Hi there,
I figured I would share my progress on here.
I am doing a new pool build in Gilbert Arizona, things are moving along very quickly on my build.

Pool Specs
Length 32'
Width: 16'
Pool surface area: 465 sf
Perimeter: 94 ft
Internal area of pool: 841 sf
Depth: 3x5x4
Gallons - 14,500

Equipment
Hayward Tristar Two Speed 1.5 HP Pump
425 Sq ft Hayward Swimcartridge filter
Goldline P-4 Controller
1 Actuator on line to switch/adjust between In floor system and water feature
Goldline Salt Clor Navigator
A&A Infloor cleaning system with 18 heads
Venturi Skimmer
Leaf Vac Debris Canister
Vacuum Line
Auto water leveler
1 Hayward ColorLogic LED Light
Equipment Slab with block wall fence

Misc
Travertine and ledger stone wall with three scuppers and two planter woks
540 sq ft of tumbled travertine pavers and coping
Stonescape Pebble or Mini Pebble Interior

Signed Contract - 3/24
Pool Permit - 3/29
Layout - 3/29
Excavation - 3/30
Plumbing - 3/31
Steel (Rebar) - 4/1
Electrical - 4/2

We are scheduled for shotcrete on Fri 4/9. I wanted to share some of my pictures here, in case anyone noticed something I need to address before they pour shotcrete.

I have pictures of the entire build, which I will post here

Pictures after excavation, plumbing,electrical and Rebar.


More pictures of my pool build http://picasaweb.google.com/ari.biswas/Pool?authkey=Gv1sRgCI3Myeai-9SrXw&feat=email#

Welcome to TFP!

The area in front of the steps seems to be a large blank spot for the In-floors as well as the area on the other side. I may be wrong but ...

A 16x32 is 512 sq. ft. of surface and 96 ft of perimeter. The bumps on each end counter each other but should actually add a couple linear feet to the perimeter number.

I love that they used hard pipe!

Scott

Yea, I guess it does look to be a big spot, I'll have to ask my PB.
I think the 32 number is misleading, if you ignore that my pool has bumps, then the length is 28 feet, but the bottom bump sticks out 4 feet which makes the total be 32 feet, which is why the surface area is 465 ft!

Is it not common to use hard pipe? Most pool build pictures I have seen seem to include it.
Does anyone have any comments about my pool pump size, may be a little too late to change but does a Hayward Tristar 2 speed 1.5 HP pump seem to be the right size? My pool specs are above, but the reason I was told for needing 1.5 HP is because I have an Infloor cleaning system which needs 78 GPM. Also my back wall (the curved area) will be 24 inches high with three water scuppers in it.
Does my pump seem right sized for my application?

Quick follow up question about my pool.
My pool has been poured and now they are doing the masonry back wall with the wok pots and the water feature in it.
The columns are 24 inch high and 24 inches square. The straight wall is 24 inches long and 18 inches tall. The curved wall is 24 inches high.

I was reviewing there work and was concerned to see a lack of rebar. The contractor is telling me that even though I have expansive soil, I should not be worried about this wall since its sitting on the pool (although part of the foundation for the columns was poured separately on top of dirt and not on top of the pool wall). He also claims that concrete does not expand and contract with the weather!

Right Column (24 inch tall) - has three pieces of rebar
1 - Front center block has 16 inch tall rebar
2 & 3 - are 8 inch tall rebar

Right Straight wall ( 16 inch tall) has one piece of rebar
4 - 8 inch rebar

Curved wall (24 inch tall)
5 - 24 inch rebar
6 - 24 inch rebar
7 - missing rebar (they snapped it off!)

Left Straight Wall
Missing rebar

Left Column
8 - 8 inch rebar
9 - 8 inch rebar

I am very concerned about what they are doing. They tell me that its a short wall (24 inches tall) and not really load bearing. But still, with the expansive soil, the heating and cooling in Arizona, I am worried that I will end up with a ugly cracked wall down the line.

Thoughts?

I can't advise about the rebar...hopefully someone will be along shortly.

But your pump question - I think you will be fine - I'm assuming you can use the low speed the majority of the time.... I'm not all that familiar with infloor cleaning systems, that's not something that has to run constantly is it?

Hard pipe is good. Too often you see flex-pipe underground as short cut and it's not as durable and can collapse/cause problems.

The in-floor heads may not pop up on low speed. You may have a valve to switch return flow between wall returns and the in-floor cleaners (I don't, but wish I did...); I can't tell from your equipment picture. I can't see a gearbox for the in-floor system anywhere. It may cause problems to run on low speed if the pressure is too low to pop up the cleaner heads.

I know a few on here dont like it, but it's really a matter of opinion. In my book, nothing wrong with black poly, at all.
Lots of builders use it where the ground freezes very deep and can shift. Nothing wrong with PVC either, though.

Just looking more closely at the pictures, do you not have a bottom drain? The in-floor system won't work as well without one, since any windblown sand/grit that gets in the pool won't be pulled in the skimmer. In my pool the cleaner heads push the grit to the main drain.

I do have dual main drains (bottom). What I do not have is wall returns. My PB said that since i have in floor returns, I don't need the wall returns. He also convinced me that it low speed, the in floor cleaning heads will barely pop out and still let the water circulate and filter , they just won't have any cleaning action. Does that sound right?

I don't understand why they didn't build that wall out of gunite so that it was all one continuous piece with the pool shell. I would also be concerned about what they are doing. At least the wall is being constructed on an extremely stable base/foundation.

Hopefully one the pool build pros will be along soon.

Ah, I see the spots for the drains now.



If he's right, that would be great (and let me know if it does work so I can do the same thing). I was under the impression that it wouldn't have enough "oomph" to push them up. See this post for when I asked a similar question. Again, no definitive answer.

Does anyone on TFP have an in-floor system and a multiple speed pump?

Sure thing. I am probably 10 days away from having water in the pool. I will post back here with results!

I hope it works perfectly!

If it doesn't, my builder has a lot of explaining/repairing/replacing to do.

Ari

How's it going?

I'll update the pictures soon! But the pool is almost done. They are doing Stonescape Mini Pebble today and will acid wash tomorrow and start filling it up!
I'll be able to report on the performance on in floor cleaning heads at low speed very soon!

Stonescape Mini Pebble is done, tomorrow is acid wash, followed by filling of the pool. I guess I have to brush it once a day for a week. What are the downsides of not doing that? I am a little concerned since I may be travelling and not able to be home to brush it?!

I am also in gilbert. I have a 2 speed pump and the in-floor heads pop up just fine on low speed. If I have some big wind I might turn it on high to clean out the pool. Otherwise low speed cleans the pool just fine.

Also, make sure that you check out pool school and get on top of your water balance immediately. My pool builder didn't tell me anything other than checking chlorine and pH. Buy a good test kit and do it yourself. There is one pool supply store in Gilbert that is rediclulous when it comes to testing water. Hint: near Val Vista and Guadalupe. Don't even go in there. Rediculous.

My water was out of balance and ended up dissolving a bunch of calcium out of the grout on our tiles. Now I have white calcium streaks coming out of my grout. Would hate to see that happen to your beautiful tile. Didn't know I needed to check the calcium hardness (CH) and the overall Calcium Saturation Index (CSI). The Gilbert water is about 100 ppm CH. Just checked today.