How many of you actually use the pool

[bolt]

11 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

We built a pool.  Beautiful infinity one with elephant fountains.

 

We definitely use it but not as much as I thought we would.

 

Definitely nice to relax in our backyard its like a resort.

 

Our kids and the cousins use it a few times a week.

 

It costs at least an extra 2000 baht a month or more to run properly.

 

 

My wifes been in it twice.

 

 

 

This looks like a really nice place to relax in, however the pool doesn’t seem large enough to swim in for a sustained period, maybe that why it’s not getting used as much as you thought

This will add value to your property and maybe attract people.

We’re not looking for that, we’re looking 10-11m length, I think its called a Lap Pool

[mistral53]

2 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

You should be running the pump 8 hours a day day minimum.

Gosh - if the world would be that simple........lol

Pool volume, water hardness, salt chlorinator size, filter size, filtration material, pump size, pipe diameter, length and raise, and last but not least, pool usage determine how long to run the pump - not a hamfisted estimate told by thy neighbor.

So no - there is no arbitrary minimum to run the pool pump for everybody, because hardly two pools are designed and built exactly the same.

 

Suggestion: Reduce the hours you run the pump/chlorinator to e.g. 4 and run it for a few days/weeks - if the free chlorine drops below what your target value is and/or the water is not crystal clear anymore, increase the running time by one hour, rinse and repeat, until the pool is stable and clean.

 

Running the pool pump for 8 hours might be the perfect run time for you, although I doubt it. I did the above mentioned test/optimization and found the minimum to be 4.5 hours, so I settled for 5.5. hours to be on the safe side. Running the pool pump excessively is expensive (electricity, reduced pump and chlorinator life) and could be harmful for your health due to too much chlorine.

 

[Saltire]

Pools always look nice, but as I can't swim and suffer from thalassophobia, not going to happen.

 

Wife would likely use it though.

[Rampant Rabbit]

On 9/5/2021 at 2:11 PM, bolt said:

I won’t really use it once the novelty wears off.

Ive found that for me in life almost EVERYTHING is  like that, cars , bikes  table  tennis, houses wives, foreign travel etc etc, I get bored easily

[MrJ2U]

7 hours ago, mistral53 said:

Gosh - if the world would be that simple........lol

Pool volume, water hardness, salt chlorinator size, filter size, filtration material, pump size, pipe diameter, length and raise, and last but not least, pool usage determine how long to run the pump - not a hamfisted estimate told by thy neighbor.

So no - there is no arbitrary minimum to run the pool pump for everybody, because hardly two pools are designed and built exactly the same.

 

Suggestion: Reduce the hours you run the pump/chlorinator to e.g. 4 and run it for a few days/weeks - if the free chlorine drops below what your target value is and/or the water is not crystal clear anymore, increase the running time by one hour, rinse and repeat, until the pool is stable and clean.

 

Running the pool pump for 8 hours might be the perfect run time for you, although I doubt it. I did the above mentioned test/optimization and found the minimum to be 4.5 hours, so I settled for 5.5. hours to be on the safe side. Running the pool pump excessively is expensive (electricity, reduced pump and chlorinator life) and could be harmful for your health due to too much chlorine.

 

Sounds good.

 

Bottom line I really glad we've got a pool with the heat and humidity.

 

Enjoy your weekend!

[JohnKong1]

Been enjoying our pool for quite sometime. But during cold season, i refuse to take a dip, so are the kids. To maximize ours, we try installing a solar hot water system to keep the water warm. Good investment, if i may say.

[Bagwain]

1 hour ago, JohnKong1 said:

Been enjoying our pool for quite sometime. But during cold season, i refuse to take a dip, so are the kids. To maximize ours, we try installing a solar hot water system to keep the water warm. Good investment, if i may say.

Cold water is good for your nerves! However, black poly pipe coiled on the roof and circulated via small pump will do the trick. Seen a couple in Straya that worked well! 

You can always ask the backyard expert Saanim. He would know & tell you how to do it at 10% the real cost! 

????????????????

[oslooskar]

On 9/7/2021 at 9:16 AM, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

“huge” is relative, it certainly won’t be longer than 50 mtrs ( Olympic Std)……more likely 25 mtrs ?

