Whilst location is one of the most important considerations when buying property, in Spain, there are many who will not buy unless the property has its own pool or is in close proximity to a community swimming pool. In this section we explain what is involved in owning and maintaining a swimming pool, what it will cost each year to run and some of the problems which you may experience.

The Spanish Property Company builds swimnming pools of all shapes and sizes and not only for those who purchase our properties but for anyone looking for a swimming pool. As with our properties, our swimming pools cannot be beaten on either quality or price. Pools built by SPC are guaranteed to be at least 2- 3000 Euros cheaper than the competition and in many cases even cheaper. Suffice to say all matrerials are prime grade. Please note: Our prices may have to rise if the machinery we require on site has to be lifted in by crane. We require a JCB or similar type of digger to create the pool shape and a conscrete spraying machine to render it once complete. We build only traditional pools and have no knowledge on fibre glass or liner pools. If you are interested in purchasing a swimming pool - telephone our office (0034 966 722 915) who will be delighted to help you and able to deal with all your queries.

There are basically three types of swimming pool. Traditionally built concrete, fibre glass and liner pools. Fibre glass is cheaper but in the opinion of the writer and many others, is best avoided. Fibre glass never really seems to look the part and contrary to what is claimed, the gel coat or surface seems to fade quite quickly and loose its shine. Concrete pools, most of which are built by spraying concrete on to a steel mesh which has been attached to concrete blocks and then tiled are favourite. They are strong, look good and add value to your property.

Another type of pool but which is not popular is one which simply has a polyvinyl liner on an aluminium or steel frame. The bottom of the pool on which the vinyl liner sits is usually made of a mix of concrete and vermiculite. This type of pool is a little cheaper because it avoids the need for tiling but the liner has to to be changed every now and again and worthy of note is the fact that whilst quite strong, liners seem to be capable of being damaged quite easily. Toe nails have been known to snag these liners which then leak.

Whichever type of pool you elect, it will have to be cleaned and maintained regularly.

Maintenance

If you intend to own your own pool there is going to be a certain amount of maintenance (daily and weekly) which if left, will rapidly build up to a degree where you will need professional help to recover your pool. Either you will have to do it, or pay someone else. On a daily basis you should remove from the pool any leaves which may have blown into it and the many various insects, some quite large, which have drowned whilst trying to take up water. The dust, which is Spain, will also need removing from your pool but this can be done automatically, by one of the devices which crawls along the floor and walls of your pool. If you use a "crawler" when your filters are running, depending upon the type you buy, as little as 45 minutes maintenance a day should prove more than adequate.

Pool Chemicals

There are five basic pool chemicals in common use. These are, chlorine, used to kill bacteria, algaecide to prevent plant spores from turning your water green, PH+ for increasing your waters alkalinity and PH- for decreasing it. The last chemical used is a flocculent whose purpose is to attract particles in order that they form into clumps large enough to be removed by the filters. In real terms playing around with the alkalinity or acidity of the water is really not required in most areas of Spain as it sits just about where it should be for most of the time. Flocculates are used on a sporadic basis and only if required.

Your main expense will come from chlorine and algaecide and again, depending upon the use your pool receives will be in the region of €140 per annum - more or less. An application of both, once a week is adequate. If you spill either chlorine granules or liquid on your clothes, it will bleach immediately. There is no problem with any pool chemical coming into contact with skin, just remember to wash it off as soon as possible. You will require a simple water testing kit which cost about €4 or so and this will ensure that chlorine levels are safe and the PH is more or less where it should be. You can use this same kit to test the water from the mains if you are not sure whether it is safe to drink. However, Spanish water is delivered to your taps, chlorinated 1 part per million and the writer has never found this not to be the case.

Chlorine is the most expensive of the pool chemicals you will buy but you can do without it simply by using plain, unperfumed bleach instead. Many people prefer to do this because as it is not stabilised it helps to control algae. You can purchase 5 litres of bleach from Mercadona and other supermarkets for 1 Euro. Because it isn't stabilised and only in a 5 per cent solution you will need more than if using chlorine granules or blocks but it will still work out much cheaper and do the same if not a better job.

