How Do Swimming Pools Work?

21 Mar How Do Swimming Pools Work?

How Swimming Pools Work

From How Stuff Works

Are you one of those people who have to know everything about a product before you purchase it?  For those of you contempating the purchase of a backyard swimming pool who have this personality type, this post is for you!  How Stuff Works presents a great Swimming Pools 101 class on swimming pools including the different types of vessels, filtration systems, chemical treatment and chemistry, lighting, etc.  The post includes handy diagrams and pictures as well.  By the time you are finished you might be ready to start your own inground swimming pool company!

Here is an excerpt from the post:

 Types of Pools

The main difference between different types of pools is how the basin is constructed. There are several different pool styles, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Above-ground pools are the cheapest construction option, as well as the easiest to build. Most above-ground pools are made from prefabricated kits, which even an amateur can put together (though most people go with professional installers). First, the installers level off the ground to form a flat building surface. Then they assemble a perimeter track, which supports the outer wall (made of metal, plastic or wood). Next, they spread sand in the pool area and lay the plumbing. Finally, they secure the vinyl liner over the pool walls, fill the pool with water, smooth the liner and fasten it into place. As soon as they hook up the pump and filtering system, the pool is ready to go. The main disadvantage of this sort of pool is that it’s less durable than other designs, and generally less attractive. It’s also less permanent, which can be a good thing — it’s relatively easy to disassemble the pool and move it to a new location.
Fiberglass pools are made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic, which has been molded into a basin shape. To install the pool, a construction crew digs an appropriately sized hole, lays the necessary plumbing, adds some sand filler and lowers the preformed pool structure into the hole. Then they level the pool, hook up all the plumbing and backfill in the area around the pool. Usually, the pool is surrounded by a concrete deck structure.
Vinyl-lined in-ground pools are a lot like above-ground pools, structurally, but they look more like conventional in-ground designs. The construction crew digs a hole and assembles a metal, plastic or wood frame wall around the hole’s perimeter. As in an above-ground pool, the crew lays sand along the bottom of the hole and secures the vinyl lining to the structural wall. These pools are a lot cheaper than other in-ground designs, but not as durable. Typically, the liner needs to be replaced every 10 years or so.
Gunite pools are the most popular design in much of the United States.

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