Natural Pool System

How does a Natural Pool “work”?

Due to the natural design, the biological self-cleansing forces of the Natural Pool are extremely effective. Impurities are absorbed by the plants as nutrients and harmful bacteria are destroyed by natural water organisms. Thanks to the biological self-cleansing properties absolutely no chemicals are required. Technology is used to support and enhance the natural processes. Biotop has always attached a great deal of importance to designing technical components that are simple and easy for the user to understand.

In the planning of Natural Pools, generally the ratio of the swimming zone to the regeneration zone is 1:1 and the depth is at least two meters in the swimming area. This is the basis for a functioning pool. If more technology is use, the regeneration area can be smaller with less depth.

A Natural Pool will function as it should if the regeneration area is designed correctly and the underwater plants are used properly. The pool is fortified with zooplankton (water fleas, rotifers, paramecia), which play an important role in keeping the water clean on a continual basis. All it takes is a little bit of patience until the pool finds its natural balance. A Biotop Natural Pool functions in perfect balance starting from a water surface area of 30 to 40 m². And in terms of size, the sky’s the limit.

Technical components

Schematic cross section

Submersible pump chamber

Biotop has developed a special water circulation system for Swimming Ponds. The pump is completely submersed in water in a chamber, allowing water to flow to it simply by the force of gravity instead of being “sucked in” by the pump. Mounted at the bottom of the chamber, the pump conveys the water back into the pond through pressure pipes.

Advantages

• Submersed pumps are quiet, creating almost no noise
• The low noise level means the chamber can be installed underneath the wooden deck
• The pump does not need to be uninstalled for winter
• The pipes do not need to be emptied for winter
• Incoming and outgoing pipes can be regulated individually
• The pump is cooled by the water around it

Curved Sieve skimmer

The purpose of the curved sieve skimmer is to remove floating particles from the Swimming Pond. The water flows over a curved screen with a mesh of only 0.3 millimetres that removes even the smallest particles. A sophisticated mechanism controls the water flow via a flexible flap so that the correct amount of water always flows over the screen. Biotop was granted a European patent for this innovation.

Advantages

• Even the finest particles are eliminated from the system
• The screen is self-cleaning
• Nutrients are removed from the water

Carbonator

The Carbonator provides the water plants with carbon dioxide, thereby helping to regulate the pH value of the water. This unique process was developed and patented by Biotop.

Separation

A separation between swimming zone and regeneration zone can be created by fitting special wall units, as shown in the illustration above. You can find further methods on this page.

Bio compact filter

Water flows vertically through the bio compact filter from top to bottom and is biologically cleaned along the way. Organic compounds and impurities that could cause cloudy water are broken down by microorganisms. The result is crystal-clear water. To optimise the cleaning performance of the microorganisms, water flows through the biofilter permanently. The biologically cleaned water then flows back into the pond.

Advantages

• Biological cleaning with no need for chemicals
• The bio compact filter is comparatively small in size and is installed under the deck, invisible to the user
• Takes up less space than common filter systems

Two water circuits: Easy to operate

The separation into two water circuits allows the pumps to operate economically and with minimal use of space. The first circuit is responsible for cleaning the surface of the water and removing floating particles. Its pump runs throughout the day. The purpose of the second circuit is to eliminate organic compounds. Its pump runs continually during the swimming season. Features like rock fountains, waterfalls or curtain fountains can be integrated into either or both of the circuits.

Optional

The components 1 and 5 can be installed in a single unit , the Combi-Box, to save space.