Compass Pools Australia has announced their 2021 Compass Pools Dealer Award Winners! The winners were announced at our virtual awards ceremony by our Compass Pools CEO, Anthony Cross and team member Steve Vimpani. This years’ standard of entry went above and beyond expectations, and we would like to say a massive congratulations to all our 2021 award winners and nominees!

Winners of the ‘Excellence in Pool Design’ Award:

Ultimate Pools

9.4m X-Trainer in colour Evolution. Pool installed by Ultimate Pools Ltd

BG’s Pools & Spas

6.2m Plunge in colour Viridian. Pool installed by BG’s Pools & Spas

North West Pools

16.6m Custom Contemporary in colour Evolution. Pool Installed by North West Pools

Compass Pools Newcastle

11.8m X-Trainer in colour Evolution with Sunpod. Pool installed by Compass Pools Newcastle

Compass Pools Melbourne

11.8m X-Trainer with Spa and wader in colour Pearl. Installed by Compass Pools Melbourne

Aquastyle Pools

10.2m X-Trainer with X-Trainer Spa in colour Evolution. Pool installed by Aquastyle Pools

Compass Pools Sydney

Central Pools

7.15m X-Trainer Slimline in colour Viridian. Pool installed by Central Pools

Winner of the ‘Most Outstanding Media Presence’ Award:

Compass Pools Newcastle

5m Plunge Pool in colour Quartz. Pool installed by Compass Pools Newcastle

Winner of the ‘Most Outstanding Pool Innovation- Design and Installation’ Award:

Adam Martin

Adam Martin of Compass Pools Melbourne

Winner of the ‘Most Innovative and Adaptive Dealer’ Award:

Compass Pools Melbourne

10.2m X-Trainer with Spa in colour Quartz. Pool installed by Compass Pools Melbourne

Winner of the ‘Trailblazers Award- Women in the Pool Industry’:

Jan Cazemier

Jan Cazemier who co-ordinates the NZ Compass Pools Dealers

Winner of the ‘Compass Values Award’:

Russell Fagan

Russell Fagan of Compass Pools Sydney

Winner of the ‘Barry Vercoe- Excellence in Customer Service Award’:

Luke Geering

Luke Geering of Smart Self-Cleaning Pools

Winners of the ‘Compass Pool Builder of the Year’:

Local Pools & Spas

10.2m X-Trainer in colour Pacific. Installed by Local Pools & Spas

Azure Pools

10.2m Vogue in colour Sapphire. Pool installed by Azure Pools

Climate change is hitting the headlines all over the world, and the environment is a major concern for all of us. We all need to think about the steps we can take to protect the world we live in. This means ensuring that we can preserve the precious resources of our planet for future generations.

Believe it or not, your swimming pool can be a significant part of this. Making the right pool choices can help to use less energy and less chemicals, so your pool can be far less harmful to the environment. This way, you can still enjoy all the benefits of having your own swimming pool in your backyard while taking important steps to protect the planet.

Here we take a look at eco swimming pools and some of the things you can do to ensure your own pool is as kind to the environment as possible.

How to create an eco pool

When choosing the technology to keep your pool running, you need to think about installing systems which will have the least impact on the natural world. Your pool requires energy to run and chemicals to keep it clean. You can make your pool environment more eco-friendly by choosing technologies which use the least amounts of energy and chemicals.

This has a number of benefits:

• It ensures your pool is using as few of the planet’s resources as possible.
• It creates a safer and healthier swimming environment for you and your family.
• It saves you money on your household bills.

Finding ways to make your pool more environmentally friendly is essential looking forward as we all need to do more to protect the climate and the planet. Here are some of the steps you can take to create an eco-friendly pool.

1. Solar pool heating

Solar pool heating is becoming more and more popular in Australia. We are fortunate in that many areas enjoy a warm climate and a lot of sunshine. So a solar pool heater is often all that is required to keep our pool water at a pleasant temperature for swimming. Solar heating is by far the most eco-friendly way of heating your swimming pool.

A solar pool heater uses a solar collector to harness the natural heat from the sun. The pool water is continuously channelled over the solar collector via a series of tubes. The water is then heated to a warmer temperature before it flows back into the pool.

As this process is happening constantly, it ensures your pool water is all heated to a consistent temperature. And the heat reaches every part of the pool so there are no “cold spots.”

The energy used by a solar pool heater is natural and clean, as almost all of it comes directly from the sun. Only the pump requires electricity to run, and it uses an extremely small amount – less than 1kw per hour. Even better, many solar pool heaters are now equipped with timers and temperature controls. That way, you can ensure no energy is wasted when you are not using the pool.

In addition to being the most environmentally friendly way to heat your pool water, a solar pool heater is also kind to your budget. It can save you significant amounts of money on your energy bills compared to heating your pool using electricity or gas.

You can have a solar heater installed, on average, for between $3,000 and $6,000. This could be one of the most important pool investments you can make. That’s because it cuts down dramatically on the amount of fossil fuels required to heat your pool. And this lowers your carbon footprint, saving you a lot of money over time.

2. LED pool lighting

Choosing the right lighting is an important factor in creating an eco pool. By far the best option is LED lighting because it uses far less energy than the older halogen bulbs. LED lamps use only six watts of power to produce the same amount of light as a 100-watt halogen bulb.

