What type of pool

[builder]

I don’t know anything about pools so what is the best and value for money. I am kind of looking at above or semi in ground.any advice and where to buy would be appreciated this only a small pool the type that can be bought

 

 

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[carlyai]

I don’t know anything about pools so what is the best and value for money. I am kind of looking at above or semi in ground.any advice and where to buy would be appreciated this only a small pool the type that can be bought
 
 
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Don't know where you are, but check out the fibreglass ones.

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[Crossy]

What do you actually want your pool for?

 

We have a simple 5m Intex above ground pool, cost 40k Baht. Cheap as chips but after 2 years it's on its last legs, rusting of the frame being the issue, the liner, whilst well bleached out is still fine. I expect to replace it this year.

 

That said even a cheapo in-ground pool is going to cost 500k or so. So I can replace my cheapie 12+ times (24 years) for the same money.

 

[Bagwain]

You have 3 options (other than off the shelf))

Fiberglass shell

Concrete skimmer system

Concrete overflow system.

 

Fiberglass ends up about the same price as a similar size in concrete.

Overflow system is approx 10% more than a skimmer system.

[alessiahayden66]

What is your exact location where you live? You didn’t not mention this. But I recommend fibreglass pool. You should reach on Google for more info about buying pool. Also, the companies providing pool installation service near you.

 

[Psychic]

Its going to be a few years for me.

But I'm looking at a natural swimming pool...cleaned by plants in an other pool area then aerated and replaced back in the swimming pond.

 

No tiling etc. Just a plastic liner. No chemicals/salt filter etc.

 

And they can look very nice and natural.

 

I might end up going with a fibreglass liner for the main pool just for simplicity.

 

There is a video on YouTube of someone in Thailand having one installed.

 

As always, the price will depend on size, aesthetics etc. But they should come in a good deal cheaper than a regular in ground pool.

[Bagwain]

43 minutes ago, Psychic said:

Its going to be a few years for me.

But I'm looking at a natural swimming pool...cleaned by plants in an other pool area then aerated and replaced back in the swimming pond.

 

No tiling etc. Just a plastic liner. No chemicals/salt filter etc.

 

And they can look very nice and natural.

 

I might end up going with a fibreglass liner for the main pool just for simplicity.

 

There is a video on YouTube of someone in Thailand having one installed.

 

As always, the price will depend on size, aesthetics etc. But they should come in a good deal cheaper than a regular in ground pool.

You would be surprised.

The ongoing sanitation issues in a humid & hot climate are you main enemies!

It is OK with large volumes of water but smaller ponds much more difficult to be an effective swimming pool!

 

Growing up in Australia we would swim in any hole filled with water.

I wouldn't think about it here unless it was clear running creek! Did it in Koh Chang tho!

 

You may be better sticking with the norm unless you have deep pockets & patience!!

 

 

 

[Tongue Thaid]

Check with JD pools,They in a few locations

[Bagwain]

8 minutes ago, Tongue Thaid said:

Check with JD pools,They in a few locations

Franchised  

[greenchair]

On 3/18/2018 at 6:20 PM, Crossy said:

What do you actually want your pool for?

 

We have a simple 5m Intex above ground pool, cost 40k Baht. Cheap as chips but after 2 years it's on its last legs, rusting of the frame being the issue, the liner, whilst well bleached out is still fine. I expect to replace it this year.

 

That said even a cheapo in-ground pool is going to cost 500k or so. So I can replace my cheapie 12+ times (24 years) for the same money.

 

 Where did you find it. 

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, greenchair said:

 Where did you find it. 

Pattayapools [dot] net

 

[mkmike]

We had an above ground Intex for 5 years, as Crossy says the legs are the issue, we repaired ours a couple of times but they collapsed in the end. Ours was 8m x 4m and was easy to look after, using the Intex saltwater system, would still recommend if you don't know how long you will be at a property or want to keep costs to the absolute minimum. We replaced ours last year with a concrete block pool also 8m x 4m fully tiled cost just over 300K to do, very pleased with it, still use the Intex saltwater chlorinator to keep it sanitised, very easy and cost effective.

[ThaiWai]

I've owned several pools I would not get anything without and infinity edge or rim type skimming solution. Anything else adds up to more work and chemicals and time and cost. And for the love of God don't let anyone put the pump and filter underground. Last house I rented had this setup and it's a total disaster to access it. 

[Hilux]

Having owned a concrete salt water pool for 10 years....visit a friend with a pool.....they are a complete money pit....

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Remember the three "f"s? If it floats, flies or f*cks, rent? Well you can add swimming pools to the list.

[sappersrest]

On 3/18/2018 at 6:20 PM, Crossy said:

What do you actually want your pool for?

 

We have a simple 5m Intex above ground pool, cost 40k Baht. Cheap as chips but after 2 years it's on its last legs, rusting of the frame being the issue, the liner, whilst well bleached out is still fine. I expect to replace it this year.

