What Is a Plunge Pool? Size, Cost and More

A plunge pool is a small pool made for lounging and cooling off, not swimming or activities. Plunge pools have a unique advantage over larger pools being that since they are significantly smaller, they can also double as a hot tub in winter, and a cool-down pool in the summer if connected to the proper pool machinery. This type of pool is good for someone with limited space or if you only want to relax in a pool and not swim or do laps.

Characteristics of a Plunge Pool

A plunge pool is smaller than a regular pool. Their purpose is more for lounging and relaxing, rather than swimming or diving or more intense swimming activities. They will also have a uniform depth that would be comfortable to walk in but deep enough to submerge yourself if wanted. A Plunge Pool will also be set up more for lounging and relaxing and would most likely have seats built into the
side or be able to switch to a hot tub during the wintertime.

Plunge Pool vs. Regular Pool

A plunge pool is usually made for a few people to comfortably sit down and relax in the water. These are smaller than a regular pool and will have a uniform depth to promote walking and relaxing. A Plunge Pool could also be used as a hot tub in winter if connected to a pool heater and because of their smaller size will be much cheaper to heat to hot tub temperatures than a regular pool.

A regular pool is much larger than a plunge pool. This type of pool can have a changing depth and is better suited for activities and if deep enough, diving. You can use pool accessories with a regular pool such as fountains, automatic cleaners, and water slides. However, because of its increased size, this type of pool is not ideal for a hot tub application because of the increased cost to heat up a much larger body of water. A regular pool will also have a more complex pool system because of the added accessories and will cost more to maintain in the long run because they have to maintain a much larger amount of water.

Cost

If you're choosing between a plunge pool and a regular pool, a plunge pool should be much cheaper because of the size difference. To install both types of pools the steps will be similar except for the number of materials and amount of excavation that would have to be done. Also, plunge pools should be cheaper to maintain because there will be less water to keep clean. This translates to fewer chemicals and possibly smaller pool machinery to maintain a clean pool. Please note that in either application, adding a pool heater will increase your running cost but it will again take much less energy to heat a plunge pool than a regular pool.