November 2011
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Changing Your Hot Tub Water in 4 Simple Steps
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How to Choose the Right In-ground Pool for You
in Maintenance
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Many pool owners who live in milder regions continue to enjoy their pools late in the year. Keeping your pool open year-round is a great way to maximize the enjoyment you derive from owning a pool, especially if it is heated.
Staying Fit at the Pool
If swimming laps or water aerobics are an important part of your daily workout, a year-round pool allows you to continue throughout the year without disrupting your routine.
“If the pool is used for fitness/health, keeping it open provides continued opportunities to pursue those goals,” says Mat Luebbers, About.com swimming guide.
Even when the water is too chilly for a swim, there are benefits to working out around the pool, says Kelli Calabrese, Flower Mound, Texas-based author of Feminine, Firm & Fit. “You can use some of the props outside such as your patio furniture,” she says. “You can create an outdoor workout routine.”
A Warm Pool for Wellness
Maintaining a warm pool provides a satisfying way for your family to unwind and relax.
“It’s great for my kids when they come home from school and they’ve been sitting all day,” Calabrese says. “They need some physical outlet.”
Calabrese enjoys sitting poolside to stretch and meditate as she listens to the water. “Aesthetically in the winter it’s nice to go out and see water. Water is calming.”
“All of the normal things that can be done in a pool during the summer can be done in the winter if the pool is heated,” Luebbers says. However, in colder climates most people stick to lap swimming or spa-type activities because exposed body parts can get too chilly, he says.
“There are some people that feel better when they do a warm pool swim/cold exposure/warm pool swim process, too. Of course, care must be taken to prevent health risks,” Luebbers says.
Entertaining Poolside
Family and friends who come to visit from northern states will delight in the chance to swim while it is so much colder back home.
Having an open pool is also an excellent centerpiece for gatherings of local friends and neighbors. “Overall, I think it affects the whole appeal of everything around,” says Anthony Reo, president of Pearl Landscaping LLC headquartered in Albany N.Y. Without an open pool, the desire to entertain in that part of his yard diminishes, says Reo, who also operates out of Tampa, Fla.
Don’t let the end of summer mean the end of outdoor entertainment. Barbeques can be even more enjoyable in cooler seasons because you’re not dealing with intense heat, Calabrese says.
Expand Your Living Quarters
The presence of an open pool has a profound impact on your family’s likelihood of using outdoor space.
If the pool isn’t in use, it is almost as if the backyard has shut down, Reo says. “When the pool is closed, we no longer go to that area.”
Maintaining an open pool is a good way to encourage your family to enjoy life outside, Calabrese says. “Usually in the winter we’re outdoors a lot less, so it’s nice to have a place to go outside and be near water.”
Caring for Your Pool
There are a lot of benefits to year-round pool use, but be sure to continue regular maintenance. “If the water is warm, it is vulnerable to the same kinds of problems that occur during the summer,” says Touraj Rowhani, research chemist for Arch Chemicals Inc.
Follow the maintenance schedule you used during the summer to ensure your pool sparkles 365 days a year. Continue with weekly maintenance, such as testing pH and total alkalinity (TA) levels and vacuuming. Follow through with your monthly routine of bringing water samples into your authorized dealer and chemically cleaning your filter for chlorine-based and chlorine-free pools.
Adhering to your regular maintenance schedule ensures your yard will be a place to exercise, entertain and enjoy for seasons to come.
