Are you new to pool ownership or interested in installing a new backyard swimming pool? All the terminology surrounding swimming pools and pool care can seem intimidating at first, but once you start talking the talk, it’ll become as second nature as an evening hot tubbing ritual.
At Bask Pools + Outdoors, we design and build gorgeous custom pools and water features for homeowners throughout the Lafayette area, handling everything from pool remodels to new installations. In today’s blog, we’ve compiled a collection of the most common swimming pool terms to help you get familiar with swimming pool maintenance and feel more confident taking care of your pool. You’ll be speaking like a seasoned pro in no time!
Pool Design Terms
When you first work with Bask Pools + Outdoors to design and install a pool on your property, you may hear the designers and construction team tossing around terms you haven’t heard before when discussing the details of your project. There are also quite a few essential parts to your pool system you’ll want to select before your pool is built. Here are a few of the most common terms you’re likely to hear:
Cover: Pool covers are placed over your pool to protect it from debris and keep heat in (if you’re building a heated pool), cutting down on your energy costs and maintenance time required. Pool covers also keep you safe, protecting non-swimmers from falling into your pool. You may be asked if you want a specific type of pool cover during the design process, as some types, such as automatic and solar pool covers, need to be accounted for in your pool’s electrical design.
Counter Current Unit: A special unit that allows swimmers to use the pool for exercise by providing a strong current for them to swim against. These units are best suited for smaller pools.
Design Build: The comprehensive design and construction of a swimming pool according to your desires and specifications, which your designer helps you with.
Electrical Design: The blueprint for the placement of all the electrical equipment that operates your pool, produced by your pool designer as part of your overall swimming pool design plan.
Fiberglass: A type of swimming pool that is known for being more algae-resistant than other types of swimming pools. Bask Pools + Outdoors does not offer fiberglass swimming pool installations, however, we can service them.
Filtration: Every pool has a filtration system to help keep it clear of debris, and you’ll choose what type of filtration system you want during the swimming pool design process. Sand filters are cheaper, but they require a sand change every 3-5 years. The three most common types of pool filters are DE filters, sand filters, and cartridge filters.
Grotto: A grotto is a special type of water feature resembling a cove that can be built into a pool. Often constructed with artificial rock, a grotto is built over a section of your pool to provide cover and shade for people to relax under. Many pool owners will add a waterfall feature over the entrance of the grotto to highlight the space. Check out our Gallery page to see examples of grottos!
Gunite: A type of swimming pool that is known for its extremely durable rebar framework that holds up better long-term than other types of swimming pools. Most notably, gunite pools do not require the addition of a pool liner to support its foundation — they are sufficiently water-tight as is. Gunite pools are the only kind of pool that bask Pools + Outdoors offers.
Heater: Heating is an important element of any pool system, not only for the comfort of swimmers, but also for your pool’s water balance! Talk to your swimming pool design specialist to learn more about heating options for your pool. There are two types of heaters – gas heater and heat pump.
Hot Tub: Hot tubs — also often called spas or jacuzzis — are small pools filled with hot, bubbling water. Inground hot tubs are often built adjacent to a larger pool, though some pool owners opt for above-ground models.
Infinity Pool: A type of pool specifically designed to appear as if they blend in with the natural landscape of the surrounding area.
Inground Pool: Any type of pool that is built into the ground, making it a permanent pool structure. Bask Pools + Outdoors specializes in inground gunite pool design and construction, and does not offer above-ground pools.
Quiet Pump: A type of pump system designed to reduce the level of noise that is often associated with pool pumps. Most modern pump systems are designed to dampen the sound of their operation, however, some pool owners prefer to choose a quiet pump when building their pools. Quiet pumps are often variable speed with a magnetic motor.
Remodel or Renovation: Swimming pool remodeling refers to any significant work performed on an existing pool to modify, improve, or expand on its current design or construction. This may also be called renovating or updating the pool.
Underwater Lighting: Any lighting that is installed in the pool under the surface level. Underwater lighting can significantly enhance the appearance and swimming experience in a pool, or even used for therapeutic purposes.
Water Features: Any features added to the design of a swimming pool that, while not necessary for the pool’s function, can enhance the swimming experience in the pool. Common water features include jets, waterfalls, fountains, and grottos.
Zero Edge Pool: A type of pool design in which the level of the water is exactly level with that of the pool liner. This type of pool is less common, as the water level in any pool fluctuates as swimmers get in and out of the pool, making level deck pools more prone to overflows and lost water.
Pool Parts & Structure Terms
Once your swimming pool installation or remodel is completed and all the fine details have been accounted for, we’ll walk you through the essential aspects of your new pool. Here’s a rundown on the basic parts of your new swimming pool:
Automation: Special technology that can be incorporated into a swimming pool’s electrical design that allows you to program some of your pool’s features to run automatically. For instance, automation could allow you to program a heated pool to warm the water at only certain times of the day in order to save money on your energy bills.
Bather Load: The maximum amount of swimmers that can reasonably use a pool at once. In other words, the capacity of a pool.
Coping: The material that defines the edges of a swimming pool or hot tub. The coping is most often made of stone or brick.
