unheard

What is the possibility of wires becoming live? What can possibly happen to insulation?

That's all fine, but can you comment on why do Thai builders are still commonly using metal boxes instead of switching to plastic as observed in the west?

Why?

"UV light can kill pathogens and some of the units also produce some ozone but this only occurs in the contact chamber and there is no residual effect in the pool. Once again, more useful in a spa than a pool." https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/alternative-sanitizers-and-chemical-free-pools-the-truth.2834/

OK, thanks for the clarification.

An interesting question (plastic vs metal box). I wasn't even aware of the plastic boxes being used in Thailand. Right now I'm observing two houses being build by a very high-end (many expensive farang houses) and low-end building companies. Both are using metal boxes.

That's not correct. From what I've seen the established high volume house builders (not cheap) will directly employ specialized crews being sent to remote sites. If not directly employed then at least utilizing vetted contractors on a long term bases. All depends on quality of the builder and who they employ. Quality cost money, as everywhere else.

Not sure exactly what you mean by writing that... Salt water generators do require a specified by the manufacturer water salt content. But there's definitely more to it than just throwing in a bag of salt here and there. It's not as simple as you make it sound. The key to proper pool maintenance is periodic testing of water chemistry, including for salt levels if equipped with a SWG system.

tomster, you can start on this site - every info you'll ever need to learn to properly maintain your own pool. https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/2019/01/18/salt-water-chlorine-generators/

Isn't the norm here a single-split system? Multi-splits are common and have their own use case. But... The modern single-splits now mostly utilize the more efficient R32 refrigerant allowing them to be significantly cheaper to run as compared to multi-splits. It seems most of multi-splits are still on the less efficient R410A.

Could you please elaborate on what you mean by this statement?

Rubber seals are not known for their longevity.

You should really remove that tree ASAP. I can't even imagine what all that organic matter does to your water chemistry. Do you maintain the pool yourself?

Those options are all great as long as you're prepared to pay for them.. In the west the cost of double glazed, tempered glass, argon filled windows is nothing special as compared to the rest of the build. Here's a completely different story.

same as with dust But what is exactly the problem? Just about any attic has at least minimal atmospheric ventilation built in via perforated soffits (usually in the roof's corners). The roof itself is almost never hermetically sealed. The difference being that the "ventilated attic" is much more open to atmosphere by allowing better air movement within its structure and at the same time still staying sealed from the living quarters as with any "normal" attic. Does it really matter how much additional dust enter the attic since it's already super dusty?

There's no much info on passive cooling out there. Australia seems to be the only first world country that's is actively promoting passive cooling designs. The rest of the first world countries mostly reside in temperate zones where cooling is not a priority.

Could you elaborate on the ash problem? I don't quite see why it would be such a big obstacle for including a ventilated attic, even in close proximity to the corn burning areas.

Yeah, it's a balancing act based on personal preference. Plus other factors like house orientation, number, size and position of windows in the particular room(s) where you spend most of your time, wall shading etc, etc. You might consider installing double glazed windows in just one bedroom and(or) living room as a compromise. Or to take advantage of the much cooler night temperatures by creating ventilation paths inside of your house (depends on the geographical location) plus ventilated underfloor. Your proposed design has huge glazed areas that would be more expensive to insulate than a house with much smaller windows. You might want to re-think the design if thermal qualities is a priority. Otherwise it's gonna cost you.

Render finish, not structural cracking. Never a problem? ????

You're arguing apples vs oranges. Yes, AAC block can be layed down faster. But... Have you tried to price a brick laying job with AAC block vs Red brick? Red brick is still the default wall material in Thailand! Every brick layer knows how to do it right. AAC blocks is a more expensive option since it requires a specially trained worker to be able to get it right, including rendering. Trained as in the ability to build and finish the wall that doesn't have the constant cracking problem few years down the road.

Yes, you'd need to consider all elements of your house design and decide for yourself how much you'd want to spend on improving your house thermals. Like in your situation with solar... It probably won't be cost effective to go overboard with better insulating materials. Walls, windows, ceiling, roof, doors - all contribute to thermal energy transmission. Going "standard" would save you tons of money. But if your goal is to insulate every major contributing part then your overall house price will dramatically increase. As in regards to the highly recommended AAC blocks. Yes, they're great, especially in thicker sizes. But, you'd also need to consider the extra costs. If done right a wall constructed out of AAC bricks would be considerably more expensive labor-wise as compared to the standard red brick wall. You'd need to go with an experienced AAC block layer or risk a possibility of the constant render cracking later on.

You wouldn't need a thick insulation layer if you'd opt for a PU insulated metal roof. Yes, the metal roof looks are not for everyone but then it all depends on one's priorities. It seems for most looks almost always win over thermal insulation.

By proper I meant accurate, comparable to test kits of the U.S./European origin.

How can they get the right idea if the proper pool tests are simply not available for purchase?

You mean "constant pressure" vs "automatic"? I was also searching around for an answer. The only related info I could find was from a very old thread here, on this board. "The "automatic" pumps have an air bladder and a tank while the constant pressure do not. If feeding direct to your pipes, the constant pressure is better. If used to fill a tank, the automatic is better. Both are automatic and both will work fine in either application. The constant pressure are much touchier, so every time there is a slight pressure drop they will cycle on. The bladder in the automatic allows more water to flow before the pressure drops enough for the pump to cycle on. If you have a slow leaking toilet, the constant pressure will cycle on and off ten times for every time the bladder type cycles once." But the answer doesn't spell out why the constant pressure pumps are better if feeding direct to the pipes. Does anyone know?