Smilz

Just had to answer some of the questions, I have managed pools up to 33m x 8 lanes.

If it were I looking to build a pool or/and a spa I would…


Design my pool/ spa so that the water would be heated via a solar panel array that should make the pool/spa usable all the year round and cut down considerably on the running costs.

I could use an air source or ground source heat pump to heat the water that would be even more effective. In fact the ground source heat pump would heat the water for the house as well.

A sand filter is far more efficient at cleaning the water but does use water which goes to waste during a back wash however this is not a bad thing as topping up with fresh water keeps the total dissolved solids down to a reasonable level.

I would not hand dose the pool but would use a metering pump so as to keep a consistent balance.

I would design my pool so as to incorporate a water jet/spa pool section using the same treated and heated water. (Cheaper than buying and running one).

I would build a really good pool and stretch my budget, as I would only want to build it the once.

If you can wait I will arrive in Perth next year and I will build it for you (at a price).

robert cowan

hi here is some pics of our pool it was $27000 but doing all paving and landscaping myself

walla

We have an 8 seater spa and are having a concrete pool fitted next month at $25k including excavation, landscaping $5k ish extra, 7 metres by 3.....

sa2uk2oz

Just wanted to add.. we have spent a lovely day on the gold coast, at the beach 6.30am , shopping and lunch out in between, just got out of the spa... and oh has handed me my second glass of bubbly and has lit the barbecue.. Feels like i'm in heaven...

Tiawamutu

Hello, Haven't seen you for ages. How you doing?

Can't believe it's 2 years in Oz for us now! Doesn't time fly!

For anyone else wondering.... We were visa buddies, and got them more or less the same time...We had a thread going for all the people who applied in November. It seems like yonks ago now

Is that your pool on your avatar? It looks gorgeous. Did you have problems?

ohippy

it certainly does - has flown by really. Definitely a lot harder than I thought it was going to be but have absolutely no intention of going back. Have applied for citizenship now - have you ?

Tiawamutu

Even with solar heating you wouldn't be able to use it all year round, as it does get quite chilly here sometimes.

Same thing, still not usable all year round, and could be expensive to run

Just out of curiosity, and as you seem to know a lot about pools, what do you do in the UK?

balance in what?

Some spas cost as little as 50c a day to run, so I wouldn't see it as that expensive.

Whatever the quality of the pool, you would still have to replace or re-furbish it at some point, as no pool would last forever...

What sort of pool would you suggest? Concrete, fibreglass, liner, above ground, below ground?

Tiawamutu

Lurvely....Just in time for the summer

Tiawamutu

I will do when we get back from U.K, as we are setting off this Saturday for 3 weeks. Back to lovely English weather

Is that your pool then, or your dream pool?

Tiawamutu

Anybody else got any nice piccies of their pool

furkew

Ours was "finished" Friday after over 4 months waiting on permits etc.

Because we live in the hills, our block is heavily sloped and you need a permit to build, and because our land is classified as landslip grade 2, we needed soil tests, deetailed plans etc etc to keep the local shire happy. We had planned on late November to be finished, but as it turned out the permit wasnt granted until 2 weeks ago :curse:

We used Leisure Pools, and I can do nothing but highly recommend them on everything they have done.

The pool is 10.5m x 4.4m. Spa nook, lighting, solar heating.

The pool & all equipment including solar blanket, creepy crawly & solar heating came to approx $42k. I think just the pool itself (installed) was about $34k.

furkew

If anyone in Melbourne is looking at getting a pool, as I already mentioned, Leisure pools where excellent. Because the permit took so long, they guaranteed us that as soon as the permit was granted, they would start the dig immediately. The permit was granted on a Thursday afternoon. They started the dig on the Tuesday, and where finished 11 days later.

We have yet to put down the paving, but we have spent many hours scouring the internet & visiting various companies, and we finally came across these guys : http://http://www.sandstonepaving.com.au/ and their prices where far cheaper than anybody else ($35.00 p.m2 instead of $50.00 !!) and the pool guy has seen their work & product and told us they where excellent.

Heres a few pics of before & during the dig

Spellbound

We purchased a blow up spa on New Years Eve.




We have used it quite a bit and taken a while to work out how to maintain balances etc with the help of the local spa/pool shop.

We bought it at KMart for $400 reduced from $600. It heats up to 38 degrees and came with a lockable zip up top and has been a good learning curve for novice owners like us.

Tiawamutu

Looks gorgeous Furkew, is that the 'Moroccan' pool?

You got it just in time for the rest of the summer anyway, enjoy

Tiawamutu

That's a good idea, I never thought of buying one of those, as a practice for a full size spa. I think we might get one.

I never noticed any of them in our Kmart. They must sell different items in different Kmart stores.

Shame you couldn't get the picture to work, as it would have been interesting to see what it was like