Planning a Swimming Pool

Post by **Sakhonnick** » August 24, 2013, 9:52 am

coxo wrote:Worked for a pool company in Phuket, we installed over 800 systems in my time there, would I own one? No way, invest in an air conditioner instead! To much rain in Thailand for a salt water chlorinator, to much expense on chemical, DE filters are rubbish, sand filter with glass media works exactly the same as DE on microns, make friends with kopkei and use his pool.

wow, if that alone does not tell you, nothing will.

but in the defense of the pool positive quotes, yes ill admit it was very nice to have a pool, they look great when they are new and nothing quite like jumping into your own private pool, my advice is based on long term, eventually maintenance over takes the sweet start and then for some reason you start to use it less and less, the novelty wares off. If money is no object go for it, if your budgeting your income my advice is don't build one

Post by **747man** » August 24, 2013, 9:58 am

pienmash wrote:
747man wrote:I've had mine for about 6 Years now, Only had a couple of problems, Pump Get swamped in " The Floods " & Burnt out had to replace for new one cost 50,000 Baht,Also other slight problem was growing Black Algae but sorted that out with a few litres of Hydrocholric Acid & A Good brush....Used to be Salt Water,But Not now just regular ( 3 times a week ) A Couple of Litres of Chlorine..
474 ..... are you still claiming UK winter fuel allowance >>?? maybe this can off set your swimming pool expenses here in LOS , maybe you are still living with yer mam or yer gran is helping out .. and the exorbitant prices of breakfast cereals here ??

No is the answer to you're first question ( Not yet anyway )

I'm not of age YET !!! And No to the second one, Leave my Dear old Mam & Gran out of it......O.K. ?? Now The EXORBITANT Price ( In SOME Shops ) of Breakfast Cereals........Well that is more SERIOUS....

Post by **Techland** » August 24, 2013, 10:14 am

With all the tress around it, all I can say is: happy cleaning

Friends of us have rented several houses down in Pattya, always with swimming pools, and those ate their hair from their heads (as we say in Germany). Much too expensive keeping it clean and working!

Another friend outside Udon did what seems to be the best thing: put a simple house (roof and walls) around the pool, with glass windows everywhere. This way the pool stays clean, you can go swimming with lights in the night without getting attacked by millions of insects, and of course the shadow of the roof prevents heating it up. Due to less cleaning the maintenance costs are down as well. But open pool - never for me (unless I win in the lottery).

Post by **kopkei** » August 24, 2013, 10:35 am

so my filter on my old swim worked 6 hours a day, the pump was 0.6kw,
meaning 6x0.6=3.6kw a day x 3.6baht /kw= 12,96baht/day x365 = 4.730 baht/year on electric...tail here..
i am sure some people spent more money on more idiotic things...not going into this...
now DE filter or sand filter will be up to each his own preference , easy to check on internet which one is performing better, only i can say that my friend in gorath whom has a swim too , has had many problems with the pool , due to the sand filter even with zeolite ....never clear water as mine ....the new pump (and smaller swim )is using 0,75kw/h
and i only have to open it 3hours a day , meaning 2.956 baht/yearly.... and a lot expensive chemicals in the pool ? ,
in my case not at all.... btw lilred nice pool ....
and coxo make friends with kopkei and use his pool...., my home is not a farang chicken farm

, maybe that is why people put a private swim... so for those whom have a swimming pool enjoy it ,and those who don't , you can always open your aircon (that uses way more electric than your pool pump )and look tv all day...

Post by **Sakhonnick** » August 24, 2013, 10:56 am

Ok lets look at it this way

lets say the pool cost 1,000,000 to build and it gives you 10 solid years with no hassle (unlikely but lets say it does) after 10years for sure it will need cleaning and regrouting tiles etc, pumps, filters bla bla bla

Pool cost 1,000,000
10 years electric at your 3,000/year 30,000
10years chemicals lets say the same 30,000

1,060,000 / 3650 days

290baht a day and thats if you swim daily!! double that if you swim 3/4times week

again if you can afford it do it, if not think twice and ask is it really worth it?

Post by **WhoUrDaddy** » August 24, 2013, 11:16 am

When covered and final tweak, maybe 100 k all in, small, 5 X 3 meter, half 2 meter, half 1 meter deep w/ built in seating. Had a pool at most houses I've owned and used them almost daily. No better way to wind down and relax. Could have one of the local companies do it, as neighbor at old house did for half mill, and was only 1 meter deep and crap job..........no thanks.

If you are going to use it, well worth it, very therapeutic, though I certainly wouldn't pay near 1 mill for a pool.

