BillRussell51

Jules, I think what you might be missing is that you are thinking about convective flow , that is, heat rises. I was working on this myself, and finally became convinced that the conductive flow from the slab into the damp earth was too much wasted energy. Damp soil is very highly conductive. Dry gravel is highly conductive, even though there is dead air space. I have no experience with the pool, but I think these experienced folks know intuitively what I had to prove for myself with research. If you do it anyway, I would strongly suggest that you very carefully insulate the underneath and arrange it to be dry dry dry. I'm doing those things, and I've moved away from the slab heating.

That is going to make an awesome pile of dirt... dump trucks can't get between the houses... he can't carry 176 yards of dirt out in his digging spoon... that would be about 1760 round trips.

Hi folks, Building 12x16x4 rectangular concrete for canine therapy purposes. What height is optimum for returning water to pool? (I'm planning 1 skimmer and 1 simple return -- 2" pvc. This pool is not for aesthetics, but for working with injured canines. I've worked out drainage so the pool can stand empty if I don't need it for a long time, but I don't really know optimums for water filtration circuit. A low-point outlet, a skimmer, a vacuum port at the pump, all manifolded at the pump? Return at mid-level? Are there advantages to locating pump above or below pool water level? I am on a 1-in-4 slope, so I have quite a few choices with 'elevation', including flattening it. I want to use the pool in the winter. What is the best way to make it easy to run the pump in winter? Is a heated shed the best way to go, or drain down each equipment each time it is used? What do people use? Heat tapes? Also, do I really have to pay 2 grand for uv sterilization? I used to use this technique with salt water aquaria, worked great and was thrifty. At 100 GPM, the devices seem exorbitant. I would invite anyone who can add value, please chime in. I know nothing about pools. I can handle the construction end, but I don't know the plumbing design end of things. The site is a wooded hillside rural; right now I have a dirt pit with form boards for a slab. 2 inch styrofoam over carefully drained gravel. Thanks in advance for anyone willing to help me along. Bill