chewbacca12315 Jun 2018 00:53Hello everyone,
We are currently in the middle of planning and, like most people, we are reaching the limits of our budget but still don’t want to completely give up on our dream of having a small pool in the garden. That’s why we need your help!
If we build a pool, it will be an affordable solution. We are thinking of a pool about 4x6 meters (13x20 feet) without any extras.
To keep things more organized, I will number my questions so you can respond to them individually. Thanks in advance!
1) What do you think about the dimensions 4 meters by 6 meters (13x20 feet)? The intended use would be cooling off/swimming, children paddling, and possibly swimming against a current system or using a bungee cord (cheap option :P).
2) Is it correct that filling the pool with water costs about 150 Euros for 4x6x1.5m (13x20x5 feet)? That’s what online calculators say. How often is the water usually replaced – twice a year? That would mean around 300 Euros in water costs.
3) As mentioned, the plan is for an inexpensive option: dig a hole and install a prefabricated pool. Is 3,000 Euros too low an estimate? We might be able to get the excavation done for free.
4) There will be a terrace in front of and behind the pool, or a gentle grassy slope with a height difference of 1-2 meters (3-6 feet). Are there any special distance requirements, or is, for example, 1 meter (3 feet) between terrace and pool or pool and slope enough?
5) Which affordable and low-maintenance heating options would you recommend? Some acquaintances mentioned solar “posts” that are easy to install. We don’t plan to swim in spring and autumn, but it would be nice to not rely entirely on the sun for heating to extend the pool’s usable season.
6) Would you recommend a cleaning robot? Does it replace full cleaning? Or are chlorine tablets or similar still essential? On the other hand, cost savings could be possible here, and a 4x6-meter (13x20-foot) pool should be manageable to clean manually. How often is such a pool usually cleaned?
7) What ongoing costs should we roughly expect? Heating, water, cleaning/maintenance?
8) Tips for affordable pool covers?
9) If the pool setup—including ladder, transport, water pump/filter (without current system)—does not exceed 5,000 to 6,000 Euros, and the annual running costs are around 500 Euros, that would be great and make the project absolutely feasible. Am I being naive?
10) Material? We often read about fiberglass (GFK) for budget options. Is that okay or should it be avoided? What about steel wall pools or polyester pools?
11) I assume a water pump and filter are also necessary. Costs/effort?
12) What other considerations are we currently overlooking and should keep in mind? For example, regarding site planning in advance (e.g., utility lines).
Many thanks in advance to everyone who provides helpful answers and tips.
Best regards
We are currently in the middle of planning and, like most people, we are reaching the limits of our budget but still don’t want to completely give up on our dream of having a small pool in the garden. That’s why we need your help!
If we build a pool, it will be an affordable solution. We are thinking of a pool about 4x6 meters (13x20 feet) without any extras.
To keep things more organized, I will number my questions so you can respond to them individually. Thanks in advance!
1) What do you think about the dimensions 4 meters by 6 meters (13x20 feet)? The intended use would be cooling off/swimming, children paddling, and possibly swimming against a current system or using a bungee cord (cheap option :P).
2) Is it correct that filling the pool with water costs about 150 Euros for 4x6x1.5m (13x20x5 feet)? That’s what online calculators say. How often is the water usually replaced – twice a year? That would mean around 300 Euros in water costs.
3) As mentioned, the plan is for an inexpensive option: dig a hole and install a prefabricated pool. Is 3,000 Euros too low an estimate? We might be able to get the excavation done for free.
4) There will be a terrace in front of and behind the pool, or a gentle grassy slope with a height difference of 1-2 meters (3-6 feet). Are there any special distance requirements, or is, for example, 1 meter (3 feet) between terrace and pool or pool and slope enough?
5) Which affordable and low-maintenance heating options would you recommend? Some acquaintances mentioned solar “posts” that are easy to install. We don’t plan to swim in spring and autumn, but it would be nice to not rely entirely on the sun for heating to extend the pool’s usable season.
