I've watched some video's about using water from gutter downspout for the pool. They all use some kind of filter for leaves and other roof debris. Either a screen at the end of the pipe into the pool, or a rain barrel collection system. I have really good gutter guards and rarely get any leaves coming out of the down spout. I am thinking that as an initial experiment I might run the water from the downspout directly into the pool with no filter, then just clean any debris from the pool during regular cleaning. Is this an OK idea, at least as an experiment?
Using rain water from roof for pool
- Thread starter TomAtlanta
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,309
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Put a stocking or other mesh fabric over the exit into the pool to catch the larger debris.
I use a knee-high nylon over the downspout to catch shingle grit. The corrugated flexible downpout extension catches a lot of fine silt. I have a spillover spa I use as a settling basin. The spa's less than four feet deep but it can get dark and cloudy enough to obscure the drain. I can set the filter to spa mode and clear it in a matter of minutes before I switch back to normal mode and let it mix with the pool. So be forewarned. Your pool may look awful until it settles out so you can vacuum.
BowserB
Silver Supporter
- Jul 29, 2018
- 777
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Is water that expensive there? I think I'd use it to water plants, but I'd prefer clean city water added to the pool. See the Sahara dust thread for what rain put directly into my pool--and that's just the visible contamination. However, in Bermuda, people collect rainwater from their roofs for washing and such, as Bermuda has no natural ground water, so it could be OK.
If you have the stocking over the downspout, does it ever get clogged and cause the gutters to overflow?
No, it's at the bottom and it's friction fit. And I'm talking Southern California, where 2" in 24 hours is practically a disaster.
Rainwater has no Calcium. I was almost into 4 digits CH reading.
And at the moment water is cheap, but when i started doing it we were under pretty sever restrictions such that if I went over my allotment, they'd install a restrictor on my meter at my expense, and fine me, and charge me tier 3 rates.
Randrx2
Bronze Supporter
- Dec 13, 2018
- 436
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What is your roofing material? Shingles, metal, or tile? I know there is some concern with contaminants in roofing materials when people use the runoff for vegetable gardens. Usually, they let the water settle in barrels before using. Also, you may want to test the rain water runoff before using (just as you should your fill water). I would want to know if there were any metals in there.