Swimming pools making & maintenance costs in India

A swimming pool is a great attraction for apartment complex and can be a worthwhile addition to your home or society if you have ample space. Not only is it a great source of leisure, it also adds value to your property. Also swimming pools are now found in several societies and not just restricted to luxury residential projects.

Advantages of Swimming Pool

Here are some advantages of having a swimming pool in a residential complex:

• Swimming is a great all-round exercise – mix of cardio, muscle and joint exercise that increases stamina, lung power and flexibility.
• An apartment pool is safer because its shallow, which suits non-swimmers as well. You can just walk or jog in waist or chest deep water. Great for senior citizens who suffer from chronic muscle pains or arthritis.
• The crowd is very small, compared to a public pool.
• The presence of any water body nearby gives a boost to mental health and immediately brings down stress levels. The sight of open water has a calming effect on people. Floating in water (even with floats) is an amazing stress reliever.
• Pool sides are great for conducting social functions.
• It’s also a great location for doing meditation or yoga
• It’s a great place to have almost every kind of conversation, or to hang out, or read a book.

Maintaining a Swimming Pool: Challenges

Despite so many advantages of having a swimming pool, most pools in societies are neglected and not maintained well. They fail to clean the pool and surrounding area regularly.

A well maintained swimming pool looks attractive, increases the value of your property, and is a great source of recreation. On the other hand, a pool that is not managed properly allows growth of bacteria in pool water, and can cause health problems and illness, especially affecting kids.

One of the major problem with a swimming pool in a society is that maintaining it becomes a pain. In most societies, gyms are closed for repairs, swimming pools are in bad shape. Deteriorating condition of pool & gym/sauna in most societies are causes of injury to owners & guests.

The ladder that goes into the swimming pool not only has steps missing, but when coming out of the pool the force used to thrust oneself up is certainly sure to dislocate the ladder itself! Another accident waiting to happen. The tiles and steps are broken with sharp edges ready to cause severe cuts, so you have to be very careful in the pool., especially the kids who can easily meet with an accident while trying to get in or out of pool (if the pool is not well maintained).

The pool needs to be emptied regularly, not just for cleaning, but also to inspect all the issues (repair related) with the pool.

Most societies where an upfront cost is taken (towards maintenance) face another challenge. Over time, the maintenance corpus gets depleted, leaving little money in the kitty to deal with major repairs. Members are unwilling to shell out more maintenance charges, as a result of which the repairs work keeps on getting delayed.

Here are some common swimming pool maintenance mistakes don by property managers or pool keepers.

1. Check the pool’s chemistry – chlorine content and other levels – twice per week (in summer) and at least once per week in winter (as it gets used less).
2. Do proper cleaning of filters: The filter (DE filter, Cartridge filter, or sand filter)should be marked with the last cleaning date and serviced on a regular schedule after that.

   Most filters require backwashing when the pressure gauge rises 8-10 PSI from clean. If you backwash on a regular basis for no reason, you are wasting water. Backwashing sand or DE filters too often can never reach its cleaning potential. When backwashing does not reduce the pressure or it has been 6 months since the last cleaning, it needs to be taken completely apart, inspected and cleaned.

