Thinking of installing a pool, anyone who could offer advice on personel experiance when choosing.

1 - A good reputable installation company.

2 - Concrete or fibreglass

3 - Pump sizes

4 - Filter systems

And at a fair price, any advice would be appriciated.

And has anyone used Narellan pools

Many Thanks Dale

cant really help too much on any of the questions as we are in Vic, but although putting a pool in is not cheap, the fencing, landscaping & the rest can cost just as much, if not more, so factor that in as well.

still worth it IMO, whatever it costs.

Can't help with any QLD swimming pool companies, but there is another type of pool: vinyl-lined, and it is possible to have a non-chlorine filter system.

When we did it in Perth we went for a Fibreglass pool and a cartridge filter. If I was doing it again I would go for concrete/brick so I could use the maximum space and a sand filter so I could backwash etc and lower the pool when it's too high. The cartridge is a closed loop so to pump out the pool I have to disconnect the plumbing and put a long pipe to the drain. [I could get valves etc fitted to do this but it would be nice to have had it from day one].

Also - go round lots of different companies and get lots of options. We made the mistake of going to one only.

As for pumps, there has been a lot of discussion in an electronics magazine about cutting the elec bill from your pool pump. One manufacturer does a variable speed pump which while it costs more will cut your bill over time. Another company sells what is basically a variable speed drive [VFD] which can vary the speed of your pool pump electronically - it sounds like snake oil but it is commonly used for industrial motors.

Not snake oil at all! Most motors run at a speed which is governed by the frequency of the AC supply, which in both the UK and Australia is 50Hz (cycles/sec). By using an electronic interface to vary the frequency of the supply (VFD stands for Variable Frequency Drive) you can alter the speed of the pump.

But this will NOT be a cheap solution, as a VFD unit is costly.

Recently had one put in, FNQ.
8m x 4m concrete, priced at $28K, included filtration system and lighting. Had 4 quotes from concrete ones and found they were all quite close, although the larger companies came in slightly more expensive. (more overheads probably, until they hit total economies of scale).

Also had 3 quotes from plastic / fiberglass ones and found that they weren't that much cheaper, which did surprise us. We visited a few demo / show ones and found we didn't really like the plastic ones. The finish is not great. Feel and looks just like a giant bath tub. But the real disadvantage about them is they are a pre-cast mould, with fixed sizes. You can't just add a few feet here or there to best fit your location, you have to jump size moulds. Not as flexible at all.

As said earlier, be sure to factor in landscaping and fencing. It can really add up. As a basic rule estimate about $100 per linear meter for fencing and about $70 p/sq/m for paving + about $30 p/sq/m to lay the stuff.

Yes - what I meant was it sounds dodgy but does work. However there has been reports of some motors burning out using the equipment I mention but the company maintains that is because the settings are incorrect [if you run it at too low a speed you can overheat the windings]. I think the cost for one of the units is $1000 or so. You can get cheaper VFD's but the ones I've seen are for 3 phase motors and are very low duty cycle.

Very important ! That ended up at another 10K as a large part of the garden was completely trashed.

Variable speed drives not only vary the frequency, the voltage is varied in a linear trend to the frequency. Unless the output of the VSD / VFD has a suitable harmonic filter, the motor will be affected by harmonics (from memory the 3rd, 5th and 11th on a 3 phase set up), I'm sure single phase is also affected similarily. Hence the motor damage. I'm not sure the cost savings on a power bill are worth the initial cost to set up a VSD properly for a pool or bore pump.

I'll take your word for it - my 3 phase theory was some 24 years ago
Unfortunately I can't reprint the report as you need a subscription. The conclusion was it does work but it's down to the householder to determine whether the payback period is worth it. Also that a pool pump of the right specification for the flow required is the best bet.

The biggest question ultimately is concrete/brick or fibreglass. For the amount of money the whole things costs I would go for concrete/brick just to get the maximum space I could.

Mine was 45 years ago!

Are you saying that the 'dilithium crystals canna tek any more cap'un'?