This is due to the high energy efficiency of LED lighting. All of the energy it uses is converted directly into light, unlike halogen bulbs. Halogen wastes a lot of energy by producing heat, so it takes far more energy to produce the same amount of light.

As a result, LED lighting is cleaner, more efficient and much more eco-friendly. It is also a lot cheaper to run, as LED lamps last a lot longer than halogen bulbs.

This has another positive impact for pool owners. LED lamps don’t need to be changed nearly as often as halogen bulbs. They cut down on the amount of time you need to spend maintaining your pool, as well as helping you do your bit for the planet!

In addition, LED lamps can easily be automated. There is no risk of wasting energy by accidentally leaving your pool lights on when you are not using the pool. You can have them on a timer or control them with your smartphone.

If you think you might have left the pool lights on, you can check and remedy this even when you are not at home. This ensures that it takes the minimum amount of energy to light your pool. And it helps to reduce your effects on the climate.

All modern swimming pools in Australia now come with LED lighting as standard. However, if you have an older pool which still uses halogen lighting, you can have it converted to LED by a qualified, professional electrician. This is definitely something worth doing in order to minimise the environmental impact of your pool. And it will save you money in the long run.

3. Pool self-cleaning system

The way you clean your swimming pool has a significant impact on the ecological consequences of your pool. This is because pool cleaning requires chemicals which can be harsh and damaging to the environment. This will also cause a negative effect on nature and wildlife in the surrounding area.

To make your pool environment more eco-friendly, you need to minimise the use of chemicals in your pool cleaning regime as much as possible. One of the best ways of doing this is to invest in a pool self-cleaning system. The Vantage in-floor self-cleaning system, exclusive to Compass Pools Australia, is a great example of this.

The Vantage system works through a series of nozzles which are embedded in the pool floor. When not in use, the nozzles lie flush with the floor of the pool so they do not impact on your swimming comfort at all.

When the system is turned on, the nozzles raise and jets of water upwards towards the surface of the pool. This cleans the pool from bottom to top instead of side to side like most pool water circulation systems. It also creates a far cleaner pool environment, as every area of the pool is cleaned instead of just the top third of the water.

As a result of this, algae and bacteria have no chance to grow in any area of the pool. This instantly makes your pool safer and healthier for you and your family to swim in. However, it also has a vastly positive impact on the natural environment. As the water is being circulated much more efficiently, the Vantage system requires less than half the chemicals which would usually be required to clean your pool using any other system. This creates a much more eco friendly pool.

The system can be timed so it is operational when the pool is not in use. You can have your pool cleaned overnight, and wake up to fresh, clean pool water. This is ideal for taking a refreshing dip at the start of the day.

In addition, the cleaning system switches off when the procedure is complete. That way, no energy is wasted in leaving the pool cleaning system operational when it is not needed.

The Vantage in-floor self-cleaning system is only available with Compass fibreglass pools, and it cannot be installed retrospectively. If you are planning a swimming pool and want it to be as environmentally friendly as possible, this is definitely an option which you should include.

4. Smart pool technology

More and more elements of our homes can be automated these days – and the same applies to your pool. Smart pool technology is helping Australian pool owners create more environmentally friendly pools.

Smart pool technology enables many of the features of your swimming pool to be automated, including your pool pump, chlorinator, and even your pool self-cleaning system. This means your pool water will automatically be circulated for long enough to be thoroughly clean and hygienic. And you won’t need to worry about using excess energy by leaving it on for too long.

Your pool will also check and manage its own chlorine levels, keeping the pH balance of the water constantly safe to swim in. In addition, your pool lighting and heating can be automated. Setting this up means you don’t waste energy by forgetting to switch off the pool lights or heating system when you are not using the pool.

You can bring all of these functions together by investing in a remote pool management system. This enables you to control all the functions of your pool from either an app on your smartphone or tablet, or via downloadable software for your PC.

The latest pool management systems can also be integrated with other smart technologies for the home, including Google Home and Amazon Echo. This is highly convenient, as it allows you to manage many of the functions of your home and pool from one place.

Another advantage of smart pool systems is that they equip your pool with all the very latest systems. These are designed to be more eco-friendly and energy efficient than older systems as they are intended to take your pool into the future. Even if you already have a pool which uses older technology, you can upgrade many of the functions of your pool to smart, greener versions relatively easily.

You might assume that smart pool technologies are expensive. However, as they are becoming more readily available in Australia, the prices of these systems are coming down all the time. Smart technology for your pool is definitely a worthwhile investment. In the long run, it saves you significant amounts of money on your energy bills, and ensures that your pool is as kind as possible to the environment.

Find out more about creating an eco pool

Eco swimming pools are set to become more and more popular. It is imperative that we all start thinking more about the impact we have on the climate and the environment.

We all want to reduce our energy usage and ensure that we are polluting the environment as little as possible. That’s why it is a good idea to think about making your pool environment more eco-friendly now, rather than leaving the future to chance.

At Compass Pools Australia, we have always prided ourselves on being at the forefront of the latest innovations in pool design and technology. Many of our systems have led the way in making swimming pools fit for the future, and eco pools are at the very heart of what we do.

We are always thinking of ways to make our pools kinder to the environment. And we want to help Australian pool owners create eco friendly pools of their own.

