To help you get a fair view of these pools, we’ll talk about the drawbacks people mention the most when they talk about plunge pools.
Accommodate Fewer People
A plunge-style pool can get crowded very quickly, but you don’t have to worry about this as much in a traditional-sized pool. The smaller size of this pool design means that you might only be able to have four adults in the water at one time. So, it’s not suitable for parties or people who have large families who all like to swim at the same time.
Limited Sizing
One of the biggest drawbacks is the more limited sizing on these compact pools. Your kids won’t have a huge area to play in, and it most likely won’t be possible for you to swim laps unless you install a resistance jet. There are longer pool designs, but you sacrifice width for length.
Shallow Water
Many kids get a thrill out of jumping in and out of a swimming pool, but this throws up a large red flag for parents who choose to have a plunge pool in their yard. There is no deep end with these pools. The more shallow design can be a large safety risk because the chances of your kid hitting the hard bottom if they jump in goes up significantly.
Compact Pool vs Traditional Pools – Comparing Installation Processes
Plunge pools offer significant benefits when it comes time to pick out a good pool builder to come in and install it for you. The installation process is usually very straightforward and less time-consuming than it would be for a traditional pool.
Building and Ongoing Running Costs
It’s true that installing your plunge pool can be more cost-effective than a traditional-sized pool, there are still significant expenses attached to this process. You’ll save money when your pool installers come in to excavate the area, but you could find yourself paying more to buy and install fencing, decking and heating elements. The filter and pump system all represent expenses you’d have with a traditional pool too.
However, the ongoing costs to run your compact pool are much lower. You’ll have far less water to treat so you can buy and use fewer chemicals. In turn, you can run your filter at lower power, and you can buy a more economical filter system. This equals a lower monthly cost, and you’ll really see the savings stack up with your heating element.
Design and Materials
A lot of these types of pools take on a minimalist design to help you make the most use out of the space they occupy. You could choose a round model, but they don’t allow you to use your space nearly as well as a square or rectangular design does, so they’re rare.
For the materials, you can choose concrete if you want your compact pool to fit a specific area, and they can last for over 30 years with the correct maintenance. However, in Australia, fibreglass and vinyl are two very popular choices. As a bonus, you can install both fibreglass and vinyl as above or inground pools.
Installation Ease or Difficulty
To install a small inground pool, your company will have to put in a bit of work because they’ll have to excavate the area. Even though they won’t go as deep as a traditional pool, they’ll need to prepare and sort the area before they install the pool. As a much faster alternative, you can choose to have a small above ground pool. Once you get them in place and connected, you can use your pool in a few days instead of a few weeks.
Many companies like Little Pools feature prefabricated plunge pools because they’re easy to transport, and all you have to do is place and fill them upon delivery. You can choose several options from the Relax pool range, Refresh pool range, plunge pools and lap pools.
Space and Size Requirements
These pools are immensely popular throughout Queensland and Australia as a whole because they allow any homeowner who has limited space to turn their yard into an oasis with a small pool. All you need is space that measures as little as 4 metres by 3 metres to potentially install a compact pool. In doing so, you can turn a previously undesirable part of your yard into the focal point.
The Pool People Excel at Installing Small Pools
At The Pool People, we have dedicated and professional compact pool installation specialists that are happy to help you pick out your new small above or inground pool for your Queensland home. We’ll also help you with servicing your Queensland plunge pool. You can reach out and enquire today!