Control Panel: The part of the pool that gives you control over various electrical elements of your pool and any water features you’ve installed, such as the water temperature, lighting, or an automatic pool cover.
Finish (Interior): The interior finish of a gunite swimming pool is finished in quartz plaster.
Finish (Exterior): The exterior finish of a swimming pool refers to the deck surrounding the pool which can be concrete, stone, tile, or decorative spray deck.
Lighting: Any lighting in the swimming pool itself or in the surrounding area of the pool. Lighting is important to indicate depth in a pool, and it provides an aesthetic boost.
Ozone Sanitization System: A special type of sanitization system that uses O3 to help keep pool water clean and boost the effectiveness of a pool’s filtration system.
Equipment Pad: The area in which the electrical equipment and pumps/filtration system are installed.
Filtration System: This term generally describes a wide range of pool equipment, including sanitization system, pumps, heaters, filtration, and oxidizers that, when used in conjunction with one another, keep a pool consistently clean and sanitized.
Pool Maintenance Terms
Routine maintenance and cleaning are key to keeping your pool looking and functioning its best long-term (and avoiding the need for costly repairs or remodels). Before we leave you with your new pool, we’ll discuss essential maintenance tasks and pool water health with you. Here’s some of the things you can expect to learn more about:
Acidity: Acidity, or the degree to which a body of water is acidic, is one of two elements that determine the pH level of the water in your pool. Things that are acidic have a low pH — specifically, a pH of less than 7. Healthy pool water should have a pH of between 7 to 7.6, ideally 7. Highly acidic water can damage your pool and its pool equipment, or even cause swimmers discomfort.
Algae: A type of small plant that can develop in untreated pool water. Algae appears green and greatly impacts water clarity in your pool if left to grow. It is not safe to swim in a pool with significant algae growth.
Algaecide: A chemical used to suppress algae growth in a pool.
Alkalinity: Alkalinity, or the degree to which a body of water is alkaline, is one of two elements that determine the pH level of the water in your pool. Things that are alkaline have a high pH — specifically, a pH greater than 7. Healthy pool water should ideally have a pH of 7, but can have a pH anywhere between 7 and 7.6. Highly alkaline water can lead to calcium deposits and scale forming in your pool.
Bacteria: A type of microscopic organism that can be harmful to human health. Swimmers can contaminate pool water with their own bacteria if the pool has not been properly cleaned and sanitized, which can lead to the spread of waterborne diseases.
Backwash: An important part of pool maintenance that involves reversing the flow of water in a pool back through the filter in order to remove the contaminants and debris the filter catches.
Chlorine: A common pool chemical that plays an integral role in keeping pool water clean and balancing the pH levels. Too much chlorine can irritate swimmers’ eyes and skin, while too little can put the pool at risk of contamination with bacteria.
Flocculant: A chemical used to bind smaller contaminant particles together to make it easier for a pool’s filtration system to process them and clear them from the water.
Maintenance: Pool maintenance is essential for keeping a pool clean, maximizing its useful life, and minimizing the need for repairs or renovations. Common pool maintenance includes clearing away debris, cleaning and maintaining the filter and pump, monitoring pH levels and other water health factors, and closing one’s pool in winter. Bask Pools has a robust maintenance department offering weekly maintenance services.
pH Level: The chemical balance (or imbalance) of pool water. pH monitors rate a body of water’s pH level on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being the ideal. Water with a pH above 7 is alkaline, and water with a pH below 7 are acidic. Your pool water’s pH should fall within the range of 7-7.6.
Pool Cleaners: A general term for chemicals that clean pool water and pool equipment. Pool cleaning fluids include chlorines, algaecides, and stain removers, among others. The singular term ‘Pool Cleaner’ may also refer to a pool expert hired by the pool owner to perform cleaning and maintenance tasks on their behalf.
Scale: A white-colored material that forms on the surface of pool water and on pool equipment when the pool water is getting too alkaline in composition.
Servicing: The cleaning and tuning up of pool equipment by a pool service professional. Servicing is essential for helping a pool and its equipment function its best for as long as possible. Bask Pools’ skilled service technicians are available for troubleshooting and repairing all parts of your swimming pool’s equipment.
Shock Treatment: A pool maintenance technique that involves sharply raising the chlorine levels in a pool for a short period in order to kill off bacteria and ensure sanitary pool water.
Test Kit: A collection of tools and gadgets used to test the pH level and water quality of a pool.
Vacuum: A tool that is used to clear dirt and debris out of pool water.
Water Balance: The ideal interaction and optimal levels of various pool water health indicators, including pH, water temperature, and water hardness (level of minerals in the water). ‘Balanced Water’ is pool water that is in good, healthy condition.
Start Planning Your Picturesque Paradise
Now that you have a better understanding of pool terminology and the processes behind swimming pool design and maintenance, you can start planning your own backyard pool with more confidence! Call Bask Pools + Outdoors for the best swimming pool design and construction service in Lafayette, LA. Ask us about how we can leverage the extensive architectural and landscaping backgrounds of our designers to help you seamlessly integrate a swimming pool into your property, transforming your backyard! We can’t wait to dive right into working with you!