Vinyl-liner pool cost

Vinyl-liner pools come in two main types. Above-ground prefabricated vinyl-liner pools (with their lower initial cost) are a preferred option for some buyers and can be up and running for around $10,000. However, pool safety standards and fencing codes in Australia still require most above-ground pools to be fully enclosed, adding to the final cost. In-ground vinyl-liner pools are less popular in Australia than fibreglass or concrete options, but can be professionally installed and ready to use for a similar price as a fibreglass pool. Vinyl-liner pools may also require greater ongoing maintenance and care which we will explore in part two of this article.

The cost to build concrete pools

The benefit of a concrete pool is that your options are almost limitless when it comes to shape and size. This means it can be hard to give a detailed idea of pricing. Generally speaking however, concrete pools start at similar pricing to most fibreglass pools but they can have a much higher “top end” point.

Many people assume that concrete is a stronger and more durable option to build a swimming pool from; however, fibreglass technology has come a long way. These days, many fibreglass pool manufacturers have such well-engineered and durable products that their warranties match or surpass the warranties offered by concrete manufacturers. Compass Pools for example, offer a conditional lifetime structural warranty on its Bi-luminite fibreglass ceramic pool range. This warranty lasts the original owner’s entire time whilst at the property and can even be transferred to new owners for the balance of the first 25 years.

Ongoing costs of a fibreglass pool

From an ongoing maintenance perspective, a fibreglass pool tends to be a low effort/low cost option. Once your fibreglass pool is in the ground, generally speaking there is very little that you need to do to keep it looking great. Fibreglass pool manufacturers usually recommend that you periodically hand-polish the gelcoat surface above the waterline (just like you would with a car or boat) but aside from that you should not need to resurface, repaint, or reline your pool (provided that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and maintain balanced water and correct chlorine levels all year round).

Because the gelcoat surface on a fibreglass pool is smooth (compared to many concrete pool surfaces) it can be easier to control algae and bacteria. As such, the water in a fibreglass pool generally requires less chemicals and possibly even less filtration time, which can save you money in both chemicals and electricity.

The great thing about a Compass fibreglass ceramic pool is that you can opt to include the Vantage self-cleaning and circulation system. This system works to dramatically improve circulation in your pool making it even harder for bacteria and algae to grow. Not to mention that this exclusive in-floor system eliminates the need for suction cleaners or robotic cleaners. The Vantage system will save you significant amounts of money on electricity, chemicals and separate cleaning equipment. Get in touch with us if you are considering a self-cleaning pool to get your no obligation pool quote.

One last thing to think of when comparing pool prices

Finally, another thing to consider when weighing up the cost of a pool is how much of your initial investment you are likely to get back (or even build on) when the time comes to sell your home.

Generally speaking, there are two types of buyers in the realty market, representing two various customer profiles. People either like the idea of having a pool or they are apprehensive of it. The main reason the latter group have concerns is that they don’t want to be caught in the trap of constantly working on their pool, or paying someone else to do it.

A fibreglass pool minimises the effort and cost required to own an in-ground pool. A Compass fibreglass ceramic pool with the optional and exclusive Vantage in-floor system, takes that concept to the next level with almost hands-free pool care.

It makes sense that you think about the future and consider which pool option is going to be the best for you. When the time comes to sell your home, you’ll want your pool to add to the appeal, not take away from it.

The bottom line is that there is more than the initial price tag to consider before you make a decision on which pool to go with. Sometimes the options which appear cheaper up-front can end up costing more than expected (DIY kit pools for example, with hidden install costs and associated risks). On the flipside, options which have the potential to be more expensive (concrete pools) sometime don’t offer the assumed value that goes with the extra price tag.

All of us at Compass Pools want to send our huge congratulations to our Sydney dealers, Local Pools and Spas, who won four awards at the prestigious NSW SPASA Awards recently. It was a hugely successful night for them. We’re delighted at their success as we enjoy a long-lasting and highly productive relationship with them.

The Local Pools and Spas team scooped a total of four awards at this year’s Gala Dinner, which was held on July 8^th at Luna Park Ballroom. The awards they won are:

• Gold – Residential Fibreglass Pool over $60,000 (Metropolitan)
• Silver – Residential Fibreglass Pool over $60,000 (State)
• Bronze – Residential Fibreglass Pool up to $40,000 (Metropolitan)
• Bronze – Residential Fibreglass Pool $40,000 – $60,000 (Metropolitan)

This success boosts the excellent reputation of Local Pools and Spas even further as a highly respected pool and spa company in the Sydney area. We want to congratulate them on a wonderful result.

What is SPASA?

SPASA (The Swimming Pool and Spa Association) is Australia’s peak body for the swimming pool and spa industry. It represents all sectors throughout the industry. Its aim is to maintain and improve standards and growth throughout the industry nationwide, representing it to state and federal agencies as well as overseas bodies.

The SPASA Awards of Excellence are held regionally every year – 2017 is the 31^st year they have been held. As one of Australia’s most prestigious prizes for the pool and spa industry, competition is fierce, and the Awards ceremony is a highlight of the annual calendar for the pool and spa industry in each state.

What are the NSW SPASA Awards and why do they matter?

