Natural pools: the best option to cool off without risk

Having a pool in the garden, even if it is small, is a great little luxury for the whole family. Swimming or simply cooling off becomes a pleasure on hot summer days and extraordinary fun for the little ones in the house.

But keeping the pool in optimal conditions for bathing requires adding Chlorine and other chemical agents that can cause health problems, such as skin and eye irritations, allergies or respiratory ailments. In addition to these drawbacks, it must be taken into account that the filtration system of conventional swimming pools consumes a lot of energy. Natural pools are a healthier alternative that also looks beautiful in the garden.

Natural pool: the healthiest option to take a dip

Fortunately, there are alternatives to a chlorine-laden pool: they are “natural pools”, which purify and purify water just as nature does, with plants, gravel and microorganisms that maintain the aquatic environment in healthy conditions for bathing.

For this reason, many families make the decision to build one of these pools or convert a conventional one by “naturalizing” it, an option that is becoming more and more widespread.

With this alternative, we will not only achieve healthier dips, but we will also gain a green zone. The natural pools are more beautiful, since they integrate better into the garden landscape and add a plus of nature to the environment. They respect the environment, require less maintenance and, in addition, consume less energy.

Although the construction price is slightly higher, It is offset by the fact that you will not have to change the water or buy chemical maintenance kits. They are truly ecological pools.

How is chlorine replaced?

The key to natural filtration is aquatic plants. They replace harmful chemicals and complicated mechanical filter systems. It is these plants that enrich the water with oxygen and allow the growth of beneficial bacteria that keep the water clean. The result is a beautiful ecosystem that only needs to be filled once with water. You can even irrigate the garden with this water, since it is actually like having a large cistern at home.

In the construction of these pools are used natural materials such as gravel and clay for the area of ​​the plants (or purification). A different material can be used to cover the bathing area, such as shotcrete, liner sheets and geotextiles. The access platforms can be built with heat-treated wood and surrounding rocks, in such a way that the pool blends into the landscape.

Types of natural pools

The pool can be a single glass, where the area for swimming and the area for natural filtering with plants and gravel share the space at 30-50 percent.Or it can be in two glasses, one for the bath and one for the filtering. Both pools, which can be separated by several meters, are connected by buried water inlet and outlet pipes. It is the closest visually similar to a conventional pool and is the preferred option for many users.

You do not need a large space to build a natural pool. 40-50 square meters may be enough. You can even naturalize any conventional pool.

Some people think that in a natural pool you swim among grasses and it is full of bugs, as if it were a pond. Not so, especially in pools with two glasses. The bathing area is clean and free of weeds, and since the water is in constant movement there is no danger of the proliferation of undesirable insects, as it does in stagnant water.

If the bottom stays clean, the water will be crystal clear and, what is more important, it is healthier than one treated with chlorine and chemicals.

How is the maintenance of a natural pool?

It is very simple, the family can do it without the need for a professional. Consists in:

Cleaning the cloth filter. The filters are cleaned once a month in winter or once a week in summer. Depending on the existing vegetation around the perimeter of the pool, it may be necessary to do it a little more frequently in spring or autumn. The cloth bag is cleaned with pressurized water with a hose.Prune the plants. Plants can grow quite large and need to be pruned. The pruning will depend on the game of volumes that we want, since it is part of the landscaping of the pool.Start up a pool cleaner robot.

How to build a natural pool

If you are daring, you can make your natural pool, although you will have to advise yourself well.

The easiest is to make a hole in the ground with sloping sides, as the shape is not so much that of a bathtub as that of a soup plate. Reserve 50% of the area for the plant area (it may be enough with 30 percent), which can be located at one end of the pool or around it, in the shape of a ring. The hole in the ground is covered and sealed using resistant and insulating materials. A pump will be needed to drive the water and make a channeling through tubes that lead the water from the pool to the plant area. It will also be necessary to apply an air diffuser in the lower part of the pool. water, Indian cane…

How much is a natural pool worth?

Construction can be more expensive than that of a conventional pool, but, since it does not use chemicals or need to change the water, maintenance is cheaper.

Built by ourselves or by a specialized company, once finished, the pool It gives little work and a lot of satisfaction. It is not necessary to measure the pH of the water every two by three or supervise the chlorine or the filters every day. It is a natural ecosystem that takes care of itself. You just have to clean the leaves on the surface and enjoy the dragonflies that from time to time settle, curious, on the friendly plants of our pool.