6) Would you recommend a cleaning robot? Does it replace full cleaning? Or are chlorine tablets or similar still essential? On the other hand, cost savings could be possible here, and a 4x6-meter (13x20-foot) pool should be manageable to clean manually. How often is such a pool usually cleaned?
7) What ongoing costs should we roughly expect? Heating, water, cleaning/maintenance?
8) Tips for affordable pool covers?
9) If the pool setup—including ladder, transport, water pump/filter (without current system)—does not exceed 5,000 to 6,000 Euros, and the annual running costs are around 500 Euros, that would be great and make the project absolutely feasible. Am I being naive?
10) Material? We often read about fiberglass (GFK) for budget options. Is that okay or should it be avoided? What about steel wall pools or polyester pools?
11) I assume a water pump and filter are also necessary. Costs/effort?
12) What other considerations are we currently overlooking and should keep in mind? For example, regarding site planning in advance (e.g., utility lines).
Many thanks in advance to everyone who provides helpful answers and tips.
Best regards
H
HilfeHilfe15 Jun 2018 06:18My father-in-law recently got a quote for a pool with a counter-current system: 25,000€, and he said that for that price, he could have a yearly membership at five indoor pools until the end of his life and still come out ahead.
Buy a steel frame pool with liner from Aldi. Something like 360 x 80 cm (12 x 2.6 ft). €99 with a filter. Plus an initial supply of chlorine tablets for around €7.
Then one or two days of physical work and the pool is set up. You try it out for one to three years – and if you like it and you use it more than once a week, you can then get a bigger one.
All detailed questions will probably be answered in the Pool Powershop forum. I just put up a cheap one myself to find out if having our own pool is right for us.
4 x 6 x 1.2 m (13 x 20 x 4 ft) = almost 30,000 liters (7,925 gallons) of water. So 30 tons. That’s like having 4 Smart cars parked on the pool area and 10 stacked up high :P
So about €150 if you don’t have garden or well water.
You only completely change the water if something goes wrong.
Chlorine and pH increaser or decreaser are a must.
Filtration with a sand filter system, starting at about €99 – prices can go much higher. They use around 300–600 W and need to filter the pool water 2-3 times a day. If the filter processes 6.6 cubic meters (233 cubic feet) per hour, then in summer, when the water needs to be filtered 3 times a day due to heavy use, it runs for 13 hours. At 500 W and €0.30 per kWh, that’s about €2 electricity per day.
Heating with solar disks/mats/tubes – check Amazon. Or heat pumps – check eBay.
Your cost estimate seems feasible with a lot of DIY. Take a look at steel frame pools. Not the ones with poles (like Aldi’s) but those with continuous metal panels.
Or just drive quickly to Aldi (North) and see if any from last Thursday are still available, spend the €99, and just try it out.
Then one or two days of physical work and the pool is set up. You try it out for one to three years – and if you like it and you use it more than once a week, you can then get a bigger one.
All detailed questions will probably be answered in the Pool Powershop forum. I just put up a cheap one myself to find out if having our own pool is right for us.
4 x 6 x 1.2 m (13 x 20 x 4 ft) = almost 30,000 liters (7,925 gallons) of water. So 30 tons. That’s like having 4 Smart cars parked on the pool area and 10 stacked up high :P
So about €150 if you don’t have garden or well water.
You only completely change the water if something goes wrong.
Chlorine and pH increaser or decreaser are a must.
Filtration with a sand filter system, starting at about €99 – prices can go much higher. They use around 300–600 W and need to filter the pool water 2-3 times a day. If the filter processes 6.6 cubic meters (233 cubic feet) per hour, then in summer, when the water needs to be filtered 3 times a day due to heavy use, it runs for 13 hours. At 500 W and €0.30 per kWh, that’s about €2 electricity per day.
