BFS
Senior Nomad
Posts: 520
Registered: 9-28-2006
Location: Todos Santos
Member Is Offline
|
|
building a pool in BCS
First a saludo to everyone out there and may you all have a very happy Easter weekend.
After spending an fantastic 3 days in Joshua Tree NP with fantastic scenery under an otherworldly moon we have had the inspiration to build a pool at
our home in Todos Santos hopefully over the summer and wondered if anyone in southern Baja can point us in the right direction. I know most people
think a pool is like a bad marriage or a leaky boat, but we rent our house out for 6 months of the year and get lots of families with kids wanting to
swim in beautiful southern Baja, but the beaches in this immediate area are a little unfriendly for casual swimming.
I have heard very bad reports about a pool builder in Cabo and understand they are in court over a few bad builds so want to avoid that all togeher.
I will also be on site all summer so do not mind putting in the legwork to make sure everything gets done...hopefully.
Any help,recommendations, advice from Nomadlandia out there?
I promise a full blown inauguration bailongo to all nomads out there if this thing ever gets built!!
abrazos
Aq
|
|
|
Phil S
Super Nomad
Posts: 1205
Registered: 10-28-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: After 34 years. Still in love w/ my wife
|
|
Weeeelllllllllll. Come November when it's done, we'll stop by and check out the 'finished product," and bring our bathing suits on our way to Cabo
for Thanksgiving, (and Loreto/Nopolo where our friends still live. I'd think that there are several pool owners in T.S. that would 'guide' you to the
right builder!!!! I've never built a pool, but I'd suspect there are some really important facts to adhere to. Good luck. Bob & Susan. Jump in
here, because there in Mulege area, you went through this. (haven't seen your yet, but looking forward to doing so. Possibly on our trip south this
winter. Be sure to have a "buddha and maybe a thousand candles" to get through this project.
|
|
|
Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
|
|
alright...
the pool WILL NOT be swimmable in November...too cold
pools are ONLY good for the summer months
heater...450,000 btu is necessary
it's take 8 hours to heat and 600 pesos of propane
then the next day...
it'll be cold again
and you can heat it AGAIN!!! 600 pesos
there are no pool stores in baja to purchase
the filters and pumps that will last
you NEED to import these items
lots of newer variable speed pumps available now
i'll replace mine later with one of these
they are expensive $$$
a nomad assisted us with the pool plaster too
as it's NOT here either
we imported it
we run our pool eguipment on solar power
i hope you have electricty...it'll sure be easier
i'm sure there are pool builder in your area
lots of pools in cabo
|
|
|
vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
alright...
the pool WILL NOT be swimmable in November...too cold
pools are ONLY good for the summer months
heater...450,000 btu is necessary
it's take 8 hours to heat and 600 pesos of propane
then the next day...
it'll be cold again
and you can heat it AGAIN!!! 600 pesos
there are no pool stores in baja to purchase
the filters and pumps that will last
you NEED to import these items
lots of newer variable speed pumps available now
i'll replace mine later with one of these
they are expensive $$$
a nomad assisted us with the pool plaster too
as it's NOT here either
we imported it
we run our pool eguipment on solar power
i hope you have electricty...it'll sure be easier
i'm sure there are pool builder in your area
lots of pools in cabo |
In other words, forget about the pool. Had pools all my adult life, and believe me, they are a royal pain, and take lots of work and money to
maintain, not to mention the little use they get compared to the cost.
About everything about them is highly overrated.
|
|
|
longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
|
|
Au Contraire, Bob and Susan, La Paz has several pool stores! They carry Jacuzzi, Hayward & other brands of equipment. The equipment IS more $$$
here because of importation, but you have to weigh that against the hassle of getting it down here yourself, importing it & running the gauntlet
of the drive. Not to mention that evil thing called warranty if any component
fails out of the box!
This might be a fairly controversial topic, but I've had 3 pools here, so I'm speaking from personal experience...no matter how hard your contractor
might try to convince you that cartridge filter is the way to go...IT'S NOT! Go with a sand filter. Way easier to maintain & a
LOT less expensive in the long run. Do some research.
There are pool contractors in La Paz who will work in TS, but IMO as long as the contractor has experience building pools (go LOOK at his work &
talk with a few clients, don't take his word for it!) you can save $$ by having a general contractor build the pool, but have a pool company involved
for the plumbing in the design/construction phase & have them do the actual plumbing & equipment installation.
And DO NOT let the contractor talk you into pool paint! Tile the interior
or go with white cement.
Yes, a pool can be a lot of work, but during the 105 degree months of summer here, a pool is not a luxury, it's a necessity!
|
|
|
comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
Tile pool the ONLY way to go, The best filtration system is a DE filter, do the research I have had one for 13 years and everything for servicing is
here in La Paz. I will check on a contractor for you and u2u.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
|
|
|
rpleger
Super Nomad
Posts: 1087
Registered: 3-12-2005
Location: H. Mulegé, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Was good.
|
|
Make sure that the pool is level...
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
|
|
|
vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by rpleger
Make sure that the pool is level... |
Maybe not necessary if you make it deep enough.
|
|
|
BFS
Senior Nomad
Posts: 520
Registered: 9-28-2006
Location: Todos Santos
Member Is Offline
|
|
interesante
Ok, so if the pool is not swimmable Nov through May thats not great. Thats exactly the months we rent the house out. Summer months when it is
swimmable I am living in the house. Good news for me, but not quite what I was looking for.
