Filling pool with rain water - do or don't ?

[iskubits]

I have a way to redirect all water from the house roof (roof drain) to the pool. This will save me a lot in the water bills, but are there any downsides in doing it (I understand that water should be clean of dirt and debris) ?

Thanks,
Igor.

 

[marthas_ear]

We used about 5,000 Gallons from our 10,000 tank of rainwater to fill our 17000 gallon pool...
don't know of any ill effects....
Why rainwater may work for me... I collect with a standing seam metal roof. Have been using it for several years.
The other water in my pool is hard, alkaline well-water. I usually tend to high Ph.

 

[anonapersona]

I do know that some roofs are treated with zinc to prevent algae & mildew staining. I read cautions against letting such roof water go into fish ponds. I have no idea if zinc at that level might be bad for a pool, if you had that sort of shingle that is mildew proof.

 

[kirbinster]

Only down side I can think of is that most rain is acidic so that you will have to add chemicals to raise the pH -- I know my pool pH always drops after a heavy rain.

 

[JasonLion]

The advisability of using roof runoff for the swimming pool depends on the kind of roof and how old it is. this web site provides a quick overview of the various kinds of roofs and how safe water running off of them is.