Breaking Down the Top Swimming Pool Water Features

If you’re designing a pool and you’re not thinking about water features, you should be. And why is that? Well, there are many reasons, but one of the more important ones is because water features are great whether you’re in the pool or not. These simple touches can add so much to the atmosphere of your backyard. Just introducing the sound of running water will immediately increase the calming ability of your pool!

However, one downside you’ll have to navigate when it comes to water features is the wide range of options. In order to help you narrow down the elements you’d like to include in your project, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular choices on the market.

Spillways and Spillover Spas

Spillways and spillover spas have a similar relationship to that of squares and rectangles—a spillover spa is always a spillway, but a spillway is not necessarily a spillover spa. All that to say, these two features are related but slightly different. As you can probably guess, a spillover spa is when a spa is placed higher than a pool and water flows over the edge of the spa into the pool. A spillway generates the same effect, but it is not always connected to a spa.

Rain Curtains

Rain curtains usually accompany an arch or a pergola. From one of these structures, a system is affixed that creates a thin, wide curtain of water that falls into the swimming pool.

Deck Jets

Deck jets are generally small streams of water that shoot from the deck into the pool. For example, you might find a circle of deck jets surrounding and flowing into a spa.

Fountains

Fountains are a fairly common option for water features, but they can take on many forms. Aside from the more traditional types of fountains that come to mind, spillover fountains (which often flow from an elevated pedestal or bowl) are becoming popular.

Waterfalls

Since it is likely the most common pool water feature, you’re probably familiar with the idea of a waterfall. Even if you haven’t owned a pool with one, you’ve almost certainly experienced them in nature. And that’s actually one place where pool waterfalls get interesting! They are often created using boulders and rocks to give a natural feel to your pool.

Bubblers

Bubblers, or gushers, are basically a jet that is installed underneath the water’s surface to create a bubbling fountain effect.

Scuppers, Sconces, and Spouts

These three “S” water features are related but have some differences. All of them, however, are essentially a type of spout that lives on a wall of your pool and pour water into it. The differences between each mostly come from the appearance of the spout and the nature of the stream it produces.

If you are thinking about what water features you’d like to include in your new pool construction, hopefully, you found this article helpful. At Saturn Pools, we specialize in creating unique pools for families like yours, so don’t hesitate to schedule a free, in-home estimate anytime. We’d love to help you bring your ideas to life and answer any questions you have along the way.