No work today

[sunnybob]

Summer is going out with a bang. Too hot even in the shade to do anything. I got my digital test thermometer out of its drawer and it showed 39c, inside the drawer in the shade.
Took it out side and laid the probe on the stamped concrete and got 52.5c. I now have to put sandals on to walk to the pool!

 

[Droogs]

It's feels like it's late autumn here, overcast with the occasional bit of blue. I actually have a fleecy top on, may put the wood stove on this evening.

 

[transatlantic]

I can't stress enough how much I would love to have my own pool.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Holes in the ground to throw your money in.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's feels like it's late autumn here, overcast with the occasional bit of blue. I actually have a fleecy top on, may put the wood stove on this evening.

I had to go indoors earlier, it got too hot.

 

[sunnybob]

No argument on the money pit comment. But for about 6 weeks of the year, its used repeatedly every day by my grandchildren (and occasionally me). The wife is a bit tougher and uses it a couple weeks ether side of that, but then its just a 42 week maintenance program.
We have another 40 plus warning for tomorrow. I'm making the most of it, as Mr Stark was fond of saying (before they cut his bonce off) "Winter is coming"

 

[thetyreman]

it was 6 degrees here last night

 

[sunnybob]

I feel your pain. I've experienced several blizzards and been snowed in more than once, which is why at the earliest opportunity I moved to a country that never goes more than 1 degree below zero in the deepest winter

 

[transatlantic]

No argument on the money pit comment. But for about 6 weeks of the year, its used repeatedly every day by my grandchildren (and occasionally me). The wife is a bit tougher and uses it a couple weeks ether side of that, but then its just a 42 week maintenance program.
We have another 40 plus warning for tomorrow. I'm making the most of it, as Mr Stark was fond of saying (before they cut his bonce off) "Winter is coming"

How much roughly does it cost per year to maintain?

 

[sunnybob]

Varies according to size and usage. the more people in the pool the more water changes and chlorine used. Mine is a 40,000 litre, which is roughly an 8 x 4 metre shape and the normal size out here. I reckon mine costs a minimum of a thousand euro a year in maintenance chemicals and electric and filter media. Then if its a liner pool, that needs replacing every 8 to 10 years at a minimum of 3K. for the cheap liner.
If I knew 12 years ago what I know now, I very much doubt I would have had it built.
I had major work done on mine 18 months ago, there is a picture blog here if anyone is interested.
https://pbase.com/john_cooper/swimming_pool_refurb

 

[transatlantic]

Fair enough. It obviously depends on how much enjoyment you get out of it. Thats quite a lot more than I would have expected for quite a small pool. But if I had the funds, I still think I would go for it. Although I would want an indoor pool, not an out door one. Perfect for over here in the UK. Not so much use for you over there

 

[sunnybob]

I knew 2 people with indoor pools in the UK, both reasonably affluent people (ex bankers). neither of them could afford to heat the pools. One had FOUR gas combi boilers in a line, and that barely got the temp up to acceptable. A working indoor pool in the UK is the realm of millionaires.
Its possible to have an outdoor salt water pool, which is more expensive to install but has less chemical maintenance costs, but that needs a tiled pool which is more expensive to start with and more prone to cracking and leakage.
They are money pits.

 

[transatlantic]

I can dream!

If it's indoor, I don't think I would bother heating it. I remember using an unheated indoor pool on all my holidays as a kid. It was still great! ... asumming you kept moving

 

[sunnybob]

The one with the gas heaters... I used his pool one winter to check for an air leak on a large blow up mattress as I wanted it for xmas guests. It was a large pool. I think 20 yards by 8 yards. with a glass wall looking into the garden. It was awful being in there, The damp up the walls, the condensations running down the glass. the 12 degree water, I would not have swum in there if he had offered it.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I look after a swimming pool, which is as never ending chaos of chemicals, leaks, subsidence (don't ask!), algae blooms and unwanted insects. Having learned on someone else's budget I built a natural swimming pond. Still issues with it, but much cheaper to run, and it looks rather prettier than a chemical riddled wasteland for the 50 weeks of the year that you aren't swimming in it. For the UK I wouldn't have anything else. For Greece, the excess heat and support makes keeping it from looking like pea soup a bit trickier, but we mostly manage.

Here are a few examples if you are interested: Swim Ponds by Michael Wheat | Natural Swimming Pools

Basically it's just just a garden pond dug deep enough to swim in. If you can keep goldfish, you can keep a swimming pond in good order, with the same level of fuss. You can't do heated, unfortunately.

 

[sunnybob]

I forgot the wildlife!
I've pulled out mice, shrews, snakes, frogs, toads, a multitude of new born geckos, and once a quite large chameleon, who had actually changed colour to match the 1" square blue and white pattern. It was his lucky day that I spotted him on the floor at the deep end.
Subsidence is poor construction. Leaks shouldnt happen, but do if the tiling and or construction is slipshod. Algae and insects are unavoidable.
And of course, suntan cream is the most common cause of cloudy water.
Its not easy or cheap keeping a pool alive.

 

[Just4Fun]

I feel your pain. I've experienced several blizzards and been snowed in more than once, which is why at the earliest opportunity I moved to a country that never goes more than 1 degree below zero in the deepest winter

I had to smile at that. It wouldn't do for us all to be the same. I could not tolerate the heat that you crave. Twice in hot places (Morocco and Mexico) I have collapsed in the heat and have concluded it doesn't suit me. My ideal temperature is 20C to 25C but for me -40C is preferable to +40C.

We live on the side of a large lake and in summer that is our (free) swimming pool. Maybe not as warm as yours but it is a bit bigger. It is about 80km long but I am not sure because I don't swim many lengths

 

[Phil Pascoe]

When I were a lad, my swimming pool was 2000 miles + long.

 

[sunnybob]

I had to smile at that. It wouldn't do for us all to be the same. I could not tolerate the heat that you crave. Twice in hot places (Morocco and Mexico) I have collapsed in the heat and have concluded it doesn't suit me. My ideal temperature is 20C to 25C but for me -40C is preferable to +40C.

We live on the side of a large lake and in summer that is our (free) swimming pool. Maybe not as warm as yours but it is a bit bigger. It is about 80km long but I am not sure because I don't swim many lengths

In an ideal world, 32 to 36c would suit me. But I cant find anywhere like that, so hotter rather than colder is the order of the day. Over 40c things become difficult to achieve. Cyprus usually get several days over 40 in August, sometimes also in July. It i government orders that all outside workers may down tools and seek shade when over 40c. Strangely, we get a lot of 39.5 days

Lakes are no good to me, cant swim across my 8 metre pool, but a quick dunk does cool the blood.

 

[sunnybob]

Cor! its getting hotter! Cyprus health ministry just issued their first ever red alert! Forecast for weds is 44c. Now even I'm looking for shade