Pool Waterfalls

No other water feature better transforms your pool from a mere body of water into a personal
oasis than a waterfall. This makes waterfalls one of the most popular additions during pool
construction or renovation. Waterfalls provide not only visual appeal but also the sound and feel
of cascading water so they really engage multiple senses. This may be why people of all ages
are drawn to them and if you observe a pool that has one, you’ll usually find someone near or
under the waterfall, enjoying the flow.

Pool waterfalls are also very versatile, available in different sizes and able to be installed in
different locations at varying heights. Some are designed to be built into the pool wall or a free-
standing wall while others are pre-formed in the shape of rocks or basins for deck installation.
Waterfalls can also be illuminated with white or colored light for a beautiful and dramatic effect
in the evening hours. We’ll cover some of the most popular waterfalls below so you can decide
which type is right for your pool.

This type of waterfall is intended for installation within the wall of the pool or a structure outside
of the pool. Made of PVC, it is basically a reservoir box with an extension called the lip and an
inlet on the back where the plumbing connects. For pool wall installation, PVC waterfalls are
put in during new pool construction or a major renovation. If you want to add one to an existing
pool and you aren’t renovating, the best option would be to either build a free-standing structure
for the waterfall or choose a pre-formed rock waterfall that mounts on the deck (we’ll cover
these below).

We carry the Oasis waterfalls which come in four different styles – Original, Rainforest, Arch
and Water Curtain. The Oasis Original is a sheer descent waterfall which means the water
flows out in a sheet with a slight arc. The Rainforest has spacers inside the waterfall that
separate the water into small streams as it exits so it has the appearance of rainfall. This one
also has a slight arc. The Arch fall produces a sheet of water with a more emphasized arc while
the Water Curtain creates a sheet that drops straight down. Some types of waterfalls can be cut
with either a concave or convex radius to fit into a curved structure. Radius cuts are custom so
they are made to order and take longer for production.

The Oasis Original is also available as the Nova fall which is the same style waterfall with the
addition of fiber optic cable. From the waterfall, the cable runs underground to a light source
called an illuminator which is sold separately. Light travels through the fiber optic cable and
illuminates the Nova fall, taking the waterfall to a whole new level of visual impact. There is also
a Lighted Rain Waterfall from Fiberstars which is similar in style to the Rainforest fall mentioned
above but has fiber optic cable attached.

Illuminators for fiber optic waterfalls are available in white light or 4- and 6-color models. Color
illuminators have a color wheel inside positioned in front of the light. This wheel can either be
fixed on one color or set to continuously rotate which results in a constant transition from one
color to the next. It is a better value to get a color illuminator rather than the white light only.
There’s not a big price difference and the color models include white as one of the colors so you
get the best of both worlds. For more information on fiber optic lighting, see our Fiber Optics
Guide at http://www.inyopools.com/fiber_optics_answers.aspx

If you have purchased an unlit PVC waterfall and decide later you want to add lighting, do not
despair. Fiberstars has got you covered with their Waterfall Light Bar which can be retrofitted
to the lip of an existing fall. Available in different lengths, light bars have either 25 or 45 feet
of fiber optic cable attached to them which runs through conduit back to the illuminator as
described above.

PVC waterfalls are classified by not only the type of flow but also the width and the lip size. The
width - how wide the waterfall is as you stand facing it - ranges from 12 to 96 inches so you
can either fit one in a relatively tight space or really think big. If you were standing on the side
of the waterfall looking at its profile, the lip would be the piece that extends forward from the
inlet where the water comes in. The lip size (or length) varies according to the type of fall but
is typically 1, 6, 9, or 12 inches. The depth of the wall in which the waterfall is being installed
determines the lip size that’s needed. For example, if you have a wall that’s 10 inches deep,
you would not want to choose a 9 or 12 inch lip size but instead, one of the smaller sizes.

Once installed, all you’ll see of the waterfall is a thin white line where it protrudes slightly
from the wall. In certain applications, such as structures with a darker surface, this line
may be considered unattractive. In this case, you might want to consider a Jandy Sheer
Descent waterfall which is available in colors other than basic, off-white PVC. Jandy offers
brass, bronze, copper, gray and silver nickel lip colors. These waterfalls are quite a bit more
expensive than the regular PVC models but may be worth it for their aesthetic effect.

Pool waterfalls can be tied into the pool’s circulation pump but ideally, you’d use a dedicated
pump just for the waterfall. This way, you can size the pump to the waterfall to ensure proper
flow and it’s easier to control independently. The width of the waterfall will determine the
gallons per minute (gpm) required from the pump. For example, the Oasis Original requires
1 gpm per inch of width so a 36” wide waterfall needs a pump that can output 36 gpm. This
calculation will vary based on the style of waterfall. We recommend using one of the Hayward
Super II pumps.

Since water naturally narrows as it falls, the maximum recommended height for a pool waterfall
is three feet. The higher a waterfall is mounted, the more tapered or V-shaped the water will be
at the pool’s surface. This taper will be most noticeable on waterfalls with a sheet of water; the
rainfall type falls will not taper as much. For detailed installation instructions, check out our Pool
Waterfalls Guide at http://www.inyopools.com/pool_waterfalls_answers.aspx.

Our rock waterfalls are actually made of a resin material called polyurea which is both durable
and lightweight. The molds used to make these falls are from actual rock outcroppings so they
have a realistic shape and look. They have a rustic appeal and fit well with pools that have
more natural landscaping around them. Most of these can also be used with a spa or backyard
pond. There are a variety of different shapes, sizes and colors to match most settings. You can
enhance the look of your rock waterfall by adding some matching landscape boulders as well.
These are made of the same lightweight material and can be moved easily.

For those who like the look of stone but want something more architectural than a boulder,
waterfalls such as the Manor House Scupper and Serenity Garden emulate hand-laid stacked

stones. These have a traditional European style which will complement many different
landscapes.

The WOK waterfall is another option, featuring a wide basin that sits on a pedestal. Water
flows out through a lip in the basin into the pool or spa. These are designed to imitate rustic
metal and come in two colors, either patina or aged copper. We’ve had mixed reviews on the
WOK falls from our customers. It is important to keep in mind that while these are designed to
emulate aged metal, they are still made of resin. You can tell this when you are close to them
but at more of a distance, positioned in your landscaping with plants around them, the WOKs
have a very tranquil and realistic look. Available in small and medium sizes, you can install two
WOK falls together, with water flowing from the taller basin into the shorter one and then into the
pool which is a nice effect.

These pre-formed waterfalls are designed to be installed on the deck, positioned close to the
edge of the pool. A pipe must be stubbed up underneath them for water supply. Like the PVC
waterfalls, they can be tied into the pool’s main circulation pump or have a dedicated waterfall
pump.