PH

It is important that you maintain this between 7.2 - 7.6. If you are out by only a little the efficiency of your chlorine can drop by 90 per cent allowing infection to take hold in your pool. It's a very simple thing to do using one of the pool tester kits. Water in Spain tends to be extremely alcaline and normally you will find that the ph is increasing, requiring a PH reducer. You can buy these at normal, ludicrous pool prices or simply go to a hardware shop and buy a bottle of acid for about 75 cents. In Mercadona, you can purchase 5 litres of hydrochloric acid for just over 2 Euros. This same acid can be used for cleaning cement, brickwork or removing the fur from kettles. Add a little acid to the pool via the skimmer and test every five minutes until the ph is where you want it.

Salt Water Chlorination

This is a method of producing chlorine from salt which is added to the pool in considerable quantities. It requires specialist equipment which is not cheap but does produce a very soft, clean water. Over the years you will probably save on pool chemicals but it will take a long time to get your money back. This system does however keep water very clean and ear infections, so common among children holidaying in Spain rarely occur.

Ozone Generator

Although not yet common in Spain, ozone generators are a very efficient way of keeping a pool clean. Further, they virtually eliminate the need for pool chemicals and reduce maintenance by about 75 per cent. Very simple to use, ozone generators create ozone which is distributed throughout the pool via the filtration pump. Ozone kills all bacteria and if enough is present, will bleach. Over ozonation will not create problems for swimmers unlike over chlorination which will prevent swimming. Units which can be purchased everywhere apart from Spain, cost anywhere in the region of £150 - 950. However, whilst the writer is a great believer of not spending more than you have to, when it comes to ozone generators, efficacy, durability, safety and many other factors seem to be found at the higher end of the price scale. Spa baths, which for a long time have been known to harbour very serious infections benefit particularly well from ozone protection and respiratory infections are virtually unheard of where ozone protection has been installed. Some units will serve both a spa bath and a swimming pool.

It leaks like hell

Most people new to Spain and who own a Swimming pool are disappointed to find that during the summer of their first year it starts to leak seriously. Help is summoned from a variety of sources, some of whom will endeavour to find the leak and others who will tell you that it is not leaking but evaporation which is causing water to be lost. On a hot day you can lose an inch or so of water and after a few days the level has dropped considerably. Some pools automatically replace lost water but many feel it is preferable to do this manually by topping up via a hose pipe. A serious leak, such as a cracked pipe beneath the pool could run away thousands of gallons of water without you knowing until you received your water bill.

Back-washing Filters

On a regular basis you need to backwash your pool filter. The installers or previous owners should have shown you how to do this. After a couple of weeks or so, sand filters become blocked with the various things they have removed from the water. This includes, dead skin cells, hair, oil, insects, dust, and anything else which has fallen into the pool and been picked up by either the skimmer or crawler.

Forcing water through the sand in the opposite direction to which it normally flows, pushes the filtered material out and it is rinsed away as waste. This water contains algaecides and if directed onto you garden can kill many varieties of plants and some types of grass. As a considerable amount of water is used in back washing this seems a horrible waste. As mentioned above, there is a way in which you can use this water and dispense with the need for the majority of pool chemicals. An O3 or Ozone generator can keep the water in your pool clean and bacteria free without the need for chlorine and algaecides. As a result, the water used in back washing can be pumped onto lawns and gardens.

When it comes to back-washing, three or four minutes is normally all that is necessary. You will note following back-washing that when you switch to normal filtration, the pressure in the system will be indicating low. Don't rely on high pressure readings as a guide to back-washing the filter, as often this has no bearing on the matter. By the time the pressure has risen, filtration has long since stopped being effective. Determine to backwash on the last day of every month or any other time which you will easily remember. More back-washing will be required if the pool use increases.

