In mid-May, temperatures exceeded 30 degrees for the first time this year. The swimming pools, which traditionally open at the beginning of May and prepare for summer and the summer holidays in spring, were full from one day to the next. Everyone wanted to cool off, splash around and swim a few lengths. Lucky who has a swimming pool in the garden and didn't have to queue at the pool ticket office, look for a shady spot and share the cool water with others. With climate change, we will probably have to get used to higher temperatures - and overcrowded swimming pools. That's why having a swimming pool in your own backyard is a consideration for more and more homeowners. Especially if they like to swim, have children or have the occasional garden party.
Basically, there are four different pool types: the classic in-ground swimming pool, the increasingly popular in-ground swimming pool, the flexible pop-up pool and the paddling pool for children. For the first three pool types you need a larger garden, for the paddling pool a small area on the balcony or terrace is sufficient. In this article we will focus on the in-ground swimming pool and the paddling pool, the right location, the important accessories, sensible pool maintenance and the costs of having your own swimming pool in the garden.
If the time until the summer holidays is (too) short for a swimming pool, buy a pop-up pool made of hard-wearing foil with a filter system and ladder for a few hundred francs. Set it up on a flat surface, free of branches, stones or roots that could damage the liner.
An in-ground swimming pool is built level. This means that a pit must first be dug and the excavated material properly disposed of. There are different types of in-ground swimming pools, for example:
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Most pop-up pools are produced from a double-walled and foiled steel wall and set directly on the level garden ground. They are usually clad, usually with pressure-impregnated wood or with plastic, sometimes also bricked. The space between the steel wall and the cladding is thermally insulated with air cushions. Pop-up pools are often sold as a complete set, i.e. pool, filter system, ladder, care products and cleaning equipment. In contrast to the flexible pop-up pool, they remain standing all year round and also overwinter outside.
If you have enough space in the garden and budget, the size depends on how you will use your swimming pool. If you want to do some swimming, the pool should be at least six metres long; if two people want to swim side by side without getting in each other's way, the pool should be at least four metres wide. Most private swimming pools are eight metres long and four metres wide (32 square metres) or seven metres round (38 square metres) and 1.40 metres pool depth. To swim easily, you need 80 centimetres of water depth or more.
Pool builders recommend at least five metres long and 2.50 metres wide (12.5 square metres). In a pool twice this size, however, you enjoy much more freedom of movement.
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If you have enough space in your garden and thus the choice of location, orient your swimming pool towards the southeast in a sunny and shade-free location. This way, the sun's heat will warm up the water for you early in the morning. Also make sure that there are no tall trees nearby that could shed leaves or needles that you would have to fish out of the water. The closer the swimming pool is to the power lines and water pipes, the easier and cheaper it is to connect it. Use hedges or walls as privacy screens and/or windbreaks.
If you use your swimming pool all year round, a separate heating system (photovoltaic system) makes sense. If you only heat it outside the heating season, connect it to the heating system.
Stagnant water that is not regularly filtered will sooner or later tip over. That is why the filter system and control system are at the heart of swimming pool technology. Filter pumps or circulation pumps move the water a few hours a day and thus filter out the dirt particles. They usually do this with variable speeds that are regulated by the control system. A simple timer would be overwhelmed by this. You can protect the swimming pool from leaves, dirt and needles with a cover, and fish leaves, insects and needles out of the water with a landing net. A hanging ladder is useful and safe, lighting is practical and looks good in the dark.
A swimming pool gives a lot of work. You have to clean it regularly, replace the water in the circuit and check the water quality. If the pH is too high, there is a risk of eye irritation, if it is too low, the metal parts in the pool will rust. You can automate and delegate many of these tasks. For example, to a control filter that constantly checks and adjusts the pH value, or to a pool robot that independently swims in the water all day and, for example, fishes all the leaves and needles out of your swimming pool. When you get home, all you have to do is put on your swimsuit ...
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Many swimming pools are chemically disinfected and cleaned. For example, with chlorine or with active oxygen, which binds and kills the organic material. However, chlorine can sting the eyes and/or cause allergies if it is used improperly. That is why the water quality must be checked regularly: The pH value, for example, which should be between 7.0 and 7.4, at least once a week. A chlorozone system, which converts common salt into chlorine, ozone and oxygen by electrolysis and increases the oxygen concentration in the water, is less harmful. An alternative to chlorine and chlorozone is a sand filter system, which filters the water gently and evenly with high-quality glass beads and at the same time enriches it with oxygen. You can improve the water quality in three ways: with chlorine or Chlorozon (chemical), with filtration and circulation (physical) or with soil suction and brushing (mechanical).
The water in a natural pool or biopool is naturally treated, i.e. without chlorine, but unlike a swimming pond it does not need a planted regeneration zone.
The costs depend on the effort, the size and the materials. For an eight-metre-long, four-metre-wide and 1.50-metre-deep pool, calculate at least 35,000 Swiss francs for a plastic pool and at least 60,000 Swiss francs for a concrete or stainless steel pool. An electric roll-up cover, which makes sense for a swimming pool of this size, costs plus/minus 15'000 francs. This brings us to at least 50,000 francs for a plastic pool and at least 75,000 francs for a concrete or stainless steel pool. In addition, there are the costs for the excavation and for the connection of the water pipes and electricity lines. The annual costs consist of the maintenance costs (depending on the size, about 600 to 1,200 francs per year) and the electricity costs.
A swimming pool half the size does not automatically cost half as much. That's why it's not worth saving on size if you have enough space in your garden.
As a rule, yes. The Spatial Planning Act stipulates that all installations and buildings must be approved by the authorities. This also applies to the swimming pool in your garden. Some cantons make exceptions for smaller pop-up pools that are only set up in summer and are not permanently installed. It is better to ask once too often than once too little and, to be on the safe side, check with the building authority beforehand whether your swimming pool project requires a permit or not.
All prices are indicative only (as of 2023) so you can estimate the cost. If you want an exact offer, ask our certified pool builders from your region.
