Having a pool in your backyard is all about the convenience of being able to swim whenever you feel like without a lot of travel time or hassle. Unfortunately, outdoor pools in many areas of North America really only get a few months of good use, and even then it’s only during sufficiently warm enough parts of the day.
Why spend all that money if you can’t get great use of your investment year-round? Well, with just a bit of planning, you can!
There are three main ways to make your pool a year-round source of family fun: heating it, letting it freeze into a natural ice rink, or buying a pool cover you can walk on so you can reclaim valuable yard space.
Some of these options may not be feasible for every pool, so let’s take a closer look.
Heating your Pool in the Winter
Heating your pool is certainly one great way to ensure you can get use out of your pool at any time of day – or year! While it can seem pretty expensive to keep a pool heated all year long, it’s less wasteful of energy – and your time – than driving to the nearest indoor pool or going on vacation.
The average temperature for comfortable pool water is about 78°F, and this temperature is also recommended by professional coaches and the American Red Cross. It’s also a good temperature for conserving power.
For the young or elderly, you may wish to bump up the temperature to 80°F, but really the temperature you choose will depend entirely on your personal preference. Just remember that the hotter you make the water, the more it will cost in energy bills.
A heated pool will not only extend the swimming season considerably, it will also allow you to swim at any time of day in comfort. Whether you like to get up with the sun for a before-work swim or prefer to stay up late for some romantic dipping, the pool water will be lovely and inviting. Understandably, this will lead to a massive increase in the amount of use you can get from your pool.
Natural Ice Rink
If your pool is a natural pool and you live in areas that freeze over, then you have another option that is just as much fun! Instead of heating your pool, why not let it freeze? Your natural pool is a perfect opportunity for a winter favorite: skating. Sure to be a hit with the kids, skating is good exercise and fun for the whole family.
Reclaim Yard Space
If you don’t have a natural pool but you don’t think heating your pool is the right choice for your family, a pool cover that can be walked across is the best way to reclaim that yard space for the colder months. It will let you have full use of your yard and eliminates the worry of small children or pets falling in, as secure covers can hold enough weight to hold an elephant!
There are many different options available depending on what you will use the space for, but be sure not to overload the cover too much!