Thinking of entering the world of home hydrotherapy? It’s a great idea.
Hydrotherapy uses a combination of warm water and weightless exercises to aid in managing and treating a variety of conditions that involve stiffness, pain and impaired mobility. Symptomatic relief from all sorts of aches and pains, as well as improved bodily functions such as respiration and circulation, are just some of the benefits individuals experience.
Demand for hydrotherapy is at an all-time high, yet the majority of public pools have extensive waiting lists. Having ongoing access to a hydrotherapy pool means you can get as much pool time as you want when it’s convenient for you.
Here are 3 key questions to consider before getting a hydro pool at home…
What Size Can My Pool Be?
The size of your pool will ultimately be guided by the space you have available and what you’ll be using it for.
All hydrotherapy pools should provide enough space for at least 2.7m2 space per person, with a depth of 1.2-1.5 metres. And because it’s rare for a hydrotherapy pool to be used alone, you’re looking at a minimum of 5.4m2 for a small pool that is suitable for 2 people.
In a family household, it might make sense to install a pool that can also be used for fun and games; in that case, you’ll need to make it much bigger!
But space considerations don’t stop there. A hydrotherapy pool requires a plant room, and the bigger the pool, the bigger the plant room. A sufficiently sized plant room is key to the running of a home hydro pool because it houses the equipment controlling the circulation and filtration of the pool water and the Air Handling Unit, or AHU.
Domestic pools can have a slightly smaller plant room than the same-sized pool in a commercial setting and can even be constructed underground. As a rough guide, a hydrotherapy pool of 3.5m x 2.5m requires a plant room of 12m2.
Who Can Do Home Hydrotherapy Installation?
A hydrotherapy pool differs slightly from a hot tub or standard swimming pool and so requires a specific breadth of knowledge and expertise to ensure the installation runs smoothly and it’s fit for purpose.
With a professional hydrotherapy pool installation contractor, you’re sure to benefit from…
Expertise And Experience
Any home adaptation project requires experience and know-how. Home adaptation specialists have a range of skills and expertise, and hydro pools are a particular specialism. You wouldn’t ask a bathroom expert to install a hydrotherapy pool in the same way that you wouldn’t get a roofer to rewire your electrics.
Planning
From costs to space considerations, you shouldn’t need to be a project manager.
An expert home hydro pool installer will be proficient at planning the entire project from start to finish, meaning there is as little disruption as possible to your home life, and you’re kept up to date on progress the whole way through.
Suitability
Home hydrotherapy pool experts will work alongside medical professionals, including occupational therapists and the user’s care team, to ensure the pool is fit for purpose and sufficiently accessible for the user.
By discussing the primary user’s particular mobility challenges, a hydro pool expert will be able to create a design that will best meet their needs.
How Much Does Home Hydrotherapy Installation Cost?
The cost of installing a home hydro pool is going to be one of your first considerations.
Naturally, the cost will depend on many factors, such as size, style and finishing touches, but we can outline the main aspects to give you a ballpark approximation.
Groundwork/Construction
Hydrotherapy pools tend to cost somewhere between £70,000 and £200,000+, depending on the size.
Will your pool reside in your home or a specially built room in the garden?
Is the pool going to be set in or on top of the ground?
Hydrotherapy pools that require an extension of your home or the construction of a new outbuilding and pools that will be set into the ground cost far more due to the amount of labour and building materials involved in the project.
Pool
Although stainless steel pools are more expensive to buy, concrete and tiled hydrotherapy pools end up costing around the same when you take installation into account because the process takes a lot longer.
Things like excavating the area for a sunken pool, waiting for the concrete to set, and finishing touches all add up; a concrete pool can take 3 – 6 months to install.
Hoists
Some users will require the aid of a hoist to get in and out of the pool, and these come in around the £6,000 to £10,000 mark.
Temperature Control
Hydrotherapy pools run hotter than your typical swimming pool at somewhere between 32-40°C.
This generates a lot of humidity in the pool room because of the amount of evaporation that occurs. Reducing the humidity in the room is paramount to ensure it’s not unbearably warm (and to help prevent damp or corrosion from the excess moisture levels). To manage the humidity, you need to install an environmental control system that dehumidifies the room and pumps in warm, dry air.
Running an environmental control system costs in the region of £1200 a year, and installing a ducted system will total upwards of £25,000, depending on the size of your pool room.
Installing A Home Hydrotherapy Pool Requires Specialist Input
Home hydrotherapy offers a multitude of benefits for users suffering from pain and mobility issues, but undertaking an installation project can feel like a huge task.
Hopefully, this blog has helped you to get a better idea of what to ask when you’re on the hunt for a home hydrotherapy pool installation specialist.
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