Swimming pool advice required

Swimming pool advice required

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Discussion

rex

Original Poster:

2,055 posts

267 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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Any contact names would be cool. Cheers.

jeff m

4,060 posts

259 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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Rex does your architect have an outdoor pool that he maintains himself?

Listen to your pool guy.....if you get nitrates from harvested water you will probably want to kill the architect.

Harvest water for other use, showering, washing the cars, watering the garden, just don't put it in the pool.

Sanitisers generally are kept in the 2ppm range. That level has no effect on nitrates. To reduce nitrates 10ppm for a sustained period is required.
Now picture a hot day... your three kids have invited their friends over but despite the pool looking clear it is unswimmable.

Will the architect explain to the kids why they can't swimsmile

To be honest, if he is considering evaporation in Bucks in be in excess of natural rainfall, I'm suprised he has any jobsmile
He needs a little refresher in latent heat.
Summer temps here 88 -100 F everyday, overnight lows 75 - 80 F
I keep my pool around 86F, I take more water out than I put in.
Evaporation is a non issue.


rex

Original Poster:

2,055 posts

267 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
Cheers Jeff. Architect is not a pool guy and stays away if possible. I will go with the pool guys advice and not worry about using harvested water. If it has to be that way, then it has to be that way, end of story.

Thanks everyone

dmitsi

3,583 posts

221 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
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Or you could just have a UV filter installed and happily fill the pool with harvested water. Honestly, it can and does work very well. Sure it would be a problem if you had an old filter and relied on chemicals to balance your pool, but most people updating or installing a new pool will have a UV filter fitted and greatly reduce the need for chemicals. This is probably why the pool man won't recommend it. Less servicing work for him to do. Or am I being cynical?

Whatever you do get a UV filter, you'll have far less to do servicing wise and use much much less chlorine.
and you can use harvested water then.

rex

Original Poster:

2,055 posts

267 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
PH difference of opinion matters.

I will stick with the advice of the guy who will be maintaining the pool and get the architect to work round the passiv house bits.

With weather like today evaporation will not be a problem but an overflowing pool will be.

dmitsi

3,583 posts

221 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
That's fair enough, but I can assure you it's safe and is done all over the place. The olympic swimming pool in china, that's rainwater. I have spoken to my old boss, and I'm afraid he doesn't have any Bucks contacts. However, here is a link to someone who has a rainwater pool, just so you know it can and is done. Linky Hers is totally rainwater, you'll just be using it top it up, and not very often. A UV filter will mean the pool is clean.

Harvested rainwater is just as good, if not better than tap water for a pool. It will be treated the same as the rest of the pool water, and a modern system will easily deal with all levels of nitrates and chlorine. It's like anything, if your system is properly maintained it will work fine. Ensure your collection area is kept clear, the pipework looked after and it will be fine.

Sorry to rant, but the above comment about about nitrate levels ruining the pool is just wrong. Yes it can happen, but that can happen without harvested water, it just takes neglect of the pool and it's maintainence. Please get some proper advice, at least speak to a couple of other pool guys in the area, there is no reason for you not to do it.
If you want to speak to my old boss I'll happily point you in his direction. He's been installing/servicing pools for the last 30 years of his life. I worked on them for four, not as good I know.

Edited for clarity, maybe smile

Edited again, just to reitterate, the answer is a UV filter.

Edited by dmitsi on Wednesday 10th June 17:34

rex

Original Poster:

2,055 posts

267 months

Wednesday 10th June 2009
quotequote all
Thanks Dmitsi for your info aswell. I have a meeting with the atchitect tomorrow and have put this on the agenda for discussion. I will let you know how it pans out.