BBB expanded

A BBB guide to supermarket poolcare.
Use store-bought bleach, baking soda
and borax to replace proprietary pool chemicals.
odbob
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:31
My Pool: British 30ft x 8ft x 4ft deep indoor pool, I micron bag filter, 3kw electric heater, maintained at 31.5 degC all year round
Location: UK midlands

BBB expanded

Postby odbob » Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:49

My pool is 30ft x 8ft indoor (indoor because of the British weather) and used by just two people, it is maintained at a constant 31.5 c (88.7 f) all year round.
It is now some 14 years old and for the first 8 years I relied upon ( and suffered ) traditional methods of pool maintenance. Since then I have dumped the sand filter, large pump, gas heater and chemicals. I now rely upon a bag filter, smaller pump, 3kw electric heater, RO unit for top up, cheap bleach from the supermarket and on the odd occasion, borax or bicarb.The pool is now a pleasure instead of being a place of work!
No backwashing, no daily testing, clear water, very little debris on the pool floor.
It works for me!


odbob
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:31
My Pool: British 30ft x 8ft x 4ft deep indoor pool, I micron bag filter, 3kw electric heater, maintained at 31.5 degC all year round
Location: UK midlands

Re: BBB expanded

Postby odbob » Thu 14 Jul, 2016 07:29

We are two 70 + year olds, and swim every other day, my simple method of keeping the pool water clear is at the end of swimming I stay in the pool and walk the length of it pouring 2 litres of cheap bleach as I go, at the other end of the pool is my pool cover, which I simply pull over the pool walking backwards. so simple!. Gone are the days of being a slave to our pool
odbob
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:31
My Pool: British 30ft x 8ft x 4ft deep indoor pool, I micron bag filter, 3kw electric heater, maintained at 31.5 degC all year round
Location: UK midlands

Re: BBB expanded

Postby odbob » Sat 16 Jul, 2016 03:11

Gone is the sand filter with all it's problems, back washing, the odd grain or more of sand on the floor of the pool.
Now, with a bag filter, work load reduced enormously , no more back washing, no sand on the pool floor, and at 1 micron filtration, less deposits in the pool water, I replace this filter just once per year and of course there is far less water loss to the pool. I am a happy chappy!
Denniswiseman
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue 06 Sep, 2011 05:48
My Pool: 10k inground fibreglass, Telescopic Cover, Hayward Powerline pump, Quality filter with glass media, 27kw output heat pump, K-2006C test kit
Location: United Kingdom

Re: BBB expanded

Postby Denniswiseman » Sat 16 Jul, 2016 04:59

Re your supermarket bleach, seeing as you are in the UK you might want to consider this http://shop.dalesauna.co.uk/products/sodium-hypochlorite-14-15 and for Muriatic acidhttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Concentrate-Brick-Acid-Concrete-Patio-Cleaner-25-Litres-36-2-/151686279138
odbob
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:31
My Pool: British 30ft x 8ft x 4ft deep indoor pool, I micron bag filter, 3kw electric heater, maintained at 31.5 degC all year round
Location: UK midlands

Re: BBB expanded

Postby odbob » Sat 16 Jul, 2016 06:48

Denniswiseman wrote:Re your supermarket bleach, seeing as you are in the UK you might want to consider this http://shop.dalesauna.co.uk/products/sodium-hypochlorite-14-15 and for Muriatic acidhttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Concentrate-Brick-Acid-Concrete-Patio-Cleaner-25-Litres-36-2-/151686279138

Hi, I like the dalesauna product at 94 pence per 2 litres, three times the strength of the supermarket 2 litre bottles, but at 29 pence from the supermarket, it still works out at about the same price and so, thanks for the suggestion, but I'll stick with the ease of just popping a 2 litre bottle of bleach in to the water. The other stuff from Ebay just scares me!
Denniswiseman
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue 06 Sep, 2011 05:48
My Pool: 10k inground fibreglass, Telescopic Cover, Hayward Powerline pump, Quality filter with glass media, 27kw output heat pump, K-2006C test kit
Location: United Kingdom

Re: BBB expanded

Postby Denniswiseman » Sat 16 Jul, 2016 12:12

What is the process of changing your sand filter for the bag filter
Do you have any links for buying as what you have seems a reasonable alternative and when I get more repairs to do I might consider it
odbob
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:31
My Pool: British 30ft x 8ft x 4ft deep indoor pool, I micron bag filter, 3kw electric heater, maintained at 31.5 degC all year round
Location: UK midlands

Re: BBB expanded

Postby odbob » Sat 16 Jul, 2016 12:59

Dennis, it's been a little while since I changed over to bag filtration and so I need to try and find the original paper work, I know that the housing for the bag filter came from America, at the time this was the only way I could get one, but believe that these can now be obtained in UK, together with the bag filters, The pipework on the other hand was simplified, I'll see if I can upload a picture
Denniswiseman
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue 06 Sep, 2011 05:48
My Pool: 10k inground fibreglass, Telescopic Cover, Hayward Powerline pump, Quality filter with glass media, 27kw output heat pump, K-2006C test kit
Location: United Kingdom

Re: BBB expanded

Postby Denniswiseman » Sun 17 Jul, 2016 02:31

Thanks Bob
Always looking to make things a bit more simple
Was the firm Desjoyaux as they manufacture these bags
It's sometimes hard, long and expensive to get stuff from the states.
A lot don't ship here
odbob
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:31
My Pool: British 30ft x 8ft x 4ft deep indoor pool, I micron bag filter, 3kw electric heater, maintained at 31.5 degC all year round
Location: UK midlands

Re: BBB expanded

Postby odbob » Sun 17 Jul, 2016 03:50

Dennis, the bag housing is a Pentak PBH 420 with 1" connections, punch this into Amazon.com and you will see the type of housing and price in Dollars, and below you will see the filter bags offered for this housing. They seem to be available in the UK but so far, I have only seen inflated prices, maybe you can find a cheaper supplier. The important thing to remember is that this is suitable for my pool ie indoor, two old people use, the filter would, I imagine quickly fill up on a well used and/or out door pool. Wish you luck in whatever you decide.
odbob
Pool Enthusiast
Pool Enthusiast
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 12 Jul, 2016 02:31
My Pool: British 30ft x 8ft x 4ft deep indoor pool, I micron bag filter, 3kw electric heater, maintained at 31.5 degC all year round
Location: UK midlands

Re: BBB expanded

Postby odbob » Tue 19 Jul, 2016 05:45

Anyone thinking of having an indoor pool, building insulation is the one most important consideration, the more insulation that you can pack in, the better, my pool is enclosed in a purpose built cabin and the amount of insulation allows me to operate the pool for 12 months of the year at 31.5 degrees C, and all of this off just one 3kw heater. Winter months, the heater runs for approx. 8 hours per day and in the summer months as little as 2 hours per day. Air temperature tends to hover around 29 degrees C

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