Swimming Pool Equipment Installation: What to Know

No matter the shape or size of your pool, all swimming pool equipment has the same job—to keep the water clean and enjoyable to use. However, for your pool equipment to successfully play its crucial role in improving water quality, you’ll need to not only choose the right tools, but also install them correctly. And while doing so may be complicated on your own, working with a skilled company like Blue Lizard Services can grant you peace of mind. 

With over 20 years of experience providing a variety of services to our Louisiana community, we have all the tools we need to offer far more than our landscaping skills. At Blue Lizard Services, it is our goal to share whatever information our clients need in order to make confident choices. This includes helping you to understand what swimming pool equipment is, as well as the many types available to you:

Practical Swimming Pool Equipment

That is, any equipment which serves to keep your pool clean and comfortable. These options may not be the most stylish or high-tech, but if you choose the right model and brand, they’ll make sure the job gets done. Practical pool equipment includes:

• Pumps: Circulates water through your pool’s filtration system, as well as equipment such as heaters and chlorinators, before returning it, freshly cleaned, to the pool. In general, property owners have three types of pumps to consider, each with their own pros and cons: single-, dual- and variable-speed.
• Filters: Removes debris such as dirt, leaves, bugs and algae from the water as it passes through the filter. High-quality filters may even be able to remove bacteria. This type of equipment generally comes in three forms: sand, diatomaceous earth and cartridge filters.
• Heaters: Uses gas, electricity or solar power to heat your pool’s water when the pump circulates it through your pool’s system. This makes your pool more comfortable to use year-round, even in low temperatures.
• Chlorinators: While you can manually add chlorine to your pool, it can be time-consuming and imprecise, which may negatively affect both your pool and anyone swimming in it. Chlorinators dispense chlorine into your pool in controlled amounts in order to kill off bacteria and other contaminants such as algae without affecting the safety of the water.

Modern Equipment Upgrades

Like practical equipment, pool equipment upgrades work to improve the water quality of your swimming pool. While these technologically advanced options may be more expensive, they may also save you time and money in the long run by automating much of your pool care. Some modern equipment options include:

• Salt chlorine generators: Automatically converts salt into chlorine and ensures a safe and consistent release of chlorine into your pool. As an added benefit, these devices may reduce the chemical smell and harsh effects of traditionally chlorinated water.
• Smart pool controllers: Allow you to monitor and manage equipment such as pumps, lighting, heaters and more from your phone, as long as the equipment is Wi-Fi enabled.
• Ultraviolet (UV) pool sanitizers: Utilize UV light to remove contaminants and microorganisms such as bacteria from your pool. 
• Cleaning robots: Like an underwater roomba, these machines scrub your pool’s surfaces in order to remove dirt and debris.
• Automatic pool cover: These devices provide benefits including protecting your pool from fallen debris, preventing water loss due to evaporation and insulating your pool on chilly days.

Pool Accessories to Affect Mood and Ambience

Unlike more practical options, these pieces of equipment focus on personalizing your pool and boosting your enjoyment of swimming in it. Aesthetic pool additions may include:

• Lighting: LED pool lights can provide more than just safety and energy efficiency. They can also set the mood with cool, warm or color-changing options, adding some pizzazz or a relaxing effect to your early-morning or late-night swim.
• Water features: From waterfalls and waterslides to cascades and fountains, water features can add a fun and attractive element to your pool, one which is perfect for kids and adults alike.
• Underwater speakers: Often installed into the walls of your pool, underwater speakers are specially designed to convert vibrations into sound, allowing them to function without issue while submerged.

Preinstallation Considerations

Like any renovation project, you can’t just jump into swimming pool equipment installations. You need to take your time and think things through. Some things to consider include:

1. Regulations 

If your swimming pool equipment installation is part of a larger construction project, you may need to acquire a permit and schedule inspections. Additionally, while certain equipment, such as smart pool controllers and cleaning robots, may not have any legal requirements attached, more intensive installations may. And if your pool is publicly accessible, any installations may need to meet state-specific requirements.

2. Hiring a technician 

While using tools such as floating chlorinators and cleaning robots is just a matter of dropping something into your pool, anything which needs to be installed may be a different story. Electrical connections, plumbing and other technical aspects of swimming pool equipment installations can be tricky to get right, and may force you to spend additional money and time if done wrong. Qualified technicians have the experience and tools they need to complete the job quickly, accurately and in compliance with regulations. 

3. Choosing equipment

When choosing equipment, talk with your technician in order to discuss factors such as your pool’s needs, personal preferences, budget constraints and long-term cost-saving methods such as energy-efficient equipment.

4. Layout

Once you’ve hired a technician and chosen your equipment, you’ll need to plan where everything will go. Some things to consider include:

• Convenience: Your pool equipment should be accessible in order to make maintenance easier, as well as close enough to the pool to do its job properly. You should also make sure that your equipment is placed near an electrical connection in order to more easily hook it up to a power source.
• Protection: Make sure that your equipment has access to at least a covering in order to keep it protected from the elements.

What Happens During Pool Equipment Installations?

The process of installing your pool equipment depends on factors including the equipment you choose and the company you work with. Some elements, however, will likely be consistent across most jobs, including:

• Site preparation, such as ground leveling before placing pool equipment
• Readying and attaching plumbing, as well as gas and/or electrical connections, to the new equipment
• Initializing automation systems or adjusting equipment settings
• Conducting tests in order to ensure that the new equipment works properly
• Post-installation maintenance. During these visits, technicians may complete tasks such as pool cleaning and debris removal, water quality checks and equipment inspections to ensure that everything is safe and functioning properly. 

Improve Your Pool’s Appearance, Energy Efficiency and Functionality with Blue Lizard Services

As a property owner, swimming pool equipment installations may seem like a complex and time-intensive process, one which requires a variety of decisions you aren’t sure how to make. But with the right contracting company by your side, you can allow yourself to relax. Skilled technicians, like those at Blue Lizard Services, can assess your pool and discuss your preferences in order to provide suggestions and answer any questions you may have. At the end of the day, we hope to do this project with you as much as we are doing it for you, as it is our goal to ensure that we give you the outdoor space of your dreams. 

Interested in renovating your pool or installing new pool equipment? Give us a call or send us a message today!