Man Transforms Bottles And Concrete Into A Cheaper Plunge Pool: 'Breeding Ground For Mold'

A plunge pool can give you somewhere to cool down and relax on hot days and could be particularly appropriate if you're considering the best pool for a small backyard. Along with lower cost, they are also claimed to offer health benefits by aiding with stress reduction and muscle recovery and should be easier to clean than a full-sized pool. Over on YouTube, Deep's Craft shows how to build one using old bottles, broken bricks, and concrete. It definitely keeps costs to a minimum, but among the comments is one that suggests it will be a breeding ground for mold, bacteria, and mosquitoes. Let's take a closer look at how it's made and then move on to whether those problems are real and what could be done about them.

The construction is fairly straightforward. He starts by using a big old tractor tire to lay out the main circle. You could rough out the same with a couple of sticks and a length of string. He then sets old bottles into concrete to create a base, and builds the main structure and steps with broken bricks and more concrete. A couple of commenters suggested that rebar should be added for reinforcement, which is a valid point and one to consider if you were to build something similar. The surfaces are troweled smooth, then painted. It's not clear from the video what paint is used, but epoxy pool paint is widely available and specifically designed for finishing concrete.

One concern raised is that the weight of water might crush the glass bottles in the foundation layer. It's difficult to find accurate figures, but bottles are surprisingly strong. Once encased in concrete, it seems unlikely there would be a problem, but rebar could be added. The mold issue is a more serious one. With no pump or filtration, the water can stagnate and become a breeding ground for mold, mildew, etc. Still water is also an open invitation for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. No provision has been made for emptying the plunge pool either.

There are various ways to remove mold in and around your home, and some are safe for bathing water. Bromide tablets or other chlorine-free options could be dropped in, or a floating dispenser could be used. The plunge pool should be completely drained and cleaned from time to time, and simply adding a pipe and a plug near the base during construction would make this much easier. You can try a number of tactics to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard, and the simplest for your plunge pool is to cover it when not in use. Bear in mind the cover needs to be tight to keep them out, so if you're DIYing something with a plastic sheet, the edges will need to be weighted. You can also drop in mosquito dunks. These kill the larvae but are safe for people and pets.