3. Corroded or calcified cells: Not cleaning the salt cell (chlorine generator of a salt pool) is a common mistake. The salt cell will produce limited chlorine if it is clogged and the walls of the cell are calcified. Ensure to clean the cells once in every three months.
4. Low water balance: Auto Fill Water Levelers automatically fill your pool with water when the water level drops below a certain level. Unless your pool is equipped with an auto fill system, you need to keep the water level up to the point where water can easily flow into the skimmers so that your pool pump does not suck in air. A timer for your hose bib can be an effective solution. Low or high alkalinity can affect water balance and ultimately a sanitizer’s ability to perform. Check TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) every 6 months and calcium hardness every month.
5. Not cleaning skimmer baskets: Not cleaning skimmer baskets, pool cleaner bags, leaf catchers and the pump basket is common mistakes made by pool keeper or property manager. Some leafy pools in fall may need to be emptied out as often as several times per day. Even with a weekly pool service pool owners should check these areas between service visits. If these are full of debris you will get little flow resulting in poor circulation, potentially creating a big problem.
6. Calcified walls and tiles: Most property manager or pool keeper fails to brush the sides of the pool which results in algae and calcified wall. Once the tile gets calcified it becomes like plaque and will take a specialist to get it off. Brushing down the walls will help eliminate algae problems, keeping your tile clean and save you money. If you have a weekly service brushing and vacuuming should be on their schedule for every visit depending on the pool and the season.
7. Ignoring pool leak: Constantly adding water to keep a pool filled can be the sign of a leak. Due to fears of torn up concrete and huge repair bills, home owners or property manager often put off leak detection. You should not ignore a pool leak even if the water loss is minor, the leak will eventually get worse, be harder and more expensive to fix. If you cannot find the leak yourself it is best to consult a professional pool repair service.
8. Not running pumps long enough: The pool pump needs to run long enough each day to filter all of the water in the pool at least once. Pool heaters typically have a thermostat control that prevents overheating and waste of energy. You should run your pump about 1 hour for every 10 degrees of temperature. The pool cleaner should be run 8 to 10 hours in the summer and 6 to 7 hours in winter depending on your pool.
9. Mistakes in adding chemicals: For proper maintenance of pool, pool keeper or property manager need to treat pool with chemicals on a regular basis. When the pool chemicals are correctly introduced to the water, they will be more effective and longer lasting. It is best to add the shock treatment to the pool when it is dusk, and the sun is not shining on the pool. The sun can break down the chemicals in the shock, making it a less effective sanitizer for your pool.
10. Ignoring dangers around a pool: A pool keeper or property manager should never ignore any danger around a pool during pool maintenance. Make sure you follow the guidelines of the pool manufacturer, test water regularly and keep chemical levels maintained. Broken child safety fencing, lock or gate, loose coping, cracks in the concrete, outdated electrical systems and not replacing broken or missing drains or suction sources are real and dangerous hazard.
11. For smaller pools, you may consider draining and closing the pool during rainy and winter season, when utilization of a pool is minimum; it will save maintenance costs (water, electricity, and so-forth).

Source: commonfloor.

 

 

Problems pointed out here all real/genuine. One needs to appoint a good Manager with previous knowledge of this kind of work. He or she should not owe his/ her job to any Committee Member.

Rules should be clearly made for the use of the swimming pool or any other facilities for owners, Serviced Apartments or Guest House and no agents should be allowed and the maintenance charges should be levied to generate substantial incomes to supplement the Monthly Maintenance Funds.

In places like Goa, where it is common for people to let out their flats, there could be a limit on the number of occupants for renting on weekly or monthly basis so as not to out extreme pressure on the facilities like swimming pools.

Building a Cost-Effective Swimming Pool

Now that you’re aware of the advantages of having a swimming pool, and the right way to maintain it, here are some cost-effective ways to build/setup a a swimming pool, without burning a big hole in your pocket:

Types of Swimming Pool

Three common types of Swimming Pools:

• Vinyl-liner
• Fibreglass
• Concrete

Go for Vinyl-Liner Pool

Vinyl-liner is one of the most cost-effective options. Though installation is pocket-friendly, these require time-to-time maintenance as well as have a short shelf life of 7-15 years.

Shallow Pool Costs Less

Another practical option, if you don’t want to spend too much and have limited space, is to opt for a small pool design. This design will have lower installation cost and will also incur less maintenance costs.

A small and shallow pool means less maintenance, less labour and less material.

Also, avoid custom shapes, as they incur higher expenses.

Off-Season Installations are Cheaper

For best prices, go for pool installations during off-seasons (during winters). With fewer projects in the pipeline during winters, you are likely to get a good deal on the installation.

Take Quotations from Multiple Vendors

Also, make sure that you contact at least five contractors before you close on one. Compare the quotes from different companies and go for the one that offers best price and service.