My 2nd pool - What I don't like about it & the screw-up

[SPP]

Hi All,

Been a long time since I last posted.

I want to share my findings on my 2nd pool in Bali, where the plumbing + pumps + filter system I design/choosen.
Size wise and shape I can't do anything about it. The availble space "X" size and condition "Y" is a given non-negotiable.

Also due to limited available space, I can't go overflow system but has to accept a scupper version pool.

The pool is too small to do any proper swim. Its only 3.7 meter wide and approx 9ish meters long.
Deeper zone is only 130cm and shallow zone is a "beer drinking" shallow.
Initially it was supposed to be all 130cm deep but last minute logical change for "beer drinking" shallow zone.

Unfortunate screw-up occured here, by one of the worker.
I ended up with lost of 1 suction floor drain because of the already placed suction floor drains (total 4) on
the now shallow zone ( 2 drains ) has to move to deeper zones. That lost 1 drain is clogged to death by I am sure
concrete 2nd pouring to shallow that zone. Anyway there was nothing I can do when pool completed its only then known.




Sept 2017


Sept 2017 - The last minute shallowing made the pool WEIRD and not too comfy due to the edges.
The "beer depth" is when I sit on my butt on the floor, my arms can open wide and rest on the wooden deck with comfort,
I think its like Jacuzzi depth.



Jan 2021


Will continue...................

 

[SPP]

This pool is only like 32,000 liters at best. 9.5m long x 3.7m wide x average depth at 90cm =31,635 liters.
I never really bothered to measure though ...LOL.

First, the HAPPY PART.

01. No sharing of pipes per pool inlet/discharge or suction.
1 pipe for 1 inlet/discharge or suction at the pool...all the way to the manifold.

02. All pipes 1.5" into pool.

03. All suction and discharge manifold 2"

04. Pump is small, 2 of Pentair OptiFlo 0.75HP

05. Filter, only can do cartridge, no space for sand>>+>>cartridge which is my favourite set up.
Pentair CC100, 2 units.

06. Pentair, IntelliChlor IC40 chlorine generator. Eventually not used at all.
Initial planning was this pool will have no permanent pool boy, but I ended up getting one who works daily.

===============

Due to the staircase heading to Gazebo above the PUMP SPACE/ROOM, so the room shape is so , I ended up doing
real time mock up in Jakarta to simulate available pump room in Bali. I want the plumbing 100% to my spec.







And then the as-built









Will continue.............

 

[SPP]

STILL THE HAPPY PART

The head is so low without sand filter and having big 2" manifold for a small 0.75HP pump with each water inlet/discharge to pool served by a dedicated pipe, I get pressure like a jacuzzi and that fits the shallow beer zone...

Can't read any HEAD when filter element still clean. Highest when "dirty" I seen 3 psi only.




Legend:
P1 or P2 is Pump 1 or Pump 2.
i1 or i2 or i3-P2 means pool inlets 1,2 or 3 of Pump 2.
GOT at discharge manifold is discharge to city drain , useful during rain.

Pump 1 system




Pump 2 system



Single pump turnover is 4 hours only.
Twin pump turnover = 2 hours.

2 pumps prepared for the following purposes ;
AA. Faster Super Chlorination.
BB. Must have spare pump, just in case.
CC. 2nd pump run for 30 minutes when doing daily chlorine/bleach and HCL treatment. So spread is faster/better.

3 drains/suction per pump system including scrupper counted as a drain is not only for safety, but when I need to manipulate
chlorine spread, it is better to have more drains at different locations.


Will continue....................

 

[SPP]

NOW THE UNHAPPY PART

01. The screw up where I lost 1 drain.

02. Due to sudden change of plan for beer-shallow zone, now I do not have drain positioned strategically at 4 ends of pool.
Scruppers at middle as planned but the re-location of 2 drains supposedly at the WAS beer zone, has made the shallow zone
drainless and I can not manipulate suction there. My contractor who is also my good friend told me, if I maintain drains
at beer zone, albeit at wall side and not the floor, it wont be comfy for those "sitting" at the beer zone.
That made sense, in the name of beer fun n pleasure... I surrendered to his idea


03. I never own or thought about how poor a water circulation will be at a pool with scrupper drain system compared
to overflow system. It is bad, probably it is worsen by the fact that I only have 1 scrupper per 1 pump system.

Overflow system has its strong beauty for keeping pool clean FAST. Light weight contamination will flow out into the balancing
tank and surface waterflow can be manipulated to 1 side like a super slow moving river.
Being in Bali and farm land still plenty surrounding my property ( exactly at the rear of my place), I am coping with unique airborne , farming & insect contamination of which I never have to face in my Jakarta pool. Jakarta is heavily polluted, so contamination is more of fine dirt, easy to deal with.

Birds hanging on plants above my pool and making nest, will drop contamination to my Bali pool.
Certain season will come flying termite after a rain, they love lights. They dropped dead when the loose their wings.
Man, it is a nightmare !!! Below is an example from internet.




When farmers harvest their corn or paddy, the amount of other insects which lost their "homes" increased.
Me pool get the unlucky part too.


Depending on the wind direction, when farmers spray pesticides, it ruined my pool.
See mild cloudiness below. 2018



This is not acceptable. A pool this small/short, I must be able to see the tile grout furthest end to end clearly, just like my Jakarta's pool and my friend's pools both in Jakarta and Bali.

ABOVE : 2018 within 30 days after pool fill 1st time.



March 2020, more pestisides from farmers. Dang, more cloudy !!!



Slime Bag slowly doing its part.




Ordered those Slime Bag from USA, no choice. It has proven its worth in 12 years I been using Slime Bag in Jakarta.
Slime Bag can't remove chemical based contamination, but farmland has so much small spores from the crops they grow and
its tough, a 20 micron cartridge filter can not handle it.


Nov 2020, Slime Bag assist




Jan 2021. The SOP for bali is : 2+ years my pool boy been texting me every nite on the chlorine test result.
So I have good database on the pool profile by 2021. No choice, I have to do pre-emptive counter attack whenever farmers
starts using pesticide. I told my pool boy to raise chlorine to FC 5 to 6 within hours of knowing the farmers spraying
Big rain also a problem. My Gazebo roof and main building roof has lots of dry bush like left-overs from the dead plants after harvest, wind blown. So when rain falls and been a long time since previous rain, FC is raised to 4 immediately.

ROOF LINE and the dry bush








Will continue............

 

[SPP]

If mother nature and farmers being nice to my pool, this is the way it should be.
All are underwater photos. Slime bag removed for cleaning.

















============================



















When villa was being built in 2017. August 2017 photo.
See the amount of green towards the sea.
The brown are the farm plot after harvest. They like to burn the dead plants...dang, more contamination for my pool.
However, when the plot becomes green with corn or paddy, it is such a soothing sight. Very nice feeling.



Pool get direct sunlight 11 AM to 1 PM, approx



I think this close to farm land, the pool best be an overflow type.

If time permits soon, I can share another HUGE private pool in Bali which I was able to exercise my plumbing fantasy on it ...really, no kidding. I really enjoyed helping my friend out on his Bali pool. 30 meters long and visibility is very-very close to my small pool at its peak best, albeit no Slime Bag was used but sand + cartridge was possible. 30 meters end to end underwater visibility is good.

Okey dokey..... this is all for today.