The NSW SPASA Awards of Excellence are given to the “best of the best” pool and spa industry businesses from NSW and the ACT. The Awards are judged by an independent panel who select the best pool and spa industry contributors from a number of areas:

• Retail
• Sales
• Service
• Manufacturing
• Products
• Construction

With many excellent companies to choose from, the selection process is rigorous. The Awards demonstrate the excellent standards set by their recipients at all times. Only companies which are members of SPASA are eligible for the awards, which shows a commitment to quality and compliance.

What makes an excellent pool builder?

Most pool builders who are serious about their craft are members of SPASA, which they join voluntarily. Membership is only available to licensed specialist pool builders. Once they join, they are bound by a strict Code of Ethics, demonstrating that they offer the very highest standards in swimming pool and spa construction.

All materials used and services offered by SPASA members must meet established industry standards and comply with all relevant state and federal legislation. This offers you increased protection as a consumer, as all SPASA members must provide statutory warranty entitlements.

To become a SPASA member, a pool builder must be able to demonstrate a history of excellent industry knowledge and ethical trading practices. Members can complete a SPASA Industry Training Program each year to maintain the highest standards and stay informed about all the latest developments within the swimming pool and spa industry.

This is why, if you’re looking for an excellent pool builder whose work will last, it makes sense to choose a SPASA member.

About Local Pools and Spas

Local Pools and Spas is the most awarded pool building company in the whole of NSW. A family-run business established in 1998, it has been working with Compass Pools from the beginning to provide the highest quality fibreglass swimming pools to homes and families in and around Sydney. Its products have won numerous awards, as has its beautiful Display Centre in NSW.

We want to let everyone at Local Pools and Spas know how thrilled we are at their latest successes, and we hope to continue working with them for a long time to come.

Each year, SPASA Victoria showcases excellence in the swimming pool & spa industry at the annual Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner. These prestigious awards cover a range of categories from finished pool & spa installations to the latest equipment innovations. Compass Pools Melbourne, our dealer building pools in the Greater Melbourne region, has again received multiple awards this year.

There are multiple categories available within this prestigious event. Judges may award a Gold and/or Highly Commended, or no award, in each category.

The Awards of Excellence are designed to:

• Promote achievement in design, construction, innovation & professionalism across the industry
• Encourage a high degree of competency & professionalism by members
• Provide a means & opportunity for consumers to identify Award winners

We are proud to announce that Compass Pools Melbourne, the authorised Compass Pools Australia dealer, has been successful again this year. One of their pool installations was awarded Gold and four pools were awarded Highly Commended by the committee. The official SPASA Victoria website lists all the awarded pool builders for each of the categories. These are the successful fibreglass pool installations by Compass Pools Melbourne:

Paradise in the Country

Sitting gently in the environment, the two lanes lap pool allows multi purpose swimming. The pool features a glass wall which is still a very new technology in the fibreglass pool building industry.

Renovation Designed Around the Pool

The customer wanted their courtyard to be part of their everyday living. Their daily life ‘lives’ with the pool – morning, noon and night. Glass panels were positioned to be ‘balanced’ with the courtyard.

Photography

Paradise in the country. Living out of town this client wanted to have the swimming and aesthetic pleasures of a river or natural body of water view. They wanted the pool to sit gently yet tastefully with the view.

Artistic Design

The customer did not want a negatived edge due to the evaporation rate of the water running over the edge but did want the look of extended water view or disappearing edge. This was the reason the glass edge was added to the project. They didn’t want blue water to contradict the landscape. They wanted to enhance not contrast.

Originally looking at a long lap pool they decided that they needed more lap swimming but in proportion to the large deck space. A skinny pool would look wrong in size. Hence, they made it two lanes instead of one!

Degree of Difficulty

This site was very easy due to wide access, however, the height difference did cause some complexity. The pool was engineered by Compass Pools Australia the Maxi rib technology to allow the pool to be ‘free standing’. This pool was originally sold with the base of the pool shell sitting on the natural ground. This would have meant the client had to walk 5 or 6 steps down to the pool from the house (as the house was sitting high on the hill). The pool was then re-engineered to have a floating slab constructed so that the pool was raised to sit almost level with the finished height of the house. They didn’t want long continuous deck so they broke it up with one step down.

Obvious Perceived Qualities

The aim in fibreglass pool building is to make sure edges still look sharp. To do this, as the pool builder you have to combine existing manufactured practises that are not easily changed with on site adjustments. Manufactured pools do restrict the individual aspect of a look and as the builder, you need to push the boundaries of what the shell was originally designed for ‘to get the look’. An experienced fibreglass pool builder can do this and make it look like all one beautiful vessel.

Innovation

Glass is common with pools, but only with concrete construction. Glass has very rarely been used with fibreglass pool given the fibreglass shell is flexible by nature. Any people who wanted a ‘wow’ factor with a swimming pool always had to revert to concrete pools.

PWe had the manufacturer build one edge with a ‘drop edge’ on the pool shell. Once in position, the Compass Pools Melbourne team could measure and have a custom made stainless steel channel designed.This was then fixed and sealed to the pool. The glass then sits in this and it is hidden so it doesn’t look ‘tacked’ on, The inside of the pool shell then has a matching tile to cover this edge.

