Features to consider when choosing a pool slide
Of course, the worst way to start your shopping is going to the market without knowing the essential things to look at or consider. We don’t want you shopping blindly like that, so we have compiled the most important factors you need to consider when buying a slide in this section.
Slide type
Swimming pool slides are usually made in different types and different designs, as you probably know already. Primarily, the designs vary because of the flume’s curvature. That said, the most common types of slides are – cyclonic slide, straight slide, typhoon, twisting, and helical. The excitement of using a slide depends significantly on the flume’s design.
For instance, the helical flume will provide more fun than the straight flume, so you may need to discuss it with your family members before choosing a particular flume type. Pool slides are usually available in left and right curvature.
Flume
The flume construction is one of the most important factors when choosing a pool slide as it determines the slide’s quality. If you intend to be sliding with your children, ensure the flume is sufficiently wide for adults. The flume also needs to be extremely slippery. Apart from that, its abrasion resistance capacity has to be guaranteed as gradual sliding makes the surface to become rough, and it’s impossible to slide on a surface that is rough.
Since a slide is also likely to be exposed to water and sun, it has to be resistant against the two elements. While the color of the flume largely depends on the preference of the user, we recommend against going for an extremely light-colored flume. Thanks to the constant sunlight that will be shinning on the slide, any bright color will get faded in no time, which will make the slide look odd.
Curvature
The curvature is another important factor to take into consideration when choosing a pool slide for your needs. As you must have figured out already, pool slides usually come with different curvatures. Meanwhile, the amount of fun you will get when using a pool slide depends greatly on the flume’s curvature as the more the curvature, the more the fun. Therefore, we recommend you to go for a slide with more curvature, such as the S.R.Smith heliX2 Pool Slide.
Weight limit
Another important factor you must think about is the weight capacity of the slide you are choosing. This factor is especially vital if you know adults are likely to be using the slide as well. If you are buying a slide for your kids only, you can go for a low-capacity slide like the S.R. Smith Cyclone Pool Slide. However, if you intend for adults to be using the slide as well, you must buy a slide that has a weight capacity of 250 pounds at least, or even higher. Plus, if you know you weigh more than a regular adult, we advise you to look for higher capacity. Before making your purchase, make sure you check the slide’s ladder and flume capacity. Both must be able to accommodate the user’s weight.
Water supply
While a pool slide can actually be used without water, the fact that you will be wet is likely to cause friction, which may subsequently affect your speed. Therefore, we recommend you to add a water supply to your slide or even buy a slide that comes with a great water supply system such as the S.R. Smith Rogue2 Pool Slide as adding a post-purchase water supply could be an extra expense.
Accessories included
You also need to check if the pool slide you are buying comes with all the necessary accessories as some manufacturers leave you by yourself to get everything you need, both for installation or then daily usage of the product. In that case, make sure you choose a slide that comes with everything you need, especially if you are on a budget, and you don’t have extra cash to shell on additional hardware. In that case, you could consider a model like the FibroPool Full-Sized Swimming Pool Slide as it comes with a lot of accessories.
Other features
You also need to consider other features like the warranty and the color options. While some buyers usually don’t care about the included warranty, it’s an important consideration as it helps gives you an idea of how trustworthy the company is. If you are keen on style and the slide’s perfect integration into the decoration of your backyard, you may also consider the color options as different slides come in different color options.
How to maintain a pool slide
While nothing can match the amount of fun a pool slide delivers, it can only continue to make your pool time fun-filled if it’s regularly maintained. To help you get started, we have put this quick guide together.
Clean the slide regularly – The first thing that can be done to maintain your slide is to make sure it’s clean at all times. This is vital as swimming pools usually contain chemicals, which can damage the slide over time if not cleaned. Use a non-abrasive cleaner to clean the slide as often as possible. It’s simple to do. Just apply your cleaner, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and use a soft sponge or a brush to clean the pool slide. Now, rinse off the cleaner using clean water, after which you can remove any excess water with a dry cloth.
If you like, you can disinfect the pool slide also, but we must warn you that you can’t do this using a typical household disinfectant. Instead, you will have to adopt a special disinfectant made specially for pool slides.
Get rid of scratches from the slide – If your slide has a couple of scratches, you can remove them easily. While we recommend that you buy a plastic polish for this, you can even make use of a car polish. Now, apply the polish to the area that is scratched and then rub it until the polish gets hazy. As soon as this happens, you will have to buff off the polish with a clean cloth. Buff off until no polish is coming off again. This should get rid of minor scratches from the slide or make them less visible, at least.
Check the slide periodically – Apart from cleaning the slide; you also have to regularly check it, at least once time per year. This is to ensure that the slide is still structurally safe to use. Prior to the beginning of the swimming, season is a good time to do this. Look over the slide very well and ensure that it has no loose bolts, rough areas, rust, or wear and tear. In the event that you find worn and torn areas, you may have to call someone to come take a look. If the issue is, however, some loose bolts only, you can retighten them yourself easily.
