![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_6065.jpg\")
<\/a>There’s plenty to consider before you purchase a pool (Photo credit: Shasta Pools)<\/p><\/div>\n
Livabl<\/em> spoke with Skip Ast III, the new pools sales general manager at Shasta Pools<\/a> in Phoenix. We talked about the considerations you need to make before building and owning a pool, what you need to think about as a pool owner in Phoenix, the difference between low and high-maintenance pools, if there\u2019s such a thing as an eco-friendly pool, and what comes after your new pool is installed.<\/p>\n Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a> I would say that scenario is the most common for families. Many families I’ve spoken with have a justifiable and understandable fear of the process. Most families will say, \u201cHey, I just need to find the picture of the design or the pretty cool that I want.\u201d<\/p>\n The big challenge in our industry is the unknown. So much of what a pool costs initially, how it operates, and the cost of ownership has much to do with what’s beneath the surface of the pool.<\/p>\n A family needs to consider what is most important about having a pool. Maybe it’s to escape stress, escape politics, taxes, and their main goal is to relax. So, in that case, we can help point them to specific options, features, and equipment that allows them to relax more than any other type of pool scenario. Or they may say, \u201cWe want to be the pool where all the kids want to come and hang out.\u201d Or \u201cWe’re going to have family parties and get-togethers.\u201d That could dictate a different set of equipment.<\/p>\n Owners need to know the \u201cwhy\u201d of getting a pool. Is it the party pool, or will it be for two people? That is important to discover, as well as how much time an owner sees themselves maintaining the pool. People don’t know with pools. Some say, \u201cIf I spend more than an hour a week on maintenance, I’ll be disappointed.\u201d That helps guide us to a specific set of equipment that we can show.<\/p>\n <\/a> It covers everything from water sanitation to how the water is removed, and how it filters to get physical dirt out.<\/p>\n It’s kind of like the engine of a car. You can fall in love with the car’s look, but then you find out it\u2019s got a hamster for an engine. It’s going to be nothing but a beautiful, gorgeous headache. A model company will come in and try to make it what you would expect. So, it’s good for families to take their time to feel peace of mind and empowered about what is going on underneath a pool, just as much as they’re excited about a look.<\/p>\n It’s one of those things people don’t dream about when they think about owning a pool. They\u2019re thinking about the Fourth of July parties and how they will use the pool. It\u2019s understandable.<\/p>\n But everything’s about the guts of the engine. I think that’s where families are either extremely disappointed by the result or thrilled because they had a trustworthy individual select the right equipment for them.<\/p>\n <\/a> That\u2019s a question most families ask, and it can be intimidating due to how intensely you want to get into detail and different options. During monsoon season, the equipment in the pool matters because you get that mile-high wall of dust, and you can’t see the bottom of your pool in a matter of hours. It takes some effort to fix that. You’ve got to pay an expensive service fee for pool service. If someone has decided to pay for pool service, that’s likely because their pool doesn’t clean itself.<\/p>\n You can go basic to where it’s a beautiful shell that holds water. The water circulates, and you need someone to come back and do the labor once a week. But once a week isn\u2019t enough because pool chemistry needs to be tested at least a couple of times a week, and it can change overnight with one storm.<\/p>\n You can go from there to a system where you can function and operate your pool from out of state. I can be at my son’s football practice and see a big storm on the way. Then I\u2019m pulling out my phone, and I’m turning the cleaning system on to take care of that. I don’t have to worry about coming back to a swamp.<\/p>\n So, the range is significant. You can go with hand cleaning. Or you can have like a little robot that randomly goes through the pool. But that robot is going to miss some spots. It won’t get steps and benches.<\/p>\n Then there are options that Shasta and my grandfather, Skip Sr., were at the forefront of developing. He installed the first one in 1968. A series of heads are mapped in the bottom of the pool and zoned. Those heads come up, pushing filtered, sanitized, and treated water. Then they move dirt toward the drain for you, like a dustpan.<\/p>\n But customers need to be on guard because some come in and say, \u201cI’ve heard wonders about that pop-up system or that in-floor cleaning,\u201d but there are five or six different systems to choose from. So, families must be careful about using generic terminologies when asking for specific systems. That allows some pool companies to choose the cost-effective system for the company to install for that family.<\/p>\n <\/a>Is there such a thing as an eco-friendly pool?<\/strong><\/p>\n The pool industry is becoming more eco-friendly, which has a lot to do with the options. There are natural pools, and they tend to be more popular where things are much more humid, such as on the east coast and south, where everything is green. Builders install plants, and the plants naturally filtrate that water.<\/p>\n But Arizona is a desert climate. The plants don’t survive. So, the way that families go more eco-friendly is with the efficiency of the equipment. There’s equipment out today that doesn\u2019t require you to backwash.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the frequency where you drain a little bit of the pool, maybe once or twice a month. You don’t waste the water. There\u2019s the efficiency of equipment, variable speed motors, and things of that nature.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the method of sanitizing the water. Many families want to avoid using as many harsh chemicals as possible. You’re using different sets of sanitation options that can reduce the need for harsh chemicals.<\/p>\n Can a pool become too warm for swimming? It can in Phoenix (Photo credit: Shasta Pools)<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a> Every family is different, but the temperature of the water is something to consider. Most families move here from elsewhere. They might think Arizona is a place where you can swim year-round, which isn’t the case.<\/p>\n They find out that [pools rise to a warmer temperature] just by way of the Arizona sun; you get four to five months of swim season. If a family wants to attempt to enjoy more months of that pool and as perfect as the weather can be in the spring or fall, most analysts find that you can’t use your pool. It’s way too cold.<\/p>\n There needs to be consideration of how long [a family] wants to be using their pool. Also: There are moments of the summer when that water temperature can naturally rise to the low-to-mid 90\u00b0F mark. If they’ve just been outside working hard, they want to return home and jump into something refreshing. 90\u00b0F feels gross. It doesn’t feel very refreshing. So, there are systems and options to adjust the temperature.<\/p>\n
\nMy family and I are new to Arizona, and we\u2019ve never owned a pool. Where do we begin?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWhen you mention \u201cequipment,\u201d what does that entail?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shastainfo.png\")
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\nWhat are the differences between a low and high-maintenance pool?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/IMG_6318.jpg\")
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\nWhat would a pool owner have to consider that\u2019s specific to Arizona?<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shasta-pool.jpg\")
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