Heating with solar disks/mats/tubes – check Amazon. Or heat pumps – check eBay.
Your cost estimate seems feasible with a lot of DIY. Take a look at steel frame pools. Not the ones with poles (like Aldi’s) but those with continuous metal panels.
Or just drive quickly to Aldi (North) and see if any from last Thursday are still available, spend the €99, and just try it out.
Hello,
well, I’d like to add something as well.
1. You need to answer that yourself—basically, the bigger the pool, the more expensive it will be.
2. You can use the water for up to two years, provided it is properly maintained.
3. Do you mean 3000 euros just for the pool shell? For that price, you usually get a steel wall pool, which isn’t bad.
5. It depends on the area you have available. Solar absorbers need at least half, preferably the entire surface area of the pool to be effective. So you would need a garage or something similar for that. Otherwise, there are heat pumps, but those also cost at least 3000 euros (if you want a quiet one).
6. A pool cleaning robot is designed to clean the walls and provides additional cleaning. It does not really handle water treatment. You will always need chlorine or another method of water care.
7. It depends a lot—heat pumps consume a lot of electricity if you want to keep the water at 28°C (82°F) when the outside temperature is only 15°C (59°F). Otherwise, you'll need to factor in chlorine and pH decreasers.
8. There are roll-up covers that can also be used for winter protection and can support the weight of an adult, but they aren’t cheap.
9. That really depends on your personal preferences and how much you want to do yourself.
10. For fiberglass pools (polyester pools), there is the risk of osmosis. You need to pay attention to high quality, and prices often start from 12,000 euros for the pool shell alone. I would be cautious about pools made in Eastern European countries. Steel wall pools are fine if you assemble them yourself and don’t buy a complete package with an underpowered sand filter system and pool pump. In summer, the water needs to be filtered three times a day at warm temperatures, so the filter system must be powerful enough to handle the workload within 8–10 hours. Cheap pumps are often very loud, which is an important point if you don’t live in a very remote location. There are also prefabricated pools made of polypropylene, which do not have osmosis problems, as well as masonry pools or pools built with insulated form blocks (made of expanded polystyrene) into which the liner is welded.
Best regards,
Sabine
well, I’d like to add something as well.
1. You need to answer that yourself—basically, the bigger the pool, the more expensive it will be.
2. You can use the water for up to two years, provided it is properly maintained.
3. Do you mean 3000 euros just for the pool shell? For that price, you usually get a steel wall pool, which isn’t bad.
5. It depends on the area you have available. Solar absorbers need at least half, preferably the entire surface area of the pool to be effective. So you would need a garage or something similar for that. Otherwise, there are heat pumps, but those also cost at least 3000 euros (if you want a quiet one).
6. A pool cleaning robot is designed to clean the walls and provides additional cleaning. It does not really handle water treatment. You will always need chlorine or another method of water care.
7. It depends a lot—heat pumps consume a lot of electricity if you want to keep the water at 28°C (82°F) when the outside temperature is only 15°C (59°F). Otherwise, you'll need to factor in chlorine and pH decreasers.
8. There are roll-up covers that can also be used for winter protection and can support the weight of an adult, but they aren’t cheap.
9. That really depends on your personal preferences and how much you want to do yourself.
10. For fiberglass pools (polyester pools), there is the risk of osmosis. You need to pay attention to high quality, and prices often start from 12,000 euros for the pool shell alone. I would be cautious about pools made in Eastern European countries. Steel wall pools are fine if you assemble them yourself and don’t buy a complete package with an underpowered sand filter system and pool pump. In summer, the water needs to be filtered three times a day at warm temperatures, so the filter system must be powerful enough to handle the workload within 8–10 hours. Cheap pumps are often very loud, which is an important point if you don’t live in a very remote location. There are also prefabricated pools made of polypropylene, which do not have osmosis problems, as well as masonry pools or pools built with insulated form blocks (made of expanded polystyrene) into which the liner is welded.