Desirability

The client wanted the benefits of fibreglass pool with the smooth surface and ease of maintenance but was worried it would look like an old fashioned pool. By giving clients the advantages of these pools but constructing it with the ‘wow’ factor it gave them the best of both worlds.

Amenity

This pool was designed for regular lap swimming but they also wanted to have a pool proportion to space. They wanted it to be easy to get to (not having to walk down many steps to get to the pool). They also recognised that it enhanced their view and made them enjoy it more.

2017 SPASA Victoria Awards

Photography

This house renovation was designed around the pool. The customer wanted their courtyard to be part of their everyday living. This photo captures how their daily life ‘lives’ with the pool – morning, noon and night

Artistic Design

When designing this pool with the client, Compass Pools Melbourne had to work out where the glass panels could be positioned so they were ‘balanced’ with the courtyard yet had to be built between the fibreglass structural support ribs. These engineered free standing support were non-negotiable as to their position. They had to work with a prefabricated product and manoeuvre it in an existing space and we needed to make it look ‘balanced’ and not have the windows ‘off centre’.

Degree of Difficulty

This site proved to be somewhat difficult for many reasons. Inner city Melbourne (Richmond) meant that the fibreglass pool delivery had to consider trams/clearways and working in a small space. The house was existing and with the tight space in Richmond, we couldn’t have a crane lift the pool into space. They had to use two small cranes and a custom built trolley to end up wheeling it through the kitchen area into position.

Obvious Perceived Qualities

The pool shell is manufactured with a ‘void’ to allow them to build the glass windows. It’s important that the fibreglass shell look like one with the glass and not just ‘inserted’ in ….i.e. not two different structures. It had to blend. It is not till you explain how it’s built that people realise there is a marriage between the fibreglass and landscaping (or deck fit out & tiles) to make this look complete.

The fibreglass shell was manufactured with recesses built into it. These recesses were trimmed out on site. Glass was measured up and glued into position and sealed watertight. Secondary glass window – removable for cleaning was used on the outside so that the pool would comply with fencing regulations.

Innovation

Glass is common with pools but previously only with concrete construction. Glass has very rarely been used with fibreglass pool given the fibreglass shell is flexible by nature. Any pool buyers who wanted a ‘wow’ factor with a swimming pool always had to revert to concrete pools construction. This is not the case anymore. This client wanted the colour of the water visual from the house. The pool was only able to be positioned free standing (due to site conditions) and they did not want to look at ‘box or wall’. It brings the pool and the life of the pool into the house.

Desirability

The client wanted the benefits of fibreglass pool with the smooth surface and ease of maintenance but was worried it would look like an old fashioned pool. By giving our clients the advantages of these pools but constructing with ‘wow’ factors gives them the best of both worlds.

Amenity

This pool is used day and night and we are not even talking about when the kids are swimming. At family meal time, the pool lights are on, the pool has in-floor cleaning so it always looks crisp and clean. It had to have infloor cleaning given it was on show every time anyone was in the kitchen. The beautiful pool colour had to be sparkling all the time.

2017 SPASA Victoria Awards

Would you like Compass Pools Melbourne to build your dream pool?

One thing that is often top of mind when buying a swimming pool is “will this be a good investment”. Naturally, when making improvements to your home, you want to ensure that you are being wise with the money you are spending.

The answer as to whether your pool will turn out to be a good purchase needs to be looked at from a few different angles.

A Swimming Pool will provide years of enjoyment, entertainment and health benefits to your family

Having a backyard pool can dramatically change your life at home for the better! Many families report that their swimming pool provides countless hours of entertainment for children (keeping active and away from screen time!), increases the amount of quality family time and can be used to boost fitness. Unlike spending money on a holiday, a swimming pool allows you to have resort-style living all summer long, every year!

If well-planned, a pool can add significant value to your home too

There tend to be two types of buyers in the housing market. The first group are the people who see a swimming pool in the backyard, and immediately see the house as a better option for them, thus a pool increases the perceived value of the property for this group of people.

The other group can see a swimming pool and wonder if it will be costly to run and take up too much time to keep clean and maintain. So it is essential that when buying a pool you investigate ways to make it appeal to as many people as possible.

A few simple considerations at the beginning of your pool buying process can make the world of difference when it comes to making sure your pool adds value to your home when the time comes to sell.

Here’s a few tips to help ensure your pool will add value to your home:

1. Consider location carefully

Take some time to think about the best area to place your pool. Be sure to think about sunshine, wind, proximity to the house, noise and aesthetics. Swimming pools are a great centrepiece of the backyard; in fact, you spend more time looking at them than you do swimming in them. The more appealing the pool looks from your living spaces, the better!

2. Choose your pool shape wisely

Like most things, pool shapes go in and out of fashion. For example in the 90’s kidney shaped pools were very common, but these days very few people buy them.  If you are thinking about future on-sale value it pays to choose shapes that have stood the test of time. Rectangular pools and pools with straight edges like the X-Trainer swimming pool and Vogue pool models have always remained best sellers because they seem to work in with most people’s tastes. Our Vogue swimming pool is a popular family pool.

