bicabica

Does anyone know, and can recommend, an installer of above ground pools who can offer a full end to end service i.e. advice, ground clearance, pool supply, installation etc? I'm in eastern Algarve.

Thanks.

zoff

I don't have an answer but once you get your pool, I highly recommend that you use a salt water chlorine generator. Its a big up front investment but it will save you time and money in the long run.

And also read this, its cheap and easy and very effective.
Adding Borax to Make your Pool Resistant to Algae

The only caveat is that salt water corrodes so you have to be careful with splash on metal parts.

I've had a pool for the last 30 years and I wish I knew about the salt water generator and borax before. I've been using the generator for 5 years and I can't believe how little maintenance I have to do.

nogard

Hi, i tried to get onto the above site, but am told my IP address is band! I live in central Portugal. Any ideas why?

rollermum83

Hi I just tried and went straight on it, I could try and email it to you if it helps.

rickuk3

I just tried and same result your ip is banned

zoff

My simplified description:
Use Borax to bring your borates to 30-50 ppm (I used about 10 large boxes). At this point your ph will be very high so you need to add acid to bring it down to the proper level. After the initial treatment I've only added about 1 box per year as needed.


Here is what I followed from the web site.
This is a US based site, the stores and measurements may not apply in your area.

IMPORTANT: if you have a salt water pool, you can not used dry acid, only liquid Muriatic Acid

The fast method (for pools with low calcium, no stains and no metal in the water)
1. Make 100% sure you have tested your pool water with a K2006, and KNOW that your TA less than 120 ppm and CH is less than 240 ppm.
2. If your pool is filled with well water, make SURE you have no iron or copper in the pool water, using the metals bucket test.
3. Turn your pump on, and keep it on for the duration.
4. Put several boxes of borax into a bucket. Break up any lumps, so all the borax is just powder. Do NOT dump the borax into one spot: if you do, a SLOW to dissolve hard lump of borax may be formed. Instead use a scoop or plastic bowl to broadcast the borax powder around your pool.
5. If any piles of borax accumulate, scatter them with a pool brush.
6. After you've added about 1/2 of the borax, put 1/2 gallon of muriatic acid in the pool, for every 3 boxes of borax you've added (so, for 11 boxes, add only 1 1/2 gallons). Add it to the pool near the location where water returns into the pool.
7. Continue adding borax to the pool till it's all in.
8. Test the pH; if it's high (purple) add 1/4 gallon of muriatic acid for every 3 boxes of borax added. Brush the pool to stir up any undissolved borax.
9. Wait 2 hours and retest the pH. Continue adding small doses of muriatic acid every 2 hours, till your pH is below 7.6.
10. Wait 24 hours, and retest the pH. Adjust as needed till the pH remains below 7.6.

Stuff You'll Need:
+ Borax: 20 Mule Team borax in 4.75 lb (76oz) boxes. (Walmart)
+ 20° Baume(31.45%) Muriatic acid: Lowes (Neither Home Depot nor Ace Hardware list plain muriatic on their websites, but they probably have it locally. Do NOT get "safer" or "foaming" muriatic acid!)
+ Testing borate levels: Sooner or later, you'll need to be able to test borate levels; the LaMotte strips are MUCH easier to read than the alternatives, and are fairly accurate. (No inexpensive drops test is available.) If they are not available from Amazon, check the test kit info page for other sources.
Lamotte Borate strips @ Amazon
+ Testing hardness and alkalinity: You need to test your hardness and alkalinity levels accurately BEFORE you start. At a minimum, you need the HTH 6-way drops kit.If your TA is over 140ppm, or your CH is over 400 ppm, ASK, before you start this process. The Step by Step page explains how to lower carbonate alkalinity. There is some consensus that it is desirable to lower alkalinity below 90 ppm before beginning.

zoff

BTW since I switched to a salt water chlorine generator and the borax treatment, I have not seen algae in my pool going on 5 years now.

bicabica

Thanks for all the totally irrelevant replies to my original question

uk_grenada

I seriously suggest that you don't go anywhere near a saltwater pool system. You trade the cost of the chlorine generator which needs an expensive element replacing every few years and it's power consumption versus the cost of chlorine and chemicals. In addition saltwater pools will tend to kill concrete, rebar and non stainless steel hardware, inshort saltwater pools have to be designed before construction for that use . In the states saltwater pools were an in subject a number of years ago but now many users are returning to the old-fashioned solution, or if they want to burn more dollars going to auto dosing systems. I have a good friend in Austin TX who does pool construction as part of a general building business, he has always steered me right.

Effectively a saltwater pool is just another way of generating chlorine electrically rather than adding chlorine directly. There is a theory that salt pools are kinder to the skin, never found that to be true if the pool is properly looked after.

What I would suggest is that you learn the basics of how the chemistry works, use one of the apps or applications on a laptop or mobile device to do the calculations for you, i use one called PoolCloud, and invest in a quality photometer testing device from whichever manufacturer is convenient to you, there is one called palintest in the UK and another company in West Germany, or several in the US.

Regarding finding a pool construction company I would suggest you simply look around at other pools in the area and find out who their constructors were, or consult the pool maintenance companies in the area and find out who their preferred builders are.

uk_grenada

Oh and algicide is normally a very low dosage copper based solution, typically something like 1 fluid ounce per 1000 gallons Added every three months. I live in the tropics where pools are normally around 80 something degrees all year round, and are exposed to very high levels of UV and have loads of tropical plants debris throw into them by the breeze. In this harsh environment we have no problems at all so long as you observe the basic chemistry.

Do not try to let a pool construction company bamboozle you with science, it really isn't that difficult if they are trained engineers. Your biggest decisions - how you want the surface finished, and what sort of deck / surround, and what type of filtration, whether you are using completely tiled or a trowelled on material like Diamond White over concrete, or actually using an in ground hard plastic or fibreglass or membrane liner, this is an important question as it will determine how easy your pool is to maintain and whether it's possible to leave it empty.

MrBife

So coming back to the original question - there is not really enough info to be able to help. Are you looking for concrete construction with a reinforced base, block walls and a tiled finish? - (or a liner finish) ?

Do you want something with steel panels and a liner?

Do you want a fibreglass insert with walls around ?

Do you want patio structure around ?

Do you just want a simple above ground unit from Leroy/AKI sat on a base and connected to power ?

bicabica

I don't know the answers to those things which is why I'm looking for "an installer of above ground pools who can offer a full end to end service i.e. advice, ground clearance, pool supply, installation etc?"

Perhaps they just don't exist

uk_grenada

I suggest if you know nothing about it, arent interested in asking local intelligence from pool maint co's / parts suppliers, local people with pools, googling the subject and learning the differences, or buying the relevant books, you just use the local yellow pages equivalent, but dont be surprised if you dont get whats needed at the right price.

bicabica

I thought asking for a recommendation on an expat forum might be a good starting point.

MikeJ

You must have an inkling of what you might want and where you might put it - enough to answer Mt Bife's questions - then you might get some more helpful answers.
Otherwise it's like asking 'how long is a piece of string? ... or do I mean elastic?

Do you want a small plunge pool to cool off in the summer or a decent size pool for swimming lengths and exercise? Do you think you might like a diving board? A spring board or a high board. How many people max will use the pool? etc etc.