Liberty Enrichment Plunge Pool, 9x17 to 9x24

A plunge pool is a small, deep-enough-to-stand pool built for sitting, floating and cooling off. The Enrichment is exactly that. We see it chosen by empty nesters who are done with big-pool upkeep, by families on narrow city lots in Akron or Canton, and by people who want the pool as part of a patio, next to an outdoor kitchen or fire pit, rather than as the center of the yard.

It is also the easiest pool on this page to keep warm. With a heater, a 3,200 gallon Enrichment 9x17 warms up much faster in May than a big pool, and it cools off more slowly than you would expect once a cover is on it at night.

All three are 9 ft 1 in wide and 4 ft 9 in deep throughout, per Liberty. The 9.17 is 17 ft 5 in long and holds about 3,200 gallons. The 9.21 is 20 ft 7 in long and holds about 4,000. The 9.24 is 23 ft 10 in long and holds about 4,800. Each step up adds room to float and a few more feet to walk, and costs $2,800 or $2,600 more in our packages.

Liberty lists a built-in tanning ledge, easy-access steps and swim-up seating on all three. A single depth of 4 ft 9 in means adults stand comfortably everywhere, and there is no deep end to keep an eye on. It is non-diving.

With our 4 ft wrap deck, the footprint runs from about 17 by 25 ft for the 9x17 to about 17 by 32 ft for the 9x24. That opens up yards a standard pool cannot use. A 10 ft setback, like the one Stow and Jackson Township use, is much easier to meet with a 9 ft wide shell than with a 16 ft one.

The barrier rules are the same as for any pool. Most Ohio towns follow the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, which calls for a barrier at least 48 in high with self-closing, self-latching gates. On a compact pool the fence can hug the patio and look like part of the design.

Liberty lists all three Enrichment sizes as auto cover ready. On a plunge pool a track cover is a neat way to handle both safety and heat, and the cover itself is smaller than on a full-size pool.

Every Enrichment package includes the Liberty shell and full installation, a Pentair variable-speed pump, a Pentair DE filter, a pool heater, Pentair MicroBrite color-changing LED lights, a 4 ft concrete wrap deck, a cleaning kit, starter chemicals and the electrical hook-up at the equipment. We handle the 3D design and permits.

A small pool still needs a crane, a dig and a crew, so the fixed costs do not shrink with the shell. The site items we price after the visit are the fence, extra decking, spoils haul-off, dewatering if needed and the power run to the pad. We would rather you see all of it early, and financing is available through our lending partners.

A heater is the first thing we would add, because it turns a plunge pool into something you use from spring into fall. Bubblers on the tanning ledge, LED lighting scenes and automation are common. Many owners build the Enrichment into a larger patio with seating and a fire feature, so the whole space works in the shoulder seasons.