Swimming Pool Help!

[jaideeguy]

HELP!!!

I'm building a swimming pool here in the Chiang Mai area and am seeking a honest, reliable and knowledgeable swimming pool supplier for pump, filter, chemicals etc. support for the customer is important to me, but maybe hard to find in LOS. if you can make any recommendations, then please email me directly at [email protected] . I've contacted two companies that have a presence here and was not impressed by their professionalism or prices.

[Ajarn]

poolmaster has most of the equipment and chemicals. Nice folks. but higher prices for most chemicals (more than the US, but typical for Thailand, I think). But, chemical cost will be the least of your worries when building a pool....Are you going to hire your own people to build it? You can do most of it pretty cheap, but the initial construction is critical, and can be very tricky.... Getting competent labour is one of the major headaches.

I just finished building my 2 meter x 10 meter therapy pool a 3 months ago....I had a competent foreman, but I still had to be involved at every step.

poolmaster 053-818-671

Use the internet for your research and learning. It's your best protection.

[jaideeguy]

Thanks Ajarn for your reply. I did contact 'pool master', the sub company of 'pool spa' [out of bkk] and was not that impressed with their profesionalism. Then i checked out their competition, 'erawan' or 'Nic's' and they were even worse. so, i went direct to the parent company of pool master and am waiting on a quote from them on pumps and filters. More important than cost of the products is the after-sales support that is always terribly lacking here in LOS.

would appreciate a phone consult with you! i can be reached at 09-855-9213.

j

[sabaijai]

I used to live in a small town in Mexico where a large percentage of local expats built pools. I never did myself, but I enjoyed listening to the seemingly endless discussions about building techniques, kinds of filtering systems, etc. As I recall there were a couple of folks who had pools that didn't use chemicals at all. But I do remember two things: everyone had a lot of problems getting the right blend of maintenance ease vs clarity/cleanliness, and everyone seemed to benefit a lot from chatting with their fellow pool builders.

I'd say at least half the people who built pools in that town told me that if they had to do it over again, they wouldn't do it because it was too much of a pain to maintain. Have you found that to be the case Ajarn?

I live in a condo with a pool now and am addicted to daily swimming. In a few more years I plan to move out into the Thai countryside, and when I do I'll probably take the 'plunge' and build a pool. Then I'll be calling you guys for advice.

Edited July 3, 2004 by sabaijai

[Ajarn]

I used to live in a small town in Mexico where a large percentage of local expats built pools. I never did myself, but I enjoyed listening to the seemingly endless discussions about building techniques, kinds of filtering systems, etc. As I recall there were a couple of folks who had pools that didn't use chemicals at all. But I do remember two things: everyone had a lot of problems getting the right blend of maintenance ease vs clarity/cleanliness, and everyone seemed to benefit a lot from chatting with their fellow pool builders.

I'd say at least half the people who built pools in that town told me that if they had to do it over again, they wouldn't do it because it was too much of a pain to maintain. Have you found that to be the case Ajarn?

I live in a condo with a pool now and am addicted to daily swimming. In a few more years I plan to move out into the Thai countryside, and when I do I'll probably take the 'plunge' and build a pool. Then I'll be calling you guys for advice. 

I'd say at least half the people who built pools in that town told me that if they had to do it over again, they wouldn't do it because it was too much of a pain to maintain. Have you found that to be the case Ajarn?

Maintence was a pain the first month, but now it's pretty smooth- but I'm still a newbie, only having finished mine about 3 mnths ago. I am the only user, and daily maintenance takes round 10 mnutes, on average. My housekeeper hasn't whined one bit about her exra duties...

I was lucky to have a good consultant who did know everything, and had a good personal work ethic....But he was a hustler. I learned how to work with him- finally. As I mentioned, labour issues are where most troubles originate, and are very tricky to deal with, often requiring skills I've yet to master, like patience...

My own motivaton was a health issue; my left side is paralyzed from a stroke, making walking extremely difficult. The pool has been a culmination of a dream, driven by desperation, resulting in better health for me

And, as I'm sure you know, there is the mental health aspect as well. All my friends are telling me how much better I look and sound since getting my pool.

I really do

[sabaijai]

And, as I'm sure you know, there is the mental health aspect as well.

Yes, I generally take my swim around 5 or 6pm and it's like the day starts anew after that.

I'm sorry to hear about your paralysis but happy to hear you've taken decisive steps towards staying healthy as possible, mentally and physically.

[mogoso]

Anyone utilizing saline generators to produce chlorine? If so are they working and reducing your chemical costs?

Any problems with them?

[Ajarn]

Anyone utilizing saline generators to produce chlorine? If so are they working and reducing your chemical costs?

Any problems with them?

If reducing your chemical costs are a primary concern, I think the saline generator would not save you much.

Roughly.....

$1,000+ (40,000+ baht) initial unit cost, depending...Plus salt.

I use 1 Trichlor Tablet every 6 days, on average.

Each tablet (from Japan) is 60 baht. (approx. $1.50)

(btw, the same price localy as advertised on an American website)

300 baht per month for chemicals for my pool (your mileage may vary)

When compared, it seems chemicals are likely more cost effective, but there are other reasons for maybe preferring a saline generator (no chemicals to handle/store except salt) or maybe an Ozone Generator (100% chemical free).....

Here's a website that has some Ozone generators listed, along with their Q&A, which went into quite some depth, making it sound almost too good to be true!

http://www.poolproducts.com/srch--CATINGOZ...1-Ozonators.htm

Has anyone ever used one of these things? Prices start considerably cheaper than saline generators, too.