80 strokes x 5ft av. stroke= 123 mtrs…… er, I think not……using a roped off beach or river section are are we ? thats cheating ! or if you’re a dwarf with a 2ft stroke you might just have a 50 mtr Olympic Pool !

 

My mistake, today I carefully counted my strokes and it was 97 strokes from one end of the pool to the other when I shoved off and 100 strokes if I didn't.

[LosLobo]

42 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

My mistake, today I carefully counted my strokes and it was 97 strokes from one end of the pool to the other when I shoved off and 100 strokes if I didn't.

What length pool? What stroke? Dog-paddling? Seriously, if you are young, fit and healthy, the pool is less than 50 meters and you want a good workout, I would try to learn how to swim and push the envelope a bit more than what you are doing.

 

[Saanim]

On 9/10/2021 at 5:30 PM, Bagwain said:

 However, black poly pipe coiled on the roof and circulated via small pump will do the trick. Seen a couple in Straya that worked well! 

You can always ask the backyard expert Saanim. He would know & tell you how to do it at 10% the real cost! 

????????????????

I am flattered... Actually, the "black poly pipe coiled on the roof" I really would not recommend. In fact, in my backyard, I had made it once in this backyard (backroof) technique. However, it has a certain problem: the long pipe - and it has to be pretty long - will bring a substantial pressure drop, unless you do not replace the pump with a much bigger size to keep the obligatory daily flow volume.

 

So, the next season, I have realized another backyard heater: The water is led onto a surface with a slight slope 4 m long, then it drops over an angled chute into the pool.  And it is not only heater in the winter months but it serves also as a cooler in the hottest months. Then no filtering during the hot days - keeping the cool water without movement under the blanket of the warmer surface - and the filtering is running only during the chilly nights, cooling down the 33 C water to 30. 

 

My first provision was nicely designed with ceramic tiles that, however, had held just 2 seasons until the wooden battens holding the heavy tiles had started to brake one by one. So, it was replaced by a simple roofing not so attractive but more permanent.

 

Still thinking how to come back to a more attractive wall, however, not sure whether I still could be under the 1% of the cost (of the professional pool builders)...

       

 

        

[Bagwain]

11 hours ago, Saanim said:

I am flattered... Actually, the "black poly pipe coiled on the roof" I really would not recommend. In fact, in my backyard, I had made it once in this backyard (backroof) technique. However, it has a certain problem: the long pipe - and it has to be pretty long - will bring a substantial pressure drop, unless you do not replace the pump with a much bigger size to keep the obligatory daily flow volume.

 

So, the next season, I have realized another backyard heater: The water is led onto a surface with a slight slope 4 m long, then it drops over an angled chute into the pool.  And it is not only heater in the winter months but it serves also as a cooler in the hottest months. Then no filtering during the hot days - keeping the cool water without movement under the blanket of the warmer surface - and the filtering is running only during the chilly nights, cooling down the 33 C water to 30. 

 

My first provision was nicely designed with ceramic tiles that, however, had held just 2 seasons until the wooden battens holding the heavy tiles had started to brake one by one. So, it was replaced by a simple roofing not so attractive but more permanent.

 

Still thinking how to come back to a more attractive wall, however, not sure whether I still could be under the 1% of the cost (of the professional pool builders)...

       

 

        

Fine if you don't mind all the filth that gathers on roof going into your pool.

Totally unacceptable for sanitation & looks. Again another totally ridiculous post!

[mistral53]

19 minutes ago, Bagwain said:

Fine if you don't mind all the filth that gathers on roof going into your pool.

Totally unacceptable for sanitation & looks. Again another totally ridiculous post!

Additionally, from a thermo-dynamic angle, this is not very effective for heating water - there will be a lot of water evaporation, i.e. a phase change, with the consequential removal of a significant amount of thermal energy (heat).......... ever heard of swamp coolers? that is the exact effect at work 

[Saanim]

4 hours ago, Bagwain said:

Fine if you don't mind all the filth that gathers on roof going into your pool.

Totally unacceptable for sanitation & looks. Again another totally ridiculous post!

It seems that you've got it wrong - (your eyes blinded by your envy to my backyard experience and technique).