3. Think carefully about depth

People often tell us they want their pool to be “as deep as possible” which is why we encourage you to think carefully about what depth will suit you best. Most people tend to enjoy their pool by standing and playing rather than actually swimming. This is one of the reasons we make the majority of our pools running shallow to deep; that way each pool model caters to people of different heights and abilities. Further to this, every model has a safety ledge running around the perimeter of the pool to allow a safe place to stand and rest.

4. Minimise effort

One of the things that can potentially scare people off swimming pools is the thought of having to look after it on a daily basis. It pays to think about the different things you can do to make your pool as “hands-free” as possible. In an ideal world, people want to be able to use their pool whenever they want with little preparation. These days swimming pools can be set up to be virtually hands-free. Our Vantage in-floor cleaning system ensures your water is properly circulated and that all debris is regularly removed from your pool without the need for manual cleaning or automatic vacuums. Our customers regularly report to us that this system has made their pool, and home easier to sell when on the market. It is one of the features you should go for when looking for “the best pool” that you’ll love. Integrated pool management systems can also be added to your pool. These essentially manage the day to day water chemistry in your swimming pool – all of the seemingly daunting work can now be managed by one simple machine.

5. Think about energy savings

The less your pool costs to run the better it is for you and the more attractive it will be to future buyers. Ask your pool consultant to walk you through the different options to help reduce power consumption. These days’ energy efficient pumps are very popular and come recommended by most pool dealers. But beware; when operating in reduced-flow mode you may find that your pool experiences a significant reduction in circulation quality. This often means you will end up spending more money trying to keep your pool water clean and healthy. The most effective way to have a low-energy pool is to mix energy efficient equipment with a circulation method that ensures maximum mixing water. Traditional circulation systems tend to only move/mix the top 2ft of water in your pool leaving the deeper water to become the perfect breeding ground for algae and bacteria.  Talk to us about the two different ways you can boost circulation, save energy and have healthier water in your pool.

One of the FREE services that all Compass Pools dealers offer is an onsite pool consultation. These meetings usually take 1-2 hours and are designed to help you get answers to all the important questions before investing in a pool.

Here’s a few of the questions we can help with on the day:

• Where is the best spot to put a pool?
• What size pool is ideal for my family?
• What shapes will work best for my backyard and budget?
• What can be done to reduce ongoing maintenance work?
• What can be done to reduce the power my pool will use?

Call us today on 1300 667 445 or find your local pool builder now.

Sourcing of raw materials starting with pool materials comparison and selecting the best quality materials that would guarantee the parameters of our swimming pools such as durability, longevity or cosmetic details and design features.

Video transcription: 

Anthony Cross: So Paul you’ve mentioned a lot about vinyl ester resins. You tell us that you’ve searched the world, you’ve been to the factories, you’ve sourced out the best product. But I also am aware in my role that you’re bringing these products in, particularly the vinyl ester resin and you’re reformulating them here in Australia before delivering them to our factory. What is important about doing that? Why is that something that you guys do?

Paul Bennet: Ok, well especially with the vinyl ester, we want to make sure that when you get it, it’s as fresh as it can be. So what we do is formulate it to you, we make a specification that suits your application. So we thix and promote it. It comes in un-thixed and un-promoted which means if you put catalyst with it, it wouldn’t go off. So at that stage it can last for a long period of time, maybe eighteen months. But if it had a promoter system in it, then it would only last three months. Then by the time it came on a ship, it may be six weeks old, that is if you used it that day.

As we know because of the amount of material you’re using, you’re using maybe a tonne or more than a tonne of vinyl ester everyday, all of a sudden that material would start to get long in the tooth. We manufacture it so you’ve never got material that is more than two weeks old. It is all mixed, it’s really thoroughly mixed and it doesn’t have time to settle. When it is on the ship, it could settle. Then it needs to be remixed and then it could open the opportunity to have an issue. In your case, you don’t have that opportunity. It’s just always going to be fresh and perfect.

I think it’s important. Ian calls it back to the future. For us, it just seems to work better and I really think that’s a big part of the perfection.

Anthony Cross: It’s about quality control.

Paul Bennet: It is about quality control. It’s what everything is about these days, quality control and risk management.

Anthony Cross: The other advantage of that is that as the seasons change, we’ve got hot weather in summer and we’ve got cooler weather in winter, you can also adjust products to suit the weather conditions too.

Paul Bennet: We can change on a weekly basis. Your guy in the factory, Dan, could ring up and say, can you speed it up a bit or slow it down. We can do that instantly. Then it always fits the climate that you’re operating to.

Anthony Cross: Yes, sure. Look, I appreciate the time you’re taking to talk to us about the technicalities of the business. I know we’re both passionate about what we do. Our focus is to build the best product, your focus is to provide the best raw materials. I think we make a pretty good team in that sense.

Paul Bennet: Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Read more about vinyl ester resin and polyester resin pool materials comparison in terms of inherent water resistance and other parameters on our page explaining the tough ceramic core of our swimming pools.

There is an art in building a great fibreglass pool. It requires excellent materials, and Compass Pools uses only the best. Our company uses only high quality vinyl ester resin, which is chemically resistant, top rate glass and a superior gelcoat. It all adds up to producing a pool which will successfully cope with the effects of the environment and chemically treated water over many years. To find out more about why Compass Pool is such a reliable investment, phone us on 1300 667 445.

