Pool Water Features

What type of water feature?
Get creative during the process of designing your own water feature for your pool area. Popular types include water walls, sheer descents and spheres/urns.
Water walls are vertical sheets of water that cascade down a wall or a pane of glass, landing in the pool or another small body of water. These have become very popular because of their simplicity and their compact design. They are available pre-made, so can be installed without much fuss.
Sheer descents are the most common choice, as they run a ‘blade’ of water out towards the pool that then descends steeply towards the water. These can be set out a bit further towards the pool so that swimmers can sit underneath the flow, or further back so they can just enjoy the aesthetic affect.
Spheres and urns are an interesting option as the water bubbles or spouts out the top of a decorative sphere or urn to trickle down the sides to wonderful effect. These usually sit out of the pool to the side rather than in the pool.
Usually any type of water feature needs its own pump to keep the water moving, so as you would clean your pool’s filter and pump, give your water feature pump a going over every few months.
Also, note that getting council approval for your water feature design is a must before you start construction. Things you may need to consider (depending on the restrictions in your local area) may include distance from property boundaries and neighbours, safety precautions, water or energy saving features and design specifications.

Other uses
Water features are not only nice to look at; they have practical uses in terms of storage. They can be used to hide unsightly pool equipment, including the filter, pump, cleaning equipment and chemicals. This close storage is very convenient for you, as you won’t have to build an extra shed or other structure nearby to house these items, or lug the equipment around. Having the filter closer to the pool also helps it run more efficiently. You could also use it to store pool toys, games and floatation devices.
Other bonuses of having a water feature include:

• they help circulate the water throughout the pool, keeping the pool cleaner and helping the spread of chemicals.
• many water features have lighting worked into their design so as to best to take advantage of the two elements together; others may not include lighting but can have lighting placed around them to achieve a similar affect.
• your pool has already added a great deal of value to your home; bringing a water feature into the picture adds a touch of luxury that can boost the value even higher.

Why limit a water feature to the pool area?
Water features can add so much to any backyard, whether they be leafy green and full of wild plants, or inspired by modern textures of steel, rock or timber.
Designing a water feature to be placed out in the garden rather than within the pool area has a great deal of flexibility; there is the opportunity to experiment with ponds, plants and even fish! Koi fish are a favourite for those installing a pond to surround their water feature, plus, they help keep the number of mosquitoes down.

Other articles in this edition:

Protect your Pool from the Sun

Summer Entertaining around the Pool

Peace of Mind for the Holidays

Swimart's Gift Guide for Pool Lovers