Installing a buffer tank on an infinity pool.

[Nosoko]

Greetings!

I have a 9m x 3m x 1.5m deep in-ground “infinity” pool - actually just one end has a sloped edge feeding into a 360L catch basin, the other 3 edges have coping.

It mostly works fine but the small catch basin has always proved difficult to both keep full enough for the pump not to lose its prime and empty enough not to overflow when too many people enter the pool suddenly.

So I’m thinking about installing a 1000L buffer tank (please see the attached diagram) to help with things as well as being a store for rainwater - I live in a sub tropical climate that gets a lot of rain.

The whole pump system is about 2m below and to the side of the pool itself so the tank can be quite easily installed and hidden above ground, as it were.

By my calculations a 1000L tank would provide about 3-4 cm of water storage for the pool. Or to put it another way, enough storage to add 1-2cm of water when needed, plus also enough room to allow 8 people to suddenly enter the pool. Ie. 500L of backup water plus 500L of surge water.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of setup? Have I made any wrong assumptions with my calculations / layout etc?

Many thanks for this newbies help!

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP.
There are several threads on the forum that have infinite edges. You could search those for info and how they have set up the system.
Also, we have several experts on pumps that may chime in.
Thanks for the drawing as that is helpful. You may want to post some pictures of your pool and current catch basin along with your equipment pad. This helps others understand your current set up.

 

[Nosoko]

Welcome to TFP.
There are several threads on the forum that have infinite edges. You could search those for info and how they have set up the system.
Also, we have several experts on pumps that may chime in.
Thanks for the drawing as that is helpful. You may want to post some pictures of your pool and current catch basin along with your equipment pad. This helps others understand your current set up.

Thank you .. I will do just that !

 

[flynwill]

I assume that part of your plan is to have the new 1000L tank gravity fed from the catch basin, and that the catch basin will normally be empty or near empty.
The thing to consider will be the flow rate in that gravity fed line, If four 80 kG (~= 80 L) persons enter the pool your basin will fill very quickly with the 320L displaced from the pool and how rapidly that volume can flow to the new tank will limit how quickly the 5 and 6 person can enter the pool without causing problems.
Likely want to look at 4-6" pipe or multiple 3" pipes.

 

[oldprophet]

Greetings!

I have a 9m x 3m x 1.5m deep in-ground “infinity” pool - actually just one end has a sloped edge feeding into a 360L catch basin, the other 3 edges have coping.

It mostly works fine but the small catch basin has always proved difficult to both keep full enough for the pump not to lose its prime and empty enough not to overflow when too many people enter the pool suddenly.

So I’m thinking about installing a 1000L buffer tank (please see the attached diagram) to help with things as well as being a store for rainwater - I live in a sub tropical climate that gets a lot of rain.

The whole pump system is about 2m below and to the side of the pool itself so the tank can be quite easily installed and hidden above ground, as it were.

By my calculations a 1000L tank would provide about 3-4 cm of water storage for the pool. Or to put it another way, enough storage to add 1-2cm of water when needed, plus also enough room to allow 8 people to suddenly enter the pool. Ie. 500L of backup water plus 500L of surge water.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of setup? Have I made any wrong assumptions with my calculations / layout etc?

Many thanks for this newbies help!
View attachment 482545

This probably will not help you but every pool I built with an infinity edge had an automatic water leveler in the catch basin l

 

[Nosoko]

This probably will not help you but every pool I built with an infinity edge had an automatic water leveler in the catch basin l

Thanks, I have being considering whether to add one but I think the difference with my setup is that the catch basin will end up being close to empty most of the time. The water flowing over the edge of the pool will get drained straight into the buffer tank.

 

[Nosoko]

I assume that part of your plan is to have the new 1000L tank gravity fed from the catch basin, and that the catch basin will normally be empty or near empty.
The thing to consider will be the flow rate in that gravity fed line, If four 80 kG (~= 80 L) persons enter the pool your basin will fill very quickly with the 320L displaced from the pool and how rapidly that volume can flow to the new tank will limit how quickly the 5 and 6 person can enter the pool without causing problems.
Likely want to look at 4-6" pipe or multiple 3" pipes.

Yes indeed! The whole pad is situated 2 meters below the pool and the pipe is wide enough that even with the pump off the basin drains much quicker than it’s possible to fill it up.