40' off grid shipping container chemical free lap pool

[spiral-eye]

I'm building a pool in Costa Rica- this means I don't need a heater, nor a spa, and I'm not worried about meeting US building codes. I'm using a 40' shipping container as the basis for it and have various questions about skimmer placement, returns, and equipment. To complicate things, the property is completely off grid, and I'd like to use the pool as a rain water catchment and treat the water without chemicals so that it can be an emergency back-up water supply. It will be an in-ground installation with a pump room located at the same elevations as the floor of the pool.

The pooI is 7.5' w x 39.5' long x 5.5' deep, or about 12,250 gallons. It is all the same depth with a ladder for access. I plan to purchase a DC driven solar panel powered pool pump from SunRay Solar. Their 1HP brush design model can pump 50' head at 90V off 3 panels. https://sunrayus.com/SunRay-SolFlo1-1HP-Flow-Chart.pdf

My primary question is on skimmer placement. A local pool shop recommended 1 skimmer at the midpoint of the side, with returns placed to create 2 counterclockwise flows from the center outward towards the ends and back again. They also recommended two bottom drains spaced about 6' apart in the center. I was thinking of 2 returns at each end on each side, with 2 in the upper portions of the water and two deeper down, for a total of 8 for the pool. I was also thinking of placing a vacuum suction port opposite the skimmer at the midpoint. I'm thinking that above ground pool skimmers that have front and back gaskets bolted together will work fine for the steel wall installation.

But then I read that the skimmer is best placed where wind would push debris, which would be one end, which makes sense. But is one skimmer enough at one end? And how many returns are really needed. Too many returns may mean too much pvc piping and the pump may need to be bigger just for that? I'm thinking 1.5" piping is likely enough throughout?

On the cleaning side I am leaning towards a cartridge filer and an ozonation unit. In the long run I would like to incorporate the natural pond in the front yard with the pool in back and get the water treated completely naturally but that is future fodder.

Any input will be greatly appreciated...

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

You can't catch rain water and "treat it without chemicals" and maintain sanitary water for swimming AND have it as a backup drinking water source ... those are opposing goals.

The skimmer should be located on the predominately downwind side. Given the shape, you likely can't get a good circular flow, so may need to just drive the surface in one direction toward a skimmer and let the water circulate back underneath.

1/5" plumbing should work fine. Going to 2" on the suction side could help lower head loss and increase water flow.

I will just add that TFP is the wrong forum to be posting on if you truly intend to try to integrate your pool with a pond and somehow hope to keep the water sanitized and safe for drinking. That is just not what we do or teach here.

 

[spiral-eye]

I'm confused I guess...How about stepping up to greater goals? If I run water through an ozonator, it kills 99.9% of stuff that could be dangerous, which is an option for making any water into drinking water? And I can swim in a pond without dying, as many natural pools with biological plant based treatments attest, so what gives with the commentary? Why are these opposing goals? What is the TFP forum about? Excuse my innocence but in a changing world, these questions seem legitimate. No one has ever gotten siuck from drinking rainwater, it's one of the purest forms of water there is...Pool cover to keep dirt out? Are there any fresh thinkers on this forum?

 

[jblizzle]

Tfp exists to teach a certain form of pool care. The Cornerstone of the methods we teach is maintaining adequate sanitizer levels in your swimming pool to prevent person-to-person disease transmission and algae. And ozone system does not leave residual sanitizer in the water to prevent that person-to-person disease transmission.

Counter to what you are stating, people do get sick and people have died from swimming in ponds.

What you are wanting to do is outside of the scope of what tfp teaches. I am sure there are other forums out there that deal with Natural Pools, but we are not one of them.

There are many members here at more than happy to help you with plumbing and Equipment decisions, however you will have to look elsewhere for supporting your chemical-free desires

 

[Bama Rambler]

You realize that both water and ozone are chemicals, right? Just saying!

 

[duraleigh]

What is the TFP forum about?

It's about teaching safe and sanitary principles of pool water management.

What it is NOT about is speculating on wishful ideas (including ozone) that simply won't accomplish what you are trying to do.

Best of luck in your quest but as said above, it is simply not something that this forum has an interest in.