What do you think about solar for heating during the winter months? Do you think there is enough sunshine to heat up 15,000 gallons for comfortable
swimming Nov. through May in those black solar tubes I see mounted on homes in So Cal? I dont want to get into gas heating with renters. Too
complicado. Actually May and June are the coldest months in TS so I can lose those months but Nov through April would be nice to be able to swim.
Aq
|
|
|
Marie-Rose
Senior Nomad
Posts: 894
Registered: 10-2-2003
Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
Member Is Offline
Mood: Worried...
|
|
Got your U2U... thanks, and we will meet next week!
We know several people who have pools in TS. One is being installed as we speak.
We can connect you with them. I do know that the common complaint is that there is no one here to maintain them properly when you are away... and if
you do find someone, it is very expensive.
Remember, when in Mexico, yes may be no and no may be
maybe!
|
|
|
Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
|
|
dont use "white cement"
pool plaster is "special" for in-groung pools
it "holds" the water in
|
|
|
Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
dont use "white cement"
pool plaster is "special" for in-groung pools
it "holds" the water in |
What is used for pilas? Wouldn't that work?
|
|
|
Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
|
|
lets do some math...
a 1hp pumps pumps 60 gallons a minute
thats 3600 gallons an hour
15000 gallons in 4.1 hours
winter temp maybe 65 degrees
solar power from 11am until 3pm
figure the solar heater would need to raise the temp 20 degrees in 4 hours
that would put you at 85 degrees at 3pm in the afternoon
i havent found anything that could raise up
the temp 5 degrees in that time
the ONLY thing that is guaranteed to work is a propane heater
just build the cost into the rental price
get a BIG tank
get an automatic fill from gaspa monthly
and
PAY$$$
|
|
|
capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sling time!
|
|
as a contractor who has built quite a few pools i can tell you that in mexico you should tile the pool - tile mat'l and labor is cheap - alabaster
marble plaster is a maintenance and headache nightmare long term. or go cementous if someone there is licensed for Pebble-tec et al.
i would check out the new glass tiles. they are beautiful once finished.
why so big? 15K gallons?
8-10K is a big enuff size for residential.
i have built my last one for myself - it has a spa and dam wall with Jandy turn-over valves - bext one will be spa only but big enuff for a motored
swim spa.
i love jacuzzi but a swimming pool of any size is a pain - and expensive to run.
oh - dittos on the sand filter or also go with a salt system. forget all that clhorine.
solar heat will work if you have a large collector mat, a trickle pump and a rock lined storage tank in the ground.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
Swimming pools. As others have said...
..a lot depends on where in Baja you are. I live in Conception Bay and have filled in 2 swimming pools at separate casas over the years. They're not
for everybody. Live and learn..sometimes a bit slooowly..especially if you are Norsk and used to breaking ice for a swim. 
It was just too cold to use them during the winter here. But...your area of Baja may be perfect for them, especially if you are not next to, or near,
the ocean. If I lived either inland or in a city in southern Baja, I would build one again.
If you do build, consider doing so with tile. The photo below is of a friend's seacliff home near me. in The Bay. That pool was built in 2000.
Note: After 5-6 years, he filled his in, too.  It was easy enough to
maintain, he said, but never used it enough and would rather have the patio space. Thier view attests to that improvement of use.
.
.
.
.
During our warm months in the Bay, they are nice to have, but a chore to maintain...plus paying high rates for our locally trucked fresh water.
But, that's The Bay, your water will be much cheaper I'm sure.
Good luck with the project and write a follow-up when done.
[Edited on 4-11-2009 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18388
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by aqbluegreen
Any help,recommendations, advice from Nomadlandia out there? |
Yikes, pool maintenance is a PITA!!! If you are not there all the time to keep up on mainntenence, then hire competent pool maintenance.
Look into heating with solar thermal roof top system. Done right, they crank the heat.
Use a pool cover -- greatest loss of energy (heat) from pool water is evaporation.
Hire a good contractor, and make sure your subgrade is prepared right, and concrete is mixed and poured right.
|
|
|
comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
Pool covers, Bubble type to keep your pool warm longer, Regular duty not even one year, heavy duty 1 year, if you want it to last longer get a 15 mil.
they can be had. This info is here in La Paz, don't even consider what the MFG warranty says.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
|
|
|
Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
|
|
pool covers work GREAT!!!
they are just ULGY!!! fast
maintaining a pool now is pretty easy
as long as you build it correctly
a "pool vac" does ALL the real work
it vacuums when the pool filter is on
notice pompano's pictures...
square sides
that doesn't clean well
you should "round" everything
tile is hard to clean too
plaster... stains
forget paint..it chalks
balancing chemicals would be a problem if you aren't there
no one here would know what to do
and it can get green FAST
pools are great in the summer
mtgoat666 says
"Look into heating with solar thermal roof top system. Done right, they crank the heat."
i'd have to see a unit that actually works...
|
|
|
BigWooo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 579
Registered: 1-2-2007
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
alright...
the pool WILL NOT be swimmable in November...too cold
pools are ONLY good for the summer months
heater...450,000 btu is necessary
it's take 8 hours to heat and 600 pesos of propane
then the next day...
it'll be cold again
and you can heat it AGAIN!!! 600 pesos
|
If you have the $$ to invest in solar heating, it may be a way to keep your pool warm in the winter months without using propane.
http://www.solarroofs.com/SolarSpaHeating.html
|
|
|
Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
|
|
How much fill dirt is required to fill in the pool? That's it! After you seed it etc. get creative. A garden? A covered BBQ area?
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