Video transcription: 

Anthony Cross: Paul, you’ve worked with Compass for quite a few years. I guess it’s fair to say we do things a little differently to a lot of other fibreglass pool manufacturing companies. I know that you’ve spent a fair bit of time with us and your involvement stretches back many years, particularly with Ian Mewett who is the founder and owner of Compass Pools. What can you tell us about that collaboration between you and Ian and how that’s shaped your involvement in our industry and particularly with Compass Pools?

Paul Bennet: Well I’ve been lucky enough to have a good background in the fibreglass industry and obviously many years ago I met Ian. But to answer the first part of your question Anthony, what does Compass Pools do a little bit differently to everyone else? Well they’re very thorough with their production of the pools. I’m sure you’ve got more glass and especially more vinyl ester in the pools than the majority of any other people have got, if not all of them.

For example have a look at your EVEC 300 pool. That basically tells us that it’s got 300 kg of vinyl ester resin in it.

Anthony Cross: That’s right.

Paul Bennet: So I’m pretty confident that no one else has got that much vinyl ester in it. So if you look at the process, you’ve got the best gelcoat, we’ve established that. You then want to have the best tie layer. So you’ve got the best glass and you’ve got the best vinyl ester resin. The base resin is sourced from AOC in America. I believe they’re the best resin company in the world. That’s why we buy it from them. I’ve been there and seen their quality system. So you’ve got the best vinyl ester which you’re using the most of and you’ve got the right resin to glass ratio.

Then one of the big differences that you have compared to other people is you use a material called e-sphere resin. No one else would have a ceramic core pool. You guys have got a ceramic core which obviously doubly helps on chemical resistance but its main reason is core strength. That then tells the story that your pool is a lot thicker than anyone else’s. To my knowledge no one else uses e-sphere resin, certainly not filled with ceramic core. Then you put your back up on the outside which is your ortho layer which is also a good quality material.

The other thing you do differently to everyone else is you have a backup base colour. Over the top of your gelcoat you’ve then got a vinyl ester barrier layer before the vinyl ester resin ceramic core layer. All in all, I think you’d struggle to find a better laminated fibreglass pool.

Anthony Cross: You mentioned vinyl ester quite a bit. Vinyl ester is I guess the main ingredient in ensuring that we build a really good quality chemically resistant pool. I don’t think it’s any secret to those in the industry that it is a much more expensive resin. Hence the reason companies are keen to keep the lid on their costs and be careful of what they’re spending. But it is the most important ingredient, isn’t it? It really isn’t something we should be compromising on.

Paul Bennet: No, if you were going to cut a corner, you certainly wouldn’t cut it on vinyl ester. Certainly you wouldn’t cut it on the quality. One of the main important factors I believe for using the best vinyl ester resin is one, have the best base resin, which you have. Also, have a high solid content. Some of the alternative companies I guess could have trouble wetting out their glass properly because the alternative would be to have a lower solid content. In your case, you have a high solid content but a very easy wet-out resin to make sure the fibres of the glass are wet–out. That is the secret to not getting osmosis. I believe we’re definitely supplying the best materials.

Anthony Cross: So there is a real art in building a high quality fibreglass pool that is going to cope with the effects of weather and the environment and chemically treated water over many, many years. As you point out, the gelcoat, the first surface layer, that is really important. It’s got to be durable, it’s got to have the right colourfast properties. Then you get into the chemically resistant layers like the vinyl ester. That’s what we’re talking about here of course.

It might sound like a technical conversation and there are lots of different layers we have been discussing and different ingredients. But that is all essential at the end of the day in ensuring we have a product that we are proud of, that fits in with our heritage of thirty-five years and that we can provide industry leading warranties on.

Paul Bennet: Yes, I definitely believe you’ve got the best products for the purpose you’re trying to serve. You’re right, you’ve summed it all up with the process of building the fibreglass pool there. You can’t cut any corners. You’ve got to have the best material and I believe you’ve got that. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Self-Cleaning Pool Customer Testimonials

Thanks to thousands of self-cleaning pool installations, we can provide an unlimited number of self-cleaning pool references to any prospective pool owner. If considering a pool, think of having an intelligent pool installed. To get in touch with happy Compass Pool owners, locate your closest Compass Pools dealer to arrange a free onsite consultation. Or learn more about pool cleaning and making smart pool decisions in our printed pool magazine that you can request for free.

Video transcription: We get a great number of people who come to us and talk to us about putting in their first or their second pool who are really well researched. The more research somebody does in the swimming pool market, the more likely they are to become a Compass customer.

We also get a really high percentage of people who are getting their second pool. They may not have got a pool from Compass where they were living originally. But if they’ve moved or they’ve built a new home and they decide that living with a pool is something that they don’t want to miss out on, it’s amazing how many of those people, for their second pool, come to Compass.

The reason is they’ve owned another product. They’ve owned a swimming pool that has no doubt taken them a fair bit of time and energy and investment to keep that pool looking and operating the way they want it to. They’ve had that experience and now they’re coming to Compass because they just don’t want to have that responsibility anymore. They’re generally looking for Compass’ exclusive Vantage in-floor cleaning and circulation system.

If you’re busy and you really want to own a pool but you’re concerned or put off by all the work friends and other people have told you is associated with a swimming pool, come and talk to us. We’ll show you how we can make that work disappear. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Video transcription: There are many reasons people choose a Compass swimming pool. That’s pretty important when you do my job.

