Fiberglass Pools Save Money On Chemicals

Fiberglass pools are a popular and cost-effective option to traditional concrete, gunite and vinyl in-ground installations. One of the more frequently cited advantages fiberglass pools enjoy over similar competitors is a significant decrease in the number and quantity of water and pool interior maintenance chemicals.

Traditional stone and composite pools require an interior finish which serves to seal the pool from exterior ground-water borne water and provide protection and of the pool base material from the interior water and its chemicals. The stone composite pool requires periodic emptying of the water to treat, repair, re-plaster and acid-wash the lining. This is not an inexpensive process, as the cost of the chemicals is only a part of the expense. The replacement of the water must also be taken into account.

A vinyl-lined pool is a hybrid solution, providing a washable and far less maintenance-intensive lining option than plaster. However, tears or cracks in the vinyl can lead to the same issues as a plastered pool. Vinyl pools also require periodic emptying to either replace or repair the liner.

Fiberglass pools have their own issues, most of which can be resolved or addressed at the time of the original installation, or by using a high-quality gelatin sealant that not only protects the fiberglass from normal and routine wear-and-tear, it is repairable without the necessity of removing the water.

By being directly applied to the fiberglass, the gelatin lining bonds to the fiberglass without seams, ripples or cracks typical in a plaster-lined pool or the vinyl-lined option. Gelatin is also chemically-inert. It does not allow the interior or exterior ground-water to react with the fiberglass. This results in cost savings for the more concentrated or constant refilling of pH balancing chemicals introduced into the system because of the lining material. Further savings in chemicals are realized each time the pool is not emptied and refilled as part of routine maintenance of traditional pools.

Many fiberglass pools are available that are custom-sized to the specific location in a variety of shapes and sizes. It is unusually not necessary to remove the traditional pool in order to install a fiberglass pool into the same area. In many cases, this makes the installation much simpler, as the new fiberglass pool can be properly bedded and have the pump plumbing and drains installed with minimal fuss.

In virtually all cases, chemical usage will decrease up to 70% with a fiberglass pool in relation to a traditional in-ground pool. With the fiberglass pool lining gelatin being chemically-inert, the usual water-treatment chemicals for water softness, pH balancing and purification are much more effective, which translates into lesser quantities needed to effect the same interior water results.

Fiberglass is not a fad, it already has a history of decades of use and ever-improving technology now allow most manufacturers to offer up to 10 year guarantees for pool and gel linings. Whether this will be the first time installation or the third attempt following the installation of traditional pools, fiberglass should be the last time the pool needs replaced because of maintenance issues.