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Lagunage en downflow ou upflow pour ma piscine naturelle

Downflow or upflow lagooning for my natural pool

How to choose whether to carry out its lagooning in downflow or in upflow?

In a natural swimming pool or swimming pond, the water is filtered for the most part by plants and lava rock. With an upflow solution (from the bottom to the top of the lagoon), the water flows towards the skimmers and is then discharged towards the lagoon. A prefilter (skimmer or sieve) retains large waste.

Natural pools allow you to enjoy the benefits of clean water without chemicals, while increasing the biodiversity of your garden - we explain everything

At Foudebassin, we explain to you how to build your own natural swimming pool. You can order our kits to build your entire pool yourself, except the block structure :)!

Downflow lagooning

Under the lava stone (porous red gravel), perforated pipes are installed and suck up the water thanks to a hidden suction pump. As this water passes through the roots of the plants, nutrients are absorbed to help them grow. The purified water is then recirculated to the bottom of the bathing area.

For the swimming pool, which operates according to the 'downflow' principle, the lagoon area is delimited from the swimming area by a separating wall which is below the surface of the water and which supports slabs. The space created between the slabs will function as a kind of skimmer. The flow of water directs leaves and other dirt particles into the lagoon.

This is where the biological water filtration takes place: by means of marsh plants, such as yellow iris and a combination of porous stones such as lava rock and the filter mineral Clinopti Plus. The latter is an excellent carrier for useful bacteria, adsorbs harmful components and improves water quality. In the marsh area, a 'Drain connector' can function as a support for the drainage pipes and as a control well for the pump.

Advantages of downflow lagoons:

  • Attractive prices
  • Ecological solution ·
  • Low energy consumption · Plants grow easily · Interesting biotope

Disadvantages of downflow:

  • Sensitive to weather changes
  • Possibility of appearance of algae.
  • Biofilm on the walls: appearance of stains, viscosities, slipperiness
  • Always place the entrance to the lagoon in the direction of the prevailing winds: towards the northeast

Development of a swimming pond with a lagoon area operating according to the “downflow” principle

The swimming area is separated from the filtration area by a dividing wall which is lower than the water level and which is provided with 'Japanese steps' to give a skimmer effect. The flow of water directs leaves and dirt particles from the swimming area to the lagoon area.

Water purification happens here: by a combination of marsh plants like yellow iris and porous stones like lava. For a swimming pond, a layer of filter mineral 10 to 15 cm thick is generally provided, above the lava stones.

In the marsh area, a Drain Connector serves as a carrier for the drains and as a control well for the pump.

Upflow lagooning

Development of a swimming pond with a lagooning area operating according to the “upflow” principle

The swimming area is filtered by means of skimmers which are almost invisible below the finishing slabs and possibly a flat bottom drain. The skimmers remove the dirt from the surface of the water and carry out a first filtration. A flat bottom drain sucks up the heaviest particles.
Then the particles are directed to a pumping well with a curved screen. After this pre-filtration, the water crosses the lagoon from bottom to top through the lava stones.

The advantage: very easy maintenance . The dirt settles in the area below the lagoon and can be removed say once or twice a year by the dirt remover of Pond Technics in which a cellar pump is installed. The skimmer retention baskets must be emptied regularly.

The benefits of upflow:

  • skimmers & presence of prefilters
  • greater longevity of lagooning (unless well designed in upflow on grid and use of bactovase)
  • overflow and cascade possible.

Disadvantages of upflow:

  • plants grow slower
  • seaweed possibilities
  • skimmers to be placed northeast, lagooning to be placed southwest
  • biofilm on the walls
  • appearance of viscosities and stains on the walls.

What are the advantages of a natural swimming pool?

To weigh the pros and cons of building a swimming pool, it helps to look at the benefits of natural swimming pools. These include:

  • No chemicals — A freshwater pool free of chemical disinfectants is good for bathers' skin and the environment.
  • A pond and a swimming pool - A natural pool looks like a pond and is as natural as possible.
  • low maintenance - With only a little pruning needed, plants keep a natural pool clean and a living pool's filtration systems keep it free of debris and algae.
  • A haven for wildlife - a natural swimming pool will of course invite a multitude of wild animals into your garden, a plus for biodiversity

What plants are used in a natural swimming pool?

Planting a natural pool is essential. Of course, like any part of the garden, it will require maintenance — the aquatic plants will need to be cut back in late fall.

It should also be remembered that the term "filtration plants" can be misleading as the plants do not remove particles from the water. They actually absorb and capture nutrients from the water, which means algae (which feed on these nutrients) will not grow and bloom in the water.

The amount of nutrients a plant absorbs is more or less proportional to the amount of plant growth. So plants that grow "greener" take up more nutrients, but that can also mean they grow more aggressively.

Common species used to filter a natural pool:

  • marsh iris
  • loosestrife
  • sedge
  • water mint
  • water lilies.
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