One of the great things about it is that we have a small number of people out there who have soil conditions called reactive soil. One facet of our swimming pools is that they are literally twice as strong as a traditional fibreglass swimming pool and they’re built to ground conditions. Anyone who has done a lot of research on reactive soils and the right product for their place often ends up with a Compass pool.

Another reason people choose Compass pools is for a unique ability to be able to install these pools up out of ground, to put them in some really unusual site conditions that have generally only been the domain of concrete pools.

When you spend some time talking to Compass pools, you’ll soon come to understand that the process for building a Compass pool is totally unique. The product that we have here at Compass is different from anything else that is on the market.

In fact we pioneered a couple of different technologies when it comes to the construction of swimming pools. Those technologies are a really important feature of owning a pool that is going to last in the sense that it is going to be durable and give you something that you’re going to be enjoying potentially for the rest of your life.

Something that we’re excited to offer you and will give you tremendous peace of mind when owning a Compass pool is the warranty. The warranty associated with your Compass pool is totally unique and it is unique in the industry. We can’t wait to talk to you about it if given the opportunity to come out and talk to you.

Another great feature of that warranty is that it is backed by a company, an Australian company, that has been manufacturing swimming pools for thirty-five years with the benefit of being continuously owned by the same family. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Why do Compass Pools clients choose a Compass Pool

Video transcription: Another fantastic testament to the Compass pool is that we have a lot of people who are not too far dissociated from the pool industry purchasing a Compass pool. We do a lot of pools for real estate agents. They know the power of introducing a prospective buyer to a house and saying, hey, this pool literally looks after itself.

I’ve had a couple of great experiences working with a few council people this year. They’re choosing their Compass pool for really specific reasons. I put a pool in just recently for the head inspector of one of the local councils here. He’s got an interesting job. He would go out to properties and he would issue them with what is called a final occupation certificate. That usually happens about twelve months after someone has had their pool installed.

Out of self interest, he was building his own home and wanted to install a pool. Every time he went to a property, he said to someone what do you think of your pool? People would say, yes, the kids enjoy it. There is a bit of work associated with it. Then he found someone who owns a Compass pool. Every time he spoke to a Compass pool owner, they’d say, it’s great. We don’t have to do anything. All of a sudden, this particular gentleman thought Compass was the right company for him.

I recently had a great experience working with an MD of a local council. I’d put several pools in for some of his staff and he didn’t know it. I immediately thought, this is how he knows about us.

But when I asked him about why he was installing this Compass pool or even how he found out about us, he said, this house is really important to us. We designed the house and we built the house. We always thought a pool would really complement it but we just weren’t sure. One of the reasons we weren’t sure is we are really only intending to stay here for the next ten to twelve years. So I asked a very good friend of mine to come over and give me their recommendation as to whether or not we should put a pool in.

I said, who was that? Were they a Compass pool owner? He said, actually, they’re not. They were a local real estate agent. She came over and said, I thoroughly recommend that you put in a pool. This type of house commands it and you will get a lot of enjoyment from it. What you do is, you don’t put anything in but a Compass self-cleaning pool.

Wow! That’s pretty exciting for us. That’s pretty much where our technology is today. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Great pool planning advice from the Compass Pools team

Video transcription: Having worked at Compass for a little under ten years now, one of the best pieces of advice I can give anybody considering or looking at putting in a swimming pool is take your time. A swimming pool is generally something that when people are considering putting one in, they’re usually pretty committed to their house. It usually means a long term investment in the property that they currently reside in.

This is not like going out and purchasing a motor car. If you went out and bought a motor car and decided, you know what, I just don’t like this car, there is something wrong with it, you can sell it. You can’t sell your pool without selling your house. So you want to be really careful when you think about all of the different options and all of the different inclusions that you can make part of that swimming pool.

That’s why we really encourage you to come and talk to us. We have tremendous and unique options. There are so many points of difference with a Compass swimming pool that we get pretty excited about it. We’d like to take the time and take you right through and make sure you’re fully equipped with as much information as you need. Often that will result in us getting you out to talk to some of our customers.

So take your time, there is no rush because once it’s in, it’s in for good. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

How much does a swimming pool cost? Great advice for anyone doing research about buying a pool

Video transcription: Often people will walk into Compass or they’ll give us a call on the phone and they’ll say, how much for a swimming pool? It’s such a great question and is a difficult one to immediately answer. There are just so many different options and inclusions and site differences and things that are particular or may be particular about that pool. These will change the overall cost.

It’s not dissimilar from someone walking into a car yard where there are a whole range of cars on offer and saying, how much for a car? No one really does that because we’ve all been educated enough to know what a car is and that there are lots of different inclusions you can have.

The pool industry is not dissimilar except you probably don’t have as much information. You certainly will when you come and talk to us. If I was the salesman of a car and I said to you, would you like power steering and air conditioning with that car, you’d probably look at me today and think, this guy is crazy. Of course I want that.

There are very similar inclusions to power steering and air conditioning that you can put in your pool that are just as important as the way you see that in a motor car. They’re the things that we really want to drill down on and we’d like to talk to you about or at least make available to you. Then when you make a decision on this, you’re making a well informed decision for the long term. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.