 

The horizontal surface of my ingenious heater/cooler is 4 x 1.5m - actually, not extended up to the adjacent roof (in fact, I am thinking on to do it to get a larger heating/cooling surface, why not?).

 

So these my additional 6 sqm are gathering the same "filth" as the one dropping on my pool 12x3m =36+4 (kid pool, stairs)=40sqm of pool water surface. 

 

How do you avoid "gathering of the filth" on your professionally built pools? (just curious...)

  

[Saanim]

4 hours ago, mistral53 said:

Additionally, from a thermo-dynamic angle, this is not very effective for heating water - there will be a lot of water evaporation, i.e. a phase change, with the consequential removal of a significant amount of thermal energy (heat).......... ever heard of swamp coolers? that is the exact effect at work 

A good point, however, rather theoretical. How much do you think it makes within 6 - 8 hours running with my 60 cbm water volume? And pools with various water flowing effects (waterfalls), do they also think about it?

 

Anyway, I do not see any water loss beside the usual ones, but it helps me during the winter bright sunny days (they are almost 100% every day in Dec, Jan.) to add 2 - 3C what was lost during the night. 

 

And the slight evaporation during summer days (not so bright) and nights is helping to cool the water by the "evaporative cooling effect" when the heat needed for the evaporation is taken off the cooling surface. Something what is used e.g. for cooling of an outdoor beer barrel winded by a wet rag around. 

[Bagwain]

1 hour ago, Saanim said:

It seems that you've got it wrong - (your eyes blinded by your envy to my backyard experience and technique).

 

The horizontal surface of my ingenious heater/cooler is 4 x 1.5m - actually, not extended up to the adjacent roof (in fact, I am thinking on to do it to get a larger heating/cooling surface, why not?).

 

So these my additional 6 sqm are gathering the same "filth" as the one dropping on my pool 12x3m =36+4 (kid pool, stairs)=40sqm of pool water surface. 

 

How do you avoid "gathering of the filth" on your professionally built pools? (just curious...)

  

Houses need rain gutters! 

Backyard verses 30 yrs eperience is enough!

I have troubleshooted more pools than you could dream about! Leave it alone!

Ok you have winged it with your pool.

I have run pool service companies, you have NO idea what can go wrong based on your experience!

However advising others to do same is ludicrous!

 

[oslooskar]

On 9/11/2021 at 4:10 AM, LosLobo said:

What length pool?

I measured it today and its length is 163 feet 6 inches. Its width is 40 feet 7 and a half inches. I swim freestyle and I take my time and don't push my luck. After all, I know far better than you do the consequences of over exercising------ I learned them the hard way.

 

[LosLobo]

1 hour ago, oslooskar said:

I measured it today and its length is 163 feet 6 inches. Its width is 40 feet 7 and a half inches. I swim freestyle and I take my time and don't push my luck. After all, I know far better than you do the consequences of over exercising------ I learned them the hard way.

 

Sorry, I didn't realise you had health issues nevertheless with that and your admission that you use a 5OM pool, you know my advice to exercise more was not directed at you.

[ChaiyaTH]

Having your own pool is just simply put stupid and silly unless you are at a certain point of wealth where maintaining it properly VS usage, is no longer relevant than that. In every other case you speak wannabees or dumb asses + better off using pools externally.

 

Having a pool now with temporary big buying power of westerners, is like having your own golf course to still get out and golf at the real golf course basically. No sustainability in it all, neither for future buyers (if available at all, at value pricing).

[bolt]

12 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Having your own pool is just simply put stupid and silly unless you are at a certain point of wealth where maintaining it properly VS usage, is no longer relevant than that. In every other case you speak wannabees or dumb asses + better off using pools externally.

Very true indeed, we DONT want a pool to add to the resale, However I can't see my self going to an external pool now, the property we are looking at already has a pool its 8m-2m so too small and it wont get used properly

[alacrity]

At the moment I'm using our pool 3 or 4 times a week. Prior to the pandemic, usage was higher, with more people sharing.

 

Our pool was installed as a 'social' feature and it's my opinion that it's better to keep it maintained than fund a recovery. Nearest larger/similar pool to ours is over 60km away and in my favorite ride at least 20 liters of fuel would be used for a round trip, also we would have to share with folks that may have a separate agenda for their nice day.