Post by **Astana** » August 24, 2013, 11:23 am

LilRed wrote:I be the neighbor Astana ref'd...

Odd how 2 folks lookin at the same situation, often describe it differently...

From my POV, my pool is the best 1.5 mil BHT I have ever spent.

Indeed Odd how you were forever complaining about your electric bill, pool running costs and how you had to take the builder to court for shoddy workmanship to anyone that would listen.

Post by **kopkei** » August 24, 2013, 11:27 am

my pool is in no way costing 1.000.000 baht..

,more around 220.000 baht all in....

(due to expensive tiles)
and chemicals,DE powder, chlorine, hydroclorid acid , soda ash, not more than 1.500 baht/year....make your own calculation...so to me and my privacy i get , it is worth it , but indeed it is up to everyone's preferences....

Post by **LilRed** » August 24, 2013, 12:39 pm

Big A:

I stand by ALL my statements.

Electicity issue - solved. (Put a timer on the pumps so's they dinna start at the same time causing a major current in-rush peak... Cut my monthly bill by 40%.)

Chemical costs - solved. (Did some serious shoppin around and found chemical supplies at roughly 1/4 what I had been payin from the supplier recommended by the pool builder...)

My law suit was a waste of time, for reasons other than the merits of my case.

You n me hadn't even discussed my pool in over 3 years... Drop by when next you get RnR. I'll show ya...

Back to the thread, I have several good pool O&M manuals and a great pool design text book. Any you guys wanna have a look, PM me. There's a lot to runnin one, but, it can be done w/o too much hassle.

Coxo/Kopkei:

I disagree about the salt chlorinator and DE filters. I have had real good performance outta of mine since 2006. I most strongly agree about the privacy issue, but, more importantly, I control the water quality and safety... I haven't seen a pool in Udon, mine excepted, that didn't cause me concern over water quality. This is particularly of concern to me because of the amoeba fowlerii problems surfacing with more and more frequency...

ATB

Post by **Astana** » August 24, 2013, 12:52 pm

LilRed wrote:Big A:

I stand by ALL my statements.

Electicity issue - solved. (Put a timer on the pumps so's they dinna start at the same time causing a major current in-rush peak... Cut my monthly bill by 40%.)

Chemical costs - solved. (Did some serious shoppin around and found chemical supplies at roughly 1/4 what I had been payin from the supplier recommended by the pool builder...)

My law suit was a waste of time, for reasons other than the merits of my case.

Great to learn that you've solved all the problems that you had moaned and droned on about for so long.

Post by **yaliman** » August 24, 2013, 6:24 pm

After reading up on amoeba fowlerii, İ for one will be wearing a nose clip when swimming in pools from now on. Thanks for the heads up on this Lilred.

Post by **LilRed** » August 24, 2013, 8:11 pm

Wikipedia:

"Naegleria fowleri /nəˈɡlɪəriə/, popularly known as the "brain-eating amoeba", is a free-living excavate form of protist typically found in warm bodies of fresh water, such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It is also found in soil, near warm-water discharges of industrial plants, and unchlorinated or poorly chlorinated swimming pools in an amoeboid or temporary flagellate stage. There is no evidence of this organism living in salt water. It is an amoeba belonging to the groups Percolozoa or Heterolobosea.

N. fowleri can invade and attack the human nervous system. Although this occurs rarely,[1] such an infection nearly always results in the death of the victim.[2] The case fatality rate is estimated at 98%.[3]"

I did not know about the saltwater as highlighted above. It's a pretty good reason to use a salt chlorinating system.

ATB

Post by **jackspratt** » August 24, 2013, 8:32 pm

yaliman wrote:After reading up on amoeba fowlerii, İ for one will be wearing a nose clip when swimming in pools from now on. Thanks for the heads up on this Lilred.

I would back that up with a tinfoil hat.

Although statistically, I would imagine you are far more likely (wherever you are) to be killed in a road accident on the way to the swimming pool.

Post by **glalt** » August 24, 2013, 10:22 pm

I'd like to have a swimming pool and yes, I have had them before. As long as you keep up with the pool, you won't have any problems. It's when the pool is neglected and gets away from the owner, that is a nightmare.

The reason I don't have one is because I KNOW my wife's nieces and nephews would be pissing in it. How do you prevent that without being a selfish, crotchety old fart.

Post by **WhoUrDaddy** » August 24, 2013, 10:36 pm

Although statistically, I would imagine you are far more likely (wherever you are) to be killed in a road accident on the way to the swimming pool

or hit by lightning........maybe win the lottery.......

