Posted by Marc Sheridan on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 @ 02:25 PM
By Jim Spiess, www.riverpoolsandspas.com
Finally, fiberglass pool costs are coming down. That is true with a lot of fiberglass pool dealers. But the question is: What is really a good deal on a fiberglass pool? As owners of a company that offers the best in fiberglass pools, with our Leisure Pool line and our Trilogy fiberglass pools, we have found that we are still installing a good amount of pools, but have come against some fiberglass pool companies that are pricing fiberglass pools at such low levels that they will not be able to survive. One only need to look at the car dealerships to see that cutting cost, without cutting anything else will result in financial collapse, and the last time I checked there were no government bailouts for pool companies. We at River Pools and Spas refuse to cut quality in any way or form, and that means we cannot cut fiberglass pool costs as much as the other fiberglass pool companies. Our manufactures at Leisure Pools and Trilogy Pools feel the same way. We have had people that we have visited say, they were more focused on quality rather than price if they had to choose between the two, and then after getting a few quotes, will turn around and focus on the price rather than the quality or service. It always amazes me that someone thinks in terms of two or three thousand dollars they are saving, when in reality it is 35 to 40 thousand dollars they are risking. When we sit down with the customer they already have a reference list of all the pools we have installed, which is well over 500 people, we do not pick and choose who goes on that list. In turn our competition will come in and offer a few references and a cheap price which always becomes a distraction from quality. I cannot believe that if a person is spending thousands of dollars on a fiberglass swimming pool that they would not demand a customer list, after all some companies boast that they only put in 20 or 30 pools a year so they can focus on the customer, great, have them give you that many names, so you can pick and choose who you want to call. These same companies will say that River Pools and Spas is focused on volume not quality, yet even with volume, you will see all of our customers on our reference list, dating back to when we started up in the swimming pool business, including our vinyl liner inground customers, and you will find if you take the time to call all of them you will get less than one percent negative feedback. Yet even with that we still are reducing the cost of fiberglass pool installations, just not as much as the companies struggling to stay in business, and that is why we will be around to service your fiberglass pool for years to come. And when you go to sell your home it will go up in value because of the beautiful fiberglass pool that you had River Pools and Spas install. Beware when the price differences start to hit over five thousand dollars. That is dangerous territory and do you really believe there is that much mark up on fiberglass pools? This is probably a company that is on its way out, and possibly with your money. Again I run into people who will still try the cheap swimming pool route, only to find out it was a disaster and they either spent more money than they intended too, or they are stuck with what they have, due to the fact that the ten thousand dollars or so they saved on the pool just will not fix all their fiberglass pool problems. For more information on fiberglass pool costs and prices visit http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/ and http://www.poolschool.us/
Posted by Marc Sheridan on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 @ 01:02 PM
Lap Pools and Swim Spas
By Marcus Sheridan, www.PoolSchool.us
Because the exercises of swimming and water aerobics have become so popular in the past 20 years, ‘Lap' swimming pools have also experienced exceptional growth. And with the advances of technology, no longer does a lap pool need be a 10'x50' swimming area. In fact, lap pools can now be some of the smallest pools in the industry. Let take a closer look at some of the various lap pools available on the market today.
Traditional
The original lap pool was usually an inground pool that was longer than 40' and about 10' wide with a uniform depth of about 4'. Although such pools are great for the ‘swimming purist', they are often not ideal for most consumers in terms of cost, year round usability, functionality, and area required for installation.
‘Endless' Pools
This phrase stems from one of the original ‘swim-in-place' pool companies, Endless Pools (http://www.endlesspools.com/) .Essentially, this type of lap pool looks like a very large hot tub(it usually sits on top of the ground) but on one end it has an intense set of jets that allows one to swim against its current. Depending on the user, endless style pools have varying speeds and intensities to customize to the needs of the individual swimmer. Although these types of lap pools can be a very effective way of distance swimming, their disadvantages are: cost (most run 20-30k), cost to keep heated during the colder months (if unit is outside), cost to repair unit if components break down, and swimming difficulty against a current.
More and more companies are coming out with their own version of the endless pool by creating their own ‘Swim Spa'. Pool and Spa Living magazine explains the different types of swim spas:
"
- Jet propulsion systems are the most common. Also known as "pressure-driven" systems, they are typically powered with 4-horsepower motors and feature one or more jets and adjustable current speeds up to 8 mph. Some jets can be adjusted for current direction, allowing swimmers to customize their own workouts.
- Paddlewheel systems create an adjustable-speed current powered by a rotating paddlewheel at one end of the swim spa. The wheel creates a smooth current across the entire width of the spa, moving in a laminar (or sheet-like, layered) flow. The current can flow as deep as 2 feet, and water is circulated under the swim current back to the paddlewheel.
• Propeller-powered systems create a smooth, adjustable-speed current like that of a paddlewheel system, but with the smaller current width of a jet system. A propeller at the front of the spa pushes water through a grate in the spa wall, where the current travels toward another grate on the rear wall. Water often travels back to the propeller through recessed channels, sometimes concealed in bench seats or beyond the spa's side walls."
A few different manufacturers that have come out with their own swim spa are: Master Spas, SwimEx, Dimension One Spas, and Hawkeye Spas.
Tether Systems
One of the newest forms of an endless-style pool can be found with tether systems. Essentially, the system attaches a tether band to the swimmer who then swims against his/her own resistance. (See the following link to better visualize: http://superswimpro.com/) Although these systems may seem primitive, they are extremely effective and have major benefits. For example, as the installer of fiberglass pools, the majority of my customers that are serious about lap swimming us the Super Swim Pro because it's extremely cost effective, makes for a great workout and can be used on any sized pool. These systems can be retrofitted on any pool, including above ground pools, which is why I expect their popularity to explode in the near future as more and more lap swimmers become aware of their availability. The other big benefit of tether systems is the fact that because they no mechanical components, they really don't ever break down (that is until the tether band goes bad). Therefore, their long term cost is much, much less than a jetted system.
As you can see, lap pool consumers now have many options to fit their swimming needs. So whether you choose traditional, endless, or tether for your lap pool; I'm sure you'll benefit greatly from these technology advances and the benefits of aqua exercise and therapy.
To learn more about swimming pools, visit: http://www.poolschool.us/