Pool restart after a long idle period

When a restart makes sense

We restart pools that have been left without regular care. That includes villas that stood empty or were mothballed in the low season, rental villas left between bookings or owner visits, and hotel pools reopening after a closure.

An idle pool rarely just needs topping up. Debris and scale settle on the surface, equipment seizes or leaks, and small defects in grout or coping grow unnoticed.

What we check before anything is switched on

Before cleaning or refilling, we look over the whole pool and its plant.

• The interior surface, whether tiles or the PebbleCrete finish, for staining, roughness, cracks or hollow areas
• Grout joints and tiles, for missing, loose or damaged sections
• Coping stones, for movement, cracks and open joints
• Pumps, filters, valves, lights and other pump room equipment, for seized parts, leaks and wear
• The water source you plan to fill the pool from

Cleaning, refilling and a controlled start-up

We clean the surface in a way that suits the finish. An acid wash is used where the type and condition of the finish call for it, and not as a matter of routine.

We then refill the pool and bring the equipment back into service in a controlled way, checking each item as it runs.

Repairs found during the restart, such as loose tiles or a faulty pump, are quoted separately. You see photos first and decide what goes ahead.

Fill water and handover

Much of the water used to fill pools in Thailand comes from a lake, a river or a borehole, and it is often acidic on arrival. Acidic water is hard on a cement-based finish. Mains and delivered potable water usually are not acidic.

Have the source tested before the refill, not just the pool water afterwards. If you plan to use lake, river or borehole water, tell us in advance.

At handover we give you or your pool operator written care instructions and make clear who is responsible for water testing and treatment from then on. Keep them with the pool's operating records.

What to send for a first discussion

Send us these details so we can plan an inspection and the restart.

• Recent photos of the pool, the waterline and the inside of the pump room
• The property location and whether it is a private villa, rental villa or hotel pool
• Roughly when the pool was last in use and whether it was drained or left full
• Where the fill water will come from
• The finish type, if known, and any recent water-test records