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Spas attached to the pool do not stay hot all the time. It's on demand heating. And when you want the spa hot, it is separated from the pool for the duration. The benefit is the spa uses the same water as the pool, therefore doesn't require different chemicals or cleaning.
It takes about 30 minutes to heat our spa. Once finished with it, the spa goes back to just being another part of the pool.
Our spa is actually the point of circulation from the filter pump. Water goes down the skimmer, to the filter, and returns back through the spa. It makes a nice little waterfall.
That makes a lot of sense, thank you. Does the waterfall not drive up the pH like crazy?
Here's the deal with an in pool spa - are they ever as comfortable as a separate hot tub? I rather doubt it. The ones I've seen seem more rudimentary than the free standing hot tubs. I mean, a circle, some hard seats, very few or no jets - just doesn't seem as comfy as a free standing hot tub.
Of course, if one isn't planning on using a hot tub for actual relaxing for a bit - that's different.
That makes a lot of sense, thank you. Does the waterfall not drive up the pH like crazy?
No. The drop is only about a foot or less in height and the same in width so it's not greatly churned up. We do add dry acid but that's a simple process. Right now, with the pool not being used, the pump is only running enough to cycle the water once. We run the pump longer in the summer when we are actually using it and adjust the chemicals anyway because of that.
Here's the deal with an in pool spa - are they ever as comfortable as a separate hot tub? I rather doubt it. The ones I've seen seem more rudimentary than the free standing hot tubs. I mean, a circle, some hard seats, very few or no jets - just doesn't seem as comfy as a free standing hot tub.
Of course, if one isn't planning on using a hot tub for actual relaxing for a bit - that's different.
Probably the biggest difference is that a freestanding hot tub will have a plastic formed interior. This is, yes, more comfortable to sit on than most pool surfaces. Our spa seats six and has six jets, and has a bubbler setting for real roiling water if you want it. What makes having a spa as part of the pool is it's a space saver. Sure, if you've got a large backyard area for both a pool and a separate hot tub, you can spend the money for two separate systems. Here in my part of Florida most don't have the space. Pool with spa is pretty standard.
Probably the biggest difference is that a freestanding hot tub will have a plastic formed interior. This is, yes, more comfortable to sit on than most pool surfaces. Our spa seats six and has six jets, and has a bubbler setting for real roiling water if you want it. What makes having a spa as part of the pool is it's a space saver. Sure, if you've got a large backyard area for both a pool and a separate hot tub, you can spend the money for two separate systems. Here in my part of Florida most don't have the space. Pool with spa is pretty standard.
I get what you're saying and I'm glad I didn't have to choose because I have plenty of space for both and because of that, I chose a separate hot tub.
Our preliminary design is for a spa attached to the pool-- raised about 16" from pool level for an additional sitting-wall surface and a small spillway into the pool. As I said before, I'm not the swimmer, and my wife & kids have now shared their ideas, so there are changes already.
My main interest is the ease of maintenance & aesthetic. I am indifferent on the sanitation between salt and traditional chlorine if the maintenance interval & complexity is similar. But my "swimmers" prefer salt. And they don't know how important it is to them to have access to the spa during the winter months, so that's open for now.
I initially wanted to keep it as a standard rectangle to have a automatic pool cover built in, but I've come to find out that the automatic cover isn't really a "thing" in Oklahoma.... and my wife wants "clear swimming space" in the basic rectangle, so the swim-out (in the deep end) and steps (in the shallow end) will now be bumped-out from the main rectangle shape. Unless they make a automatic pool cover that travels in the short direction (instead of from deep end to shallow end), my dreams of a automatic pool cover are gone.
Don't get that salt on the grass, and hope you don't have a leak. Also, how long are you planning to own the house? I ask because from everything I've heard, salt is hard on pool equipment.
Salt feels nice, don't get me wrong, but so does chlorine - since you don't have to use massive amounts of it in a home pool.
The salt levels are too low to even consider when thinking about equipment. Almost everything you add to a pool increases salt, solid chlorine, liquid chlorine, acid, baking soda. Even a non-SWCG pool usually has about 1000 ppm salt.
Short answer for winter pools, no, there is nothing special to consider. If you close the pool for the winter you simply drain the filter, pump, etc. People who have super harsh winters will drain the pool below the returns and plug them and use antifreeze.
A SWCG pool is about as "set it and forget it" as you can get. You may need to add acid occasionally to combat rising pH but that is about it. A simple Intermatic 104 timer to run the pump and the SWCG can be sufficient. There are "smart" integrated pool controllers but to be honest I can't think of a legitimate reason to have one for a pool. Now a hot tub, that would be nice to be able to start remotely.
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Don't get that salt on the grass, and hope you don't have a leak. Also, how long are you planning to own the house? I ask because from everything I've heard, salt is hard on pool equipment.
Salt feels nice, don't get me wrong, but so does chlorine - since you don't have to use massive amounts of it in a home pool.
There’s much bigger problems to worry about if there’s a leak big enough to affect the grass.
We have a salt pool and our son’s is chlorine. Both are nice but the salt is better.
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