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The weather is finally starting to warm up across the country, leading many people to consider installing a pool. Meanwhile, those lucky enough to already own a pool are busy cleaning in readiness for the swimming season.
But spa owners don't need to wait until the sun is shining to take a dip - they can enjoy their spa all year round.
The latest Workshop poll asks whether you prefer a pool or a spa.
Let us know by voting in the poll on the front page of Workshop, and feel free to explain your preference by replying to the discussion below.
Thanks for joining in the conversation.
Jason
@maknilsin & @Jackson, I'm not going soft on my opinionated standards, but you've both gotten it right.
Honestly, anybody that thinks that lounging in an energy guzzling spa/jacuzzi/hot tub is a lifestyle buzz, is an urban whale in the making.
Point blank, why would anybody with a brain, think that waddling outside mid-winter, dolled in their stolen hotel bathrobe, call their sedentary spell of tubby bliss, worthwhile/meaningful/justified when they get hit with their energy bill????
That's dumbness that you'd be well advised to avoid.
I'll wait until the dust settles before I dump on swimming pools. 
@Jackson, fair enough mate, I won't, because I love them. 
I'll post later today, but I've got a few things on the go at the moment.
I'm now able to pump up pools, it's been one of those days.
Swimming pools cop a lotta flak from greenies, there's evaporation, harsh chemicals, health issues, & energy concerns. Then there's the real estate industry, which nobody should take seriously, they flip & flop their opinion on each listing, depending on what side of the fence they're sitting on.
Here's the thing, swimming pools cost a lot of money, but if you go about it sensibly, it will be an investment in fun & wellbeing that you, & potential buyers will enjoy.
We had room for a pool & spa, but chose pool only. It wasn't the money, our self designed pool entry point (swimout) had steps & a flat area for parent supervised infants. Pools need effective water circulation, so by default, 2 were needed, & we opted for venturi jets (they're cheap) in that swimout.
With all pool inlet valves at the pump/filter manifold open, they were meagre aerated returns in the swimout, but shut off all other pool inlets, & they became fair dinkum unheated spa vets.
Cost, $25.
Savings, $6000 for a spa that didn't have heating, heating would be an extra cost, & I'm talk'n '81 prices.
Size matters, or so they say, but that comes at a cost, but if you want to swim for excercise/fitness, go for a simple, price effective rectangularish design.
I also think that wall to wall pools are ugly/a mistake, unless it's the only option, & poolside settings aren't your thing.
Quality against size is another juggle, but I lean toward a beautiful smaller pool that's well equipped, rather than a big one that's compromised with cheap equipment, but that's up to you.
Bespoke concrete v prefab fibre glass is another decision that's a personal thing. If the confines of prefab glass products isn't restrictive for you, & fits all of your needs, then it's your best deal, & you're the ultimate winner. If you happen to still have funds to spare, upgrading the running gear will be money well spent.
A lot of pool suppliers wil specify a cartridge filter by default, we didn't know better & accepted it, but we regretted it later. Don't get me wrong, they do a great job when new, but after time the pleated material clogs, as it's impossible to effectively clean it completely. The ongoing cost to you, is repeated cartridge replacement.
We replaced the cartridge filter with a Diatomaseous Earth (DE) filter, but backflushing was water wasteful, a new batch of DE had to be measured out & set in place, which I tolerated, but long story short, it didn't work out well.
Good thing is, you now can't buy a DE filter new.
Sand filters to the rescue then, but have it correctly sized to your pool & pump. Backwashing (reverse water flow flushing, to waste) is still an issue regarding water loss, but once it's done, the filter's as good as new, until the next back pressure builds up again, which eventually will happen.
OK, now we'll tackle chemical warfare on pool contaminates. Direct CHLORINE bombardment, or salt water treatment?
Let's think Chlorine, it comes in many forms, there're dry granuals, slow dissolve tablets, & also liquid form. I've tried them all, & I won't go back to powdered or tablet, for me, inhaling the vapours produced are physically uncomfortable.
Why is it so?
Enter Julius Sumner Miller, Chlorine (Cl) plus water (H2o), combines to produce Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) with biproducts, ingesting HCL isn't a good thing, or is it just me.
Others say, I won't swim in salt water, it'll wreck my hair, & saltwater (they're thinking seawater) if accidentall;y swallowed will make me vom. Manufacturers say that it's a very low soluble dilution, & drinkable, like tap water.
Time out, BOTH systems work on the basis of providing CHLORINE to sanitise/disinfect.
To pool blanket, or not pool blanket. I admit that I've fought it, but I'm turning around, a winter blanket that blocks light (algae needs light to survive), will have the added benefit of catching leaves, thereby saving on the hassle of vacuuming/raking to deter orgainic breakdown in the water, & pool floor staining.
Robotic pool cleaners serve their purpose, in that they draw less power to clean surfaces, than manually vacuuming with the regular vacuum head & running the pool pump. If you're time poor, the automated wizzes will save you time, but will cost you a minimum of $1000 to get a decent one. We don't have a robotic pool cleaner, & really, if you think you need one, remove nearby shrubs that drop leaves, or get the pool cover for off season.
There's more to tell, but I'm taking a well earnt breather for now.