 

That said even a cheapo in-ground pool is going to cost 500k or so. So I can replace my cheapie 12+ times (24 years) for the same money.

 

Frame spares are available, how easy to obtain is the next question.

 

http://www.intexcorp.com/store/above-ground-pools/replacement-parts

[Crossy]

6 hours ago, sappersrest said:

Frame spares are available, how easy to obtain is the next question.

http://www.intexcorp.com/store/above-ground-pools/replacement-parts

From the spares a new frame will cost $500 (just the metal parts).

 

I did email Intex (no response) and the pool supplier about spares, the supplier told me no spares available in Thailand

 

I will try Intex again just to be sure. If I have to ship from overseas I suspect the costs will become prohibitive.

 

[Tofer]

18 hours ago, Psychic said:

Its going to be a few years for me.

But I'm looking at a natural swimming pool...cleaned by plants in an other pool area then aerated and replaced back in the swimming pond.

 

No tiling etc. Just a plastic liner. No chemicals/salt filter etc.

 

And they can look very nice and natural.

 

I might end up going with a fibreglass liner for the main pool just for simplicity.

 

There is a video on YouTube of someone in Thailand having one installed.

 

As always, the price will depend on size, aesthetics etc. But they should come in a good deal cheaper than a regular in ground pool.

I'm planning the same to convert an existing 220m2 lake to a natural swimming pond. Thought about the fibre glass option for the swimming zone as my wife doesn't fancy swimming in a dark liner pool where she might not be able to see the snakes.

 

Our problem is the ground water at only between 1.5 - 2m below ground level, so a fibre glass pool would just float as, according to David Pagan Butler on YouTube, you need about 3m depth to counteract the hot climate for comfort of water temperature. His air driven water pump system appears to be a very simple and cheap / maintenance free solution over water pumps.

 

My main concern is evaporation over such a large surface area, particularly in the regeneration zone (planted area) which is shallower than the swim zone and will get hotter. I suppose this applies to any pool in Thailand / hot climates though.

 

The videos on YouTube show an impressive reduction in cost over a traditional / chemical pool for which I'm told you would need to budget about 30k / m2 at 1.5m depth, but then we're on an island and everything is more expensive! 

 

Natural ponds are apparently much nicer to swim in and chemical free.

[Naam]

2 hours ago, Tofer said:

Natural ponds are apparently much nicer to swim in and chemical free.

to each his own. i prefer my 'unnatural' pool any time over a chemical free but dirty pond where all kinds of bacteria will find a home sooner or later in a tropical environment.

[carlyai]

I'm planning the same to convert an existing 220m2 lake to a natural swimming pond. Thought about the fibre glass option for the swimming zone as my wife doesn't fancy swimming in a dark liner pool where she might not be able to see the snakes.
 
Our problem is the ground water at only between 1.5 - 2m below ground level, so a fibre glass pool would just float as, according to David Pagan Butler on YouTube, you need about 3m depth to counteract the hot climate for comfort of water temperature. His air driven water pump system appears to be a very simple and cheap / maintenance free solution over water pumps.
 
My main concern is evaporation over such a large surface area, particularly in the regeneration zone (planted area) which is shallower than the swim zone and will get hotter. I suppose this applies to any pool in Thailand / hot climates though.
 
The videos on YouTube show an impressive reduction in cost over a traditional / chemical pool for which I'm told you would need to budget about 30k / m2 at 1.5m depth, but then we're on an island and everything is more expensive! 
 
Natural ponds are apparently much nicer to swim in and chemical free.

Guy in Bali tried a natural pool for the rudolf steiner school. Think the school is/was called Sunshine School. He had natural filtration, bigger and smaller sized areas so the current would circulate etc. So no chemical, no pump and result....no workee.
That was years ago. Maybe you can contact the Sunshine School and ask about the natural pool.
It looked great, and as I said there was 1 design flaw in that it did not work then.

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[thaiowl]

Have had a 10m x 5m inground saltwater pool for the last 22 years. They are indeed a labour of love and money. Most equipment is imported and therefore expensive, as are spare parts. Once you really understand how it works, you can keep on top of it. There are many local "experts" but I have found many know very little. Make sure your pipes are accessible, making them easy to fix in the event of leaks. Any screws/washers exposed to the water should be stainless steel (as I have learned to my cost). I quite enjoy maintaining my pool, but sometimes it gets a bit wearing when things go wrong.

[Tofer]

26 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Guy in Bali tried a natural pool for the rudolf steiner school. Think the school is/was called Sunshine School. He had natural filtration, bigger and smaller sized areas so the current would circulate etc. So no chemical, no pump and result....no workee.
That was years ago. Maybe you can contact the Sunshine School and ask about the natural pool.
It looked great, and as I said there was 1 design flaw in that it did not work then.

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Thanks, I will try to find it. Always interested to see and hear of actual installations.

 

But you say they had no pump, the natural system I'm looking at has a pump system run on the air bubble lift / negative pressure principles which create a good circulation volume which is pulled through the filter beds.