Post by **fatbob** » August 25, 2013, 1:11 pm

kopkei wrote: by kopkei » August 24, 2013, 11:27 am

my pool is in no way costing 1.000.000 baht.. ,more around 220.000 baht all in.... (due to expensive tiles)
and chemicals,DE powder, chlorine, hydroclorid acid , soda ash, not more than 1.500 baht/year....make your own calculation...so to me and my privacy i get , it is worth it , but indeed it is up to everyone's preferences....

Your figures are total BS, if your gonna put an argument forward tell it honestly, 220 k all up, what is it 2 met by 2 met! Pump 25k, filter 25k, skimmer box or surge tank? skimmer box 8k, chlorinator 25k, lights 20k, piping 10k, electrical distribution board etc 15k, now for construction, excavation, rebar, formwork, concrete, tiles, adhesive and grout, M&E room and labour, chemical to balance pool on first fill, then every time it rains as it dilutes and go's out the overflow, more chemical. A small pool will use at least 1500 thb in electric per month, you have to turn the total volume of water over 2 1/2 times each day, they aint cheap.

Post by **Barney** » August 25, 2013, 1:34 pm

Never hear anyone discuss the preformed fibreglass pools that became popular in australia some time back. they wold have to be cheaper.
There is a factory here in Khon kaen with the pools out on the road.

Post by **Alchai** » August 25, 2013, 2:43 pm

Well thanks for all the inputs, there shure is a lot to consider befoere actually building a pool and as pointed out a few times I need to be really certain that I think the cost and the hassle is worth it. My garden is not big enough for a large pool like LilReds (really nice pool by the way) so if I decide to go ahead with this I would definatly be looking at DIY options and also as Barney mentioned composite pools. These must be less worries when it comes to the structial integrity I would think. Does anyone have any experience with composite pools? Also, only one posted a comment on putting a roof over the pool. I actually think it is a very smart idea but maybe I am missing something!

Post by **parrot** » August 25, 2013, 3:18 pm

We have an abundant supply of 77 degree drinkable well water....and one very hot summer day many years ago, I got to thinking about how to take advantage of that. I bought the largest cement ring available.....a cover for the ring, a bag of cement, and a pvc faucet. Our gardener fixed up a nice shaded area with the cover on the ground, applied a layer of cement, and put the ring on top. He drilled in a outlet hole for the pvc valve, and touched up the area around the ground with a layer of cement.
The next day, late on a blazing afternoon, I filled up the ring with water and soaked. Ahhhhh....then let out the water. I filled it again in the evening and watched the stars with my wife. Ahhhhh.
No chemicals, no filters, no electricity (other than the well pump). Water in, water out. And I can easily hook a hose to the outlet valve and direct the water to the neediest plant in the vicinity.
As I recall, the total cost was around 600 baht.
I took this photo of a friend's two boys who were visiting and took advantage of the pool. They were wearing jungle masks for the photo. They didn't seem to mind the smallness of the pool or the lack of a diving board.
I love big swimming pools......but I lack the desire to put up with the headaches involved. The 'pool' still stands after 8 years. No cracks, no missing tiles, no headaches.

Post by **kopkei** » August 25, 2013, 3:27 pm

coxo , no bs at all , my second pool , you must be pool installer?...
no chlorinator ,( no salt water) these things are expensive and do not last long...i use a floating chlorinator with 90% chlorine tablets..so no special expensive electrical box , just a timer in between ....( same my former pool)
some figures, haywarth super pump 1hp 16.000 baht, DE 2420 haywarth filter 28.000 baht ,big emaux skimmer bargain price 4.000 baht, no lights in the pool so also no bugs in the pool...no main drain , no use at all this , can pump the swim empty with a normal pump,( and in the former 10 year pool never had to drain the pool) excavation and all the concrete work ( 20cm wall and floor , 12mm rebar 2 layers, waterstop...enc..) around 65.000 baht ,work 35.000 baht , tiles 38.000 baht special price, work tiling 8.000 baht ,sandstone foot pad 8.400 baht,piping thai pipe 1,5 inch/13.5 only 6 pipes 1.020 baht ,some small pvc connections...,2 double union valves, 1 one way valve , take your calculator and count ...and weep?...a pool is not expensive to make , but some people seems to make it way more complicated than it has to be..( americans -australians ?) not meaning to insult any one... , same remark go's as of building a home..btw the pool is 6x4M... i have all my bills but i am not going into posting them, i am happy with the result....i will leave it at this...so believe it or not...and barney the fiber swims are bloody expensive...