A Stainless Reputation
From creeks and billabongs to the public baths of Ancient Greece and Rome, humans have
been using both natural and man-made water structures to wash, play and swim for thousands
of years. In fact, one of the oldest recorded pools, according to historians, was a public water tank
in Sindh, Pakistan, which is believed to have been built around the third millennium BCE. Flash
forward to now and the team at The OUTBACK Plunge Pools has reimagined this age-old product,
developing and manufacturing its very own plunge pool design from stainless steel water tanks.
Here, Melbourne Pool + Outdoor Design writer Penny Robinson gets the inside story from Beau
Rixon, the general manager of The OUTBACK Plunge Pools, about the economic and environment
benefits of these clever products.
For homeowners, installing a brand-new pool is an exciting addition to any property, but there are many factors to consider when choosing the right pool for your home. What kind of size and shaped pool will fit in your backyard? What are the landscaping options? Who will be using the pool, and what for? Although this sounds complex, certain design options take the guesswork out of pool installation and come with a host of other advantages for you, your pool and our planet.
Bones of Steel
One of the cheapest and easiest-to-run pools on the market today, stainless steel has many properties that make it the ideal material for a backyard pool. “There’s a reason stainless steel is used in marine, medical and food applications,” says Rixon. This is because the properties of stainless steel make it difficult for bacteria to live on the surface, while making it much easier to clean and sanitise than other comparable materials. Rixon explains that “the great thing about stainless steel is that is very resilient to bacteria growing, so the need for cleaning is very minimal”. Pool owners are encouraged to wipe down the walls and internal shell of the pool every so often with a microfibre cloth and water balance on a regular basis, but otherwise very little maintenance is required to keep these pools swimmable all year-round.
Rixon explains that “the great thing about stainless steel is that is very resilient to bacteria growing, so the need for cleaning is very minimal”. Pool owners are encouraged to wipe down the walls and internal shell of the pool every so often with a microfibre cloth and water balance on a regular basis, but otherwise very little maintenance is required to keep these pools swimmable all year-round.
These contaminate-free havens are also extremely cost-effective, costing around half the price of a prefab concrete plunge pool, while also being remarkably time efficient from purchase to installation. “The obvious and cliche is space,” explains Rixon, “but less obvious is time and quality. A plunge pool can be delivered and installed in weeks, not months. And because they are made in a production facility, the quality standards can be far greater.”
From consultation to order to delivery, these impressive plunge pools can be turned around in as little as six weeks and “can be lifted over fences, rolled down driveways and carried over carports.
Rixon explains that “the great thing about stainless steel is that is very resilient to bacteria growing, so the need for cleaning is very minimal”. Pool owners are encouraged to wipe down the walls and internal shell of the pool every so often with a microfibre cloth and water balance on a regular basis, but otherwise very little maintenance is required to keep these pools swimmable all year-round.
These contaminate-free havens are also extremely cost-effective, costing around half the price of a prefab concrete plunge pool, while also being remarkably time efficient from purchase to installation.“The obvious and cliche is space,” explains Rixon, “but less obvious is time and quality. A plunge pool can be delivered and installed in weeks, not months. And because they are made in a production facility, the quality standards can be far greater.” From consultation to order to delivery, these impressive plunge pools can be turned around in as little as six weeks and “can be lifted over fences, rolled down driveways and carried over carports.
Only a small one percent of installations requires a crane,” says Rixon, with installation completed in as fast as 30 minutes. The Plug n’ Swim nature of The OUTBACK Plunge Pools’ design also means these particular pools can be sold or relocated, as they’re able to be rolled onto the back of a trailer, transported to a new property and swum in all on the same day.
Down to Earth
Aside from the relocatable nature of these impressive products, stainless steel plunge pools also have the wonderful benefit of being freshwater, recyclable and environmentally friendly. “The move towards more environmentally friendly materials cannot be understated,” explains Rixon. Up to 70 percent of stainless steel is made from scrap metal – repurposed bits and pieces that aren’t being used from other projects – which makes it an incredibly sustainable material for pool building. “Not only is stainless steel mostly made from recycled material and can be recycled at a later stage if – after a couple of decades – you decided to sell the shell for scrap, but the reduction in necessary chemicals is also great for the environment.” According to Rixon, the chemical requirement for stainless steel pools is approximately 80 to 90 percent less than a traditional pool, while the equipment used by The OUTBLACK Plunge Pools specifically costs the same as one or two light globes.
“This is now trickling down into pool choices and chemistry management,” explains Rixon, as the global population becomes more conscious of our collective and individual responsibility to our planet. The longevity of stainless steel must also be acknowledged for the same reason, as it is remarkably resistant to the natural elements, including wind, extreme heat and low temperatures, which means it will retain its shape and last a lifetime – or repurposed for another life of its own.
Rustic, Redefined
The unique design of these plunge pools is also a benefit in itself, as the round shape and repurposed aesthetic lends itself to nostalgia of simpler times – and gives suburban homeowners access to a slice of that admired farmhouse look. “Due to the structural integrity of the round shape, this is the only option. As Henry Ford said when he invented the Model T Ford, ‘you can have any colour as long as it’s black’, we say ‘you can have any shape as long as it’s round’,” Rixon jokes. A stainless steel plunge pool offers a budget-friendly element of industrial chic to a property, while maintaining the same technology as a modern concrete pool. Rixon explains that, “Over the last three years, [these pools] have gone from a simple water tank construction with irrigation fittings and basic pool equipment, to more refined construction, premium pool fittings, lights and spa jet upgrades.” They also have wider design possibilities, offering a unique corrugated texture to a backyard space while working in harmony with vegetation, wood details, rock steps, or even reclaimed sleepers as a pool fence. With a customisable aesthetic, an earth-friendly footprint and the potential of extra time and money up your sleeve, a stainless steel plunge pool truly leaves little to be desired when adding a new pool to your home.
Images Courtesy of The OUTBACK Plunge Pool