 

There are a few examples shown on YouTube where the owners claim the water is of drinking quality, and do in fact gulp down glasses full of the stuff. For myself I would never swallow any water from any type of pool....

[Naam]

5 hours ago, carlyai said:

Guy in Bali tried a natural pool for the rudolf steiner school. Think the school is/was called Sunshine School. He had natural filtration, bigger and smaller sized areas so the current would circulate etc. So no chemical, no pump and result....no workee.

old wisdom: natural pools 'no workee' in tropical climates. a friend of mine spent a fortune having an 'eggsburt' building one in Portugal (6-8 months rather moderate climate). after two years he gave up swimming with toads and a variety of other critters.

[Naam]

4 hours ago, Tofer said:

For myself I would never swallow any water from any type of pool....

you could from my pool!

[Tofer]

22 hours ago, Naam said:

to each his own. i prefer my 'unnatural' pool any time over a chemical free but dirty pond where all kinds of bacteria will find a home sooner or later in a tropical environment.

We don't have the option of a concrete construction as it's not allowed within our 30m zone from the sea front, Aor Bor Tor rules, and I'm not convinced a fibreglass solution would work because of the high water table on our land.

 

Anything would be better than this dirty hole in front of our terrace! Full it's a mud bath and empty it's a slime pit. And IF we can swim in it that will be a bonus! I don't mind the local wildlife sharing it with us, although my wife is not convinced. We'll see if you refuse a dip when you come round for that beer I promised you.....

 

We're certainly open to suggestions..... with the exception of above ground structures which would not help the issues we face.

 

Now managed to divert the run off rain water, so the lake is not so muddy, it's surprisingly quite clear.

 

Edited April 2, 2018 by Tofer

[Tofer]

16 hours ago, Naam said:

you could from my pool!

OR, maybe a glass of water from our pool instead of the beer......

[carlyai]

Is it ground water coming to the surface? If so it must be fed from a river, so putting any foundations on top of it will probably be problematic.
Can you divert the flow thru pipes and pump back to the road or road side drainage?
If you can divert the flow you can then fill the hole in or watch it for a while and then install a fibreglass pool.

Seems a shame to have that hole in front of your place.

Have you contacted any plumbing engineers? (don't contact the local ones as with all their trips overseas to study drainage systems, they still put road drains at the top of the hills).

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[Naam]

2 hours ago, Tofer said:

Now managed to divert the run off rain water, so the lake is not so muddy, it's surprisingly quite clear.

high salt content of the water near the sea? if that is the case you have to select the plants accordingly.

[Bagwain]

5 hours ago, Tofer said:

We don't have the option of a concrete construction as it's not allowed within our 30m zone from the sea front, Aor Bor Tor rules, and I'm not convinced a fibreglass solution would work because of the high water table on our land.

 

Anything would be better than this dirty hole in front of our terrace! Full it's a mud bath and empty it's a slime pit. And IF we can swim in it that will be a bonus! I don't mind the local wildlife sharing it with us, although my wife is not convinced. We'll see if you refuse a dip when you come round for that beer I promised you.....

 

We're certainly open to suggestions..... with the exception of above ground structures which would not help the issues we face.

 

Now managed to divert the run off rain water, so the lake is not so muddy, it's surprisingly quite clear.

 

It is possible with our unique modular panel system!

Some pics to show it can be done! 1st one on the banks of the Mekong & the second Koh Larn.

Plenty of others in difficult places!

PM me for inquiries!

 

[Tofer]

7 hours ago, carlyai said:

Is it ground water coming to the surface? If so it must be fed from a river, so putting any foundations on top of it will probably be problematic.
Can you divert the flow thru pipes and pump back to the road or road side drainage?
If you can divert the flow you can then fill the hole in or watch it for a while and then install a fibreglass pool.

Seems a shame to have that hole in front of your place.

Have you contacted any plumbing engineers? (don't contact the local ones as with all their trips overseas to study drainage systems, they still put road drains at the top of the hills).

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Thanks Carlyai for your reply and advice.

 

We've had the odd surface bubbling in the very heavy wet season, but not seen it recently since we chucked tons of fill over the surface to raise the ground level a bit.

 

We are at the bottom of a mountain gorge and next to the sea and form a natural collection point / reservoir for the rain off the mountain. Thankfully the ground water remains quite high so we don't get the sea water encroaching on our fresh water wells. But there lies the problem previously noted.

 

It took us 3 attempts to get our septic tanks installed, the macro had to dig a bigger hole adjacent to the one for the tank to allow the water level to drop low enough to get it in and levelled and filled to stop it floating away.

 

All I can imagine we will be able to do is dig it out at the end of the dry season and set a pump running constantly until we can get a concrete base in for either a block wall or fibreglass segments, access would not facilitate delivery of a ready formed pool of the size we've got. I am concerned though that the fibre glass option might just pop out of the ground.