Water Features
On their own with just you swimming in them, a pool can be a very quiet place, and whilst this can be relaxing in itself, the sound of running water can be even more relaxing. Indeed the sound of running water is known to relax the mind and hence the body. The use of indoor water features in Japan is a good example of this.
So why not add a water feature to your pool? You could add a waterfall with water cascading into your swimming pool. This is a great feature to have as you can stand underneath it and let the water falling down pummel your shoulder muscles to relax them.
Or you could add a solution like that found in modern spa hotel swimming pools, and that is the addition of various types of in-pool, and outside of the pool water jets. If you go to a hotel spa you will now very often find various (often odd looking) stainless water jets that you can switch on whilst sitting at the edge of the pool.
These numerous jets do anything from pummeling your back and shoulders with water, through to blasting water up at your feet whilst you are seated poolside.
Installing such water features in your swimming pool does not cost as much money as you would think. However if you like the idea of adding such a feature just bear in mind that whilst they maybe added later, they will cost far less if you install them at the time of building your swimming pool.
Heating Options:
Well with swimming pools dropping down in price many of us can now afford to buy one, particularly with large oval above ground pools offering the same benefits of an in ground pool but at a fraction of the price.
However all pools even in very hot climates normally need some form of heating, and heating a pool obviously costs money. Sure you can buy solar collectors but unless you live in a climate with around ten hours really good strong sunshine each day, then they are unlikely to heat the pool to the temperature you want without an additional heat source.
The bulk of swimming pools are heated by mains gas powered boilers, or by boilers using external LPG gas tanks.
Using LPG just for your swimming pool boiler is actually a great idea as it enables you to be able to tell exactly how much gas you are using, and hence how much money your pool is costing to heat. Where as when you use a mains gas boiler to heat your pool and your house, then you have little or no idea how much of your actual gas bill is going on heating your pool.
Another option is to use an in-ground heat converter - this is whereby a borehole is dug several feet (Around thirty) into the ground and a water pipe placed in the hole. This is then used to heat the pools water with the natural heat from the Earth itself. These systems have come down in price in recent years and should not be overlooked as an option to heat your swimming pool.
