Swimming Pool

[Freddy]

Hi Mike.
There were many factors. Prior to speaking with poll companies I had done a lot of research on the internet so had an idea of what I expected to hear when discussing my build. It was very important for me that the pool strength would allow emptying without any loss of structural integrity.
Paul Bodkin who owns Issan Pools was a structural Engineer in the UK for many years and is clearly very knowledgable. He uses 300 strength concrete for the wals and floor and also two layers of steel for both. All tile cement and grouting plus filters, pumps, pipe work are highest quality and no corners are cut. When the CPAC is delivered, samples are taken and tested to ensure strength ordered is what has been delivered.
Another important aspect for me was just general attitude. Paul was willing to answer all my questions and discuss all options prior to signing a contract, I was also shown around 3 other pools that he has constructed in the area.
The attitude of some of the other companies I spoke with was pretty poor.mthey didn't like questions and in a couple of cases were arrogant and actually criticised me when I asked specifics about the build process.
I don't remember all the quotes I got as I deleted them once I opted for Issan Pools however they ranged from 700,000 to 1,000,000.
I think it may have been possible to build my pool for around 800,000 of a skimmer system ( not overflow as we have) but the tiles would be plain and the structure not as strong. Probably stronger than it need to be but I only plan on doing this once.
Also remember I added jacuzzi jets, extra ladder and 8'LED lights. Overall for size and quality I thought price was reasonable.
If you have an email address I can send you pics. Unable to load to BE site.

[mike]

Freddy,

Thanks - I will send you a PM with my email address.

Mike

[CO-CO]

Freddy, are there any issues with ongoing maintenance ?

[Freddy]

No issues as yet but only up and running for a fortnight. We filled with town water, sent a sample to Bangkok and they provided a report on exactly what needed to be added to get the water properly balanced. All pools require a degree of maintenance and I'm still learning. I Hoover it once a week and scrub the walls with a nylon brush. Currently I'm testing the water daily because the salt water chlorinator is so efficient it was producing to much. It was set to high and is now on low which seems to be sufficient. We put the initial salt dose in 2 weeks ago and as yet I haven't had to add any more. Depending on time of year it may need a sack a fortnight at 139 baht. If no rain then maybe only a sack a month. Basically the chlorinator control will tell me when it's needed. If it can't produce chlorine a light illuminates and I know I need to chuck in a sack of salt. I've put Zelbrite in the filter which should be good for 10 to 15 years. I will backwash the filter and rinse it once a week initially but will probably only do it once a fortnight henceforth.
The pump is on a timer so it automatically turns the water over once a day. It's a 1.5HP so will complete task in 5-6 hours. Not sure what electric that will use as yet but am told it won't be that much.
Apart from that it's just making sure leaves are removed as necessary.
I guess at the moment I'm spending 20 mins a day and an additional 30 mins if I scrub and Hoover.

[Freddy]

Forgot to say. The chlorinator we bought is self cleaning so we won't have the hassle of cleaning the cell which is one of the problems with salt chlorinators. That's a big plus. It's an Autumn Solar from Australia. Expensive but very efficient and well worth it.

[DeputyDavid]

Is that something you imported or something the pool builder had in stock?

[Freddy]

I believe the pool builder imports from Aistralia as required. I don't think he holds a stock of the chlorinators.

[Per]

Thankyou for god information

[jeddah]

Whilst I am sure you are happy with the quality of your equipment, Emaux is chinese made and the cheapest brand available in Australia or Thailand. There are much higher quality brands available ie Hayward (US Made). As for an Autumn Solar chlorinator, (chinese made) they are very new to making chlorinators and time will tell if their product stacks up. They are certainly not a recognised chlorinator manufacturer and are more than likely using an OEM design from someone else. Zelbrite isn't really used anymore in Australia either, (it was all the rage 15 years ago) with glass being the preferred filter media due to it's higher quality filtration, longer life and lower backwashing requirements

[Freddy]

I'm by no means a pump, filter or chlorinator expert. I guess time will tell regarding longevity of the Emaux kit. Appreciate there are many brands out there and favourites in different parts of the world. I wasn't aware that Autumn Solar are a new company. My research focused more on the structural build. However, I liked the idea of the Autumn Solar Chlorinator as it has a self cleaning salt cell. A bug bare of many pool owners with chlorinators is cleaning the cell so hopefully I have avoided that. Pool up and running for a month now. Over the last fortnight we have had several very heavy rain storms. Pool water has recovered clarity and chlorine levels within 24 hours following rain, so to date I am happy with performance.

[Freddy]

Given t he forum is very quiet and there were a few out there interested, I thought I'd provide a quick update regarding our Pool. It's been in for 6 months now and is used daily. To date I have had no issues with the pump, filter or salt water chlorinator.
Due to climate here the learning curve for water management lasted a couple of months. I had some issues with the water clouding up ( very slight) however I found that this was due to my Total Alkalinity being a little low. I also learned that when using a Salt Water Chlorinator the chlorine produced is not stablised and can quickly burn off in the sun. Solution to this was periodically adding a very small amount of Cyanic Acid which acts a s a sun block. Stabilising chlorine tablets added have this incorporated however they also have calcium added and my water he has sufficient calcium.
Basically all I add to my water is bicarbonate of soda to keep Total Alkalinity in range, sack of salt every couple of weeks algicide dose every month and that's about it. I haven't had to shock the pool and to date have had no algae issues. I purchase salt and Algaecide from Ruangtangshai (mr Pichai and Bob) and order additional from Swimming Pools Thailand who have a very good delivery service.
I Hoover every 10 days or so and scrub the walls, corners, steps once a week. I check the water for TA, PH, Chlorine and Salt every couple of days but invariably all is OK so I probably don't need to do this as often.
I did make one additional purchase. I found that when there was heavy rain after a dry period the water remained a little hazy. It seems that very fine particles could not filter out effectively. To solve this I purchased a submersible pump with a 2 metre filter sock. If the problem occurs ( only 3 times in 6 months) I throw it in overnight and water is crystal clear again.
Overall and to date pool has been pretty much stress free. As stated, a few learning curves but all info can be found on line easily and I haven't encountered any unsolvable problems.
Appreciate not of interest to many but for those considering a pool I hope this assists. Happy Swimming🏊🏽

[Thai Bart]

Very helpfull Freddy and should give all those wishing to build a pool some confidence to go ahead with it.
Bart

[Freddy]

!

[Freddy]

Just got back from 9 days away and water looking good with no interaction other than timed pump cycle I and filtering.

[fishy]

Very Nice....