Best regards,
Sabine
1) What do you think about the dimensions of 4 meters by 6 meters? The intended use would be cooling off/bathing, kids splashing around, and possibly swimming with a counter-current system or bungee cord (cheap option).
The dimensions are fine. We currently have an easy pool (the type with an inflatable ring at the top that sets itself up) with a diameter of 4.5m (15 feet) and a height of 1.2m (4 feet). That works well.
2) Is it true that filling the pool with water costs about 150 Euros for a pool measuring 4x6x1.5m? That’s what online calculators suggest. How often do you usually change the water, twice a year? That would be around 300 Euros in water costs.
I’m not sure. You can calculate it for yourself—check your pool’s volume and your water price. We fill our pool with well water and change the water once a year (the pool is taken down in winter).
3) As mentioned, the plan is a budget-friendly option: dig a hole and install a prefabricated pool. Is 3,000 Euros too low a budget? We might get the excavation done for free.
I can’t say for sure; just check what your preferred pool costs. I lean towards a steel wall pool. I recently saw a concise brochure from a hardware store with a good overview of pools—getting something like that might help you get a rough idea.
5) What inexpensive and low-maintenance heating options would you recommend? Some acquaintances told us about solar "posts" that can be easily installed. We don’t plan to swim in spring or autumn, but it would be nice not to rely solely on the sun to heat the pool and thus extend the swimming season.
The simplest and cheapest option (which works perfectly for us) is to lay a black hose on a nearby black shed roof.
6) Would you recommend a cleaning robot? Does it replace the entire cleaning process? Or are chlorine tablets or similar products still essential? On the other hand, this could save costs, and a 4 by 6 meter pool should be manageable to clean manually. How often is such a pool usually cleaned?
Definitely a robot. We have a small, half-round model connected to the pump. It moves automatically across the pool floor—otherwise, dirt tends to accumulate there. Before using the robot, we cleaned with a pool brush, but the robot does a better job and saves a lot of time. However, you still need chlorine, algaecide, and flocculants.
7) What ongoing costs should one roughly expect? Heating, water, cleaning/maintenance?
Our pump is about 800 watts and runs about 1.5 to 2 hours a day. Water is replaced once a year. Chemicals cost around 60 Euros annually, depending on the pool size.
8) Any tips for inexpensive pool covers?
The cheapest are special tarpaulins with an elastic edge. If they are black, they also help to warm the water a little.
9) If the pool setup—including ladder, transport, and water pump/filter (without counter-current system)—does not exceed 5,000 to 6,000 Euros, and ongoing annual costs remain around 500 Euros, that would be ideal and the project feasible. Is this naive?
That should be doable. Maybe start with an easy pool to see if it’s really for you. Ours cost 100 Euros (pool only, no extras), plus a good large pump, and if needed, a pool ladder, skimmer, net, brush, chemicals, and test strips. That lets you get started quickly, and if you like it, you can always upgrade later.
We’ve had our easy pool for three years now and are sure this is not just a short-term whim but something we really use. That’s why we plan to install a steel wall pool in the next few years. All accessories are sized so they can be reused.
11) I assume a water pump and filter are also needed. Cost and effort?
Pump and filter are essential. Make sure they are not undersized. A sand filter system is recommended, preferably with a fill weight above 25kg (55 lbs), because the sand or glass media wear out quickly otherwise. The pump should circulate the entire pool volume in about one hour. For us, the sand filter system cost 350 Euros and works great; the fill material cost 60 Euros. The media needs to be replaced every one to two years (sand tends to last longer than glass filters). Occasionally you need to backwash the filter; this takes about 15 minutes each time.
12) What other considerations have we overlooked so far and should be taken into account? For example, regarding site planning in advance (e.g., pipelines)
Depending on whether you plan an inground pool or not, a child safety barrier is required. It’s also advisable to secure the entrance area with paving stones or similar to keep dirt from being tracked into the pool. You might also want to plan a small outdoor shower near the pool.