 

Would never consider our pool to be compatible with 'exercise'. Most folks 'lounge' in the shallows.

[Saanim]

On 9/14/2021 at 9:52 AM, bolt said:

a pool its 8m-2m so too small and it wont get used properly

Why not? If you do not want to invite the whole village but have it for your personal daily swim - instead of a torture on gym machines.   Easy and cheap to maintain and easy to swim your daily km forth and back. We swim into the length, not into the width, don 't we?  

 

 

[bolt]

9 hours ago, Saanim said:

Why not? If you do not want to invite the whole village but have it for your personal daily swim - instead of a torture on gym machines.   Easy and cheap to maintain and easy to swim your daily km forth and back. We swim into the length, not into the width, don 't we?  

 

 

8m is too short of a length, but its UP 2 U

[alacrity]

On 9/13/2021 at 9:06 PM, ChaiyaTH said:

Having your own pool is just simply put stupid and silly unless you are at a certain point of wealth where maintaining it properly VS usage, is no longer relevant than that. In every other case you speak wannabees or dumb asses + better off using pools externally.

 

Having a pool now with temporary big buying power of westerners, is like having your own golf course to still get out and golf at the real golf course basically. No sustainability in it all, neither for future buyers (if available at all, at value pricing).

Why would any-one choose to "swim" in a pool in which unknown asses (of any description) have done the same, when you can afford your own?

[alacrity]

On 9/8/2021 at 12:09 PM, mistral53 said:

Gosh - if the world would be that simple........lol

Pool volume, water hardness, salt chlorinator size, filter size, filtration material, pump size, pipe diameter, length and raise, and last but not least, pool usage determine how long to run the pump - not a hamfisted estimate told by thy neighbor.

So no - there is no arbitrary minimum to run the pool pump for everybody, because hardly two pools are designed and built exactly the same.

 

Suggestion: Reduce the hours you run the pump/chlorinator to e.g. 4 and run it for a few days/weeks - if the free chlorine drops below what your target value is and/or the water is not crystal clear anymore, increase the running time by one hour, rinse and repeat, until the pool is stable and clean.

 

Running the pool pump for 8 hours might be the perfect run time for you, although I doubt it. I did the above mentioned test/optimization and found the minimum to be 4.5 hours, so I settled for 5.5. hours to be on the safe side. Running the pool pump excessively is expensive (electricity, reduced pump and chlorinator life) and could be harmful for your health due to too much chlorine.

 

Time is dependent upon the flow rate of the pump in relation to the volume of the pool.

[phetphet]

Use it regularly, but less in this cooler, wetter weather. It the hot months sometimes three or four times a day.

[up2you2]

Never.

Try to sell a property here in Phuket with a pool difficult, without one impossible.

However I do like the water effect, soothing.

[Rv Hawee]

As often as i can. My pool is just an  Intex 457 *122cm but once i clear the problem of  cleaning it (leaves!!!!) then 1.5 to 3 hours on vacation days. While working weeks  it's mostly friday to sunday for an 1 hour or 2.

BTW for winter time : i use a real diving suit; the full one with long legs and arm and it's okay even in december/january.

[wolf81]

We're in the process of building a pool. Not huge, 15 x 2.5 x 1.5 meter, but good enough for a bit of daily exercise.

 

A few years ago when I lived in Pattaya, I would use the condo pool pretty much every day. It was a really nice pool (VT5) - I felt great. I've missed having a pool ever since moving to the sticks. So I am quite sure once we have the pool, gonna use it 1-2 times every day. Actually I am building my home office next to it, so I can just relax a bit in the pool if I am bored with my work or need some thinking.

[Hummin]

I have bath tub on balcony, with water supply from my borehole directly to cool down when to hot. 
 

I use the money for pool and maintenance to go to a hotel with decent sized pool 134 km away (yes the closest decent clean pool) and spend a night or weekend there regularly instead of building on myself. No way I would get my money back there if we one day would sell, or we would brake up for a reason. 
 

I do once and awhile swim in the pond together with fish, snakes and other creatures ????

[unheard]

18 hours ago, wolf81 said:

We're in the process of building a pool. Not huge, 15 x 2.5 x 1.5 meter, but good enough for a bit of daily exercise.

Nicely sized lap pool for a regular swimmer!