It really does pay to encourage people to shower before they go into the pool. Oils, both natural and those applied to protect from the sun are washed off as is dirt and sand on the feet. Foot baths should always be available.

If you have a sand filter, you need to bear in mind that the sand needs changing every four years or so. The primary reason for this is that the sand particles ( known as sharp sand) wear down to a size where they no longer filter efficiently. The writer has gone as long as seven years with the same sand and no noticeable detrimental effects but if you do this you need to be aware of a phenomena known as channeling. Quite simply this is where water cuts channels in the sand which after a while become permanent. This is because dead skin cells, sun tan lotions and other contaminants mix with the sand binding it together. When this happens it is quite apparent in that everything which is picked up by the pool vacuum cleaner is returned immediately to the pool and is not filtered. To remedy this you need to thoroughly but gently (there are plastic vanes buried in the sand) wash the sand. This can be done with either a hosepipe with a nozzle on it or better still, a high pressure washer. Make sure the sand is soft with no lumps and your filter will be working perfectly in no time. The cost of changing the sand is around 75 euros (a fraction of this amount if you can find a builders merchant who understands what sharp sand is) but try cleaning it before you change it. Backwash the filter because the amount of dirt you will have liberated will be considerable.

They Say

It is said that a swimming pool should be a hole in the ground filled with pure sparkling water. If this condition cannot be achieved or maintained it should be filled in with soil and flowers grown instead.

It is interesting to note that many who stated they could not imagine life without a swimming pool, whilst having one, rarely, if ever use it. Not even to sit around on a summers evening with a cold drink. If you think that you may loose interest in your pool after a while then don't waste the space it takes and look for properties with good communal pools. Do bear in mind that properties of certain values are expected to have swimming pools. The absence of one, when or if you come to sell, may discourage some buyers and even depress the price you can expect for your property.

Important - Algae Control 

One of the biggest and least understood problems presenting to pool owners is algae. If uncontrolled, you can go from sparkling water to pea soup almost overnight.

Algae are tiny plants that bloom and grow in swimming pools if nutrients are present and a sufficient level of free chlorine is not maintained. Below are descriptions of the three most common algae problems in swimming pools.

Green Algae The most common algae in swimming pool floats in water and coats pool surfaces. Left unchecked green algae will very quickly turn the pool water pea green.

Mustard Algae settles on pool walls and causes a slimy yellow film.

Black Algae appears in "buds" or clumps attached to tile grout, corners, steps and pool surfaces.

Solution: (This concerns treatment not prevention)

Green Algae - is very susceptible to chemical treatment. Super chlorinate with 10 to 20 ppm chlorine in the evening. Keep the filter running and brush the pool walls and bottom. Periodically check chlorine and maintain above 3 ppm until water clears. Using an algaecide containing quaternary ammonia the next morning will help prevent the return of green algae.

Mustard Algae - is much more resistant to chemical treatment and clings more tightly to pool walls than green algae. Adjust pH and super chlorinate as for green algae then brush diligently. Later vacuum the pool, check chlorine and super chlorinate again if necessary. Mustard algae will generally return unless treated with a special mustard algaecide or a copper based algaecide. Algaecide should be added in the morning to treat algae in daylight - its most active period.

Black Algae - is very difficult to get rid of. It can be controlled to some extent by frequent super chlorination and diligent brushing with a stiff brush. Spot treatments can be made by turning off the circulation pumps and pouring granular chlorine directly on recently brushed spots. Trichlor tablets can also be rubbed on recently brushed areas to spot treat. Black algae can usually be controlled with the use of strong algaecides and maintenance of relatively high free chlorine residual, but complete removal of black algae may require draining and cleaning the pool. Algae blooms are a problem best avoided. Maintaining proper water quality and frequent brushing of pool walls will deprive algae of the opportunity to get started.

If you intend to use your pool for exercise it may be more preferable to have the steps at one side as opposed to the end. End steps make turning quite difficult.