The dimensions are fine. We currently have an easy pool (the type with an inflatable ring at the top that sets itself up) with a diameter of 4.5m (15 feet) and a height of 1.2m (4 feet). That works well.
2) Is it true that filling the pool with water costs about 150 Euros for a pool measuring 4x6x1.5m? That’s what online calculators suggest. How often do you usually change the water, twice a year? That would be around 300 Euros in water costs.
I’m not sure. You can calculate it for yourself—check your pool’s volume and your water price. We fill our pool with well water and change the water once a year (the pool is taken down in winter).
3) As mentioned, the plan is a budget-friendly option: dig a hole and install a prefabricated pool. Is 3,000 Euros too low a budget? We might get the excavation done for free.
I can’t say for sure; just check what your preferred pool costs. I lean towards a steel wall pool. I recently saw a concise brochure from a hardware store with a good overview of pools—getting something like that might help you get a rough idea.
5) What inexpensive and low-maintenance heating options would you recommend? Some acquaintances told us about solar "posts" that can be easily installed. We don’t plan to swim in spring or autumn, but it would be nice not to rely solely on the sun to heat the pool and thus extend the swimming season.
The simplest and cheapest option (which works perfectly for us) is to lay a black hose on a nearby black shed roof.
6) Would you recommend a cleaning robot? Does it replace the entire cleaning process? Or are chlorine tablets or similar products still essential? On the other hand, this could save costs, and a 4 by 6 meter pool should be manageable to clean manually. How often is such a pool usually cleaned?
Definitely a robot. We have a small, half-round model connected to the pump. It moves automatically across the pool floor—otherwise, dirt tends to accumulate there. Before using the robot, we cleaned with a pool brush, but the robot does a better job and saves a lot of time. However, you still need chlorine, algaecide, and flocculants.
7) What ongoing costs should one roughly expect? Heating, water, cleaning/maintenance?
Our pump is about 800 watts and runs about 1.5 to 2 hours a day. Water is replaced once a year. Chemicals cost around 60 Euros annually, depending on the pool size.
8) Any tips for inexpensive pool covers?
The cheapest are special tarpaulins with an elastic edge. If they are black, they also help to warm the water a little.
9) If the pool setup—including ladder, transport, and water pump/filter (without counter-current system)—does not exceed 5,000 to 6,000 Euros, and ongoing annual costs remain around 500 Euros, that would be ideal and the project feasible. Is this naive?
That should be doable. Maybe start with an easy pool to see if it’s really for you. Ours cost 100 Euros (pool only, no extras), plus a good large pump, and if needed, a pool ladder, skimmer, net, brush, chemicals, and test strips. That lets you get started quickly, and if you like it, you can always upgrade later.
We’ve had our easy pool for three years now and are sure this is not just a short-term whim but something we really use. That’s why we plan to install a steel wall pool in the next few years. All accessories are sized so they can be reused.
11) I assume a water pump and filter are also needed. Cost and effort?
Pump and filter are essential. Make sure they are not undersized. A sand filter system is recommended, preferably with a fill weight above 25kg (55 lbs), because the sand or glass media wear out quickly otherwise. The pump should circulate the entire pool volume in about one hour. For us, the sand filter system cost 350 Euros and works great; the fill material cost 60 Euros. The media needs to be replaced every one to two years (sand tends to last longer than glass filters). Occasionally you need to backwash the filter; this takes about 15 minutes each time.
12) What other considerations have we overlooked so far and should be taken into account? For example, regarding site planning in advance (e.g., pipelines)
Depending on whether you plan an inground pool or not, a child safety barrier is required. It’s also advisable to secure the entrance area with paving stones or similar to keep dirt from being tracked into the pool. You might also want to plan a small outdoor shower near the pool.
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