Denistone East

Position the pump lower and closer to the pool

The biggest thing I would change is the location and specification of the pool pump. Our pump is positioned too far away and above the level of the pool, meaning it has to work harder to draw the water uphill. I would position the equipment closer to and lower relative to the pool and make sure the pump is powerful enough for the setup.

Install larger and better filtration equipment

I would also specify a larger cartridge filter and make sure all of the equipment is appropriately sized for the pool rather than simply accepting the standard package offered by the pool installation company. The original equipment felt like the minimum required and the pump failed within the first year. Spending slightly more upfront on appropriately sized equipment would likely have saved problems later.

Clarify the sewer connection before construction

I would confirm the council requirements for connecting the pool to the sewer before starting the build. We were initially told by the team at Blue Haven that using a cartridge filter meant a sewer connection would not be necessary, but council later wanted the pool connected to the household sewer in order to get approval. This created unnecessary difficulty during the approval process that could have been avoided with clearer advice upfront.

Consider a different internal pool finish (Tiles as opposed to Quartz finish)

I would look more closely at using tiles or another smoother internal finish rather than the Quartz-Style finish we selected. The finish provides good grip and reduces slipping, but it can feel quite rough against the skin when swimming or playing in the pool. This was particularly noticeable with children, so I would prioritise a smoother finish next time potentially tiles.