Planning stage of an IG pool/spa

[FLA Rider]

Hi I am in the process of designing and building an IG pool/spa, it will be about 16,000 gallons in NE Florida. This forum has been very helpfully as I am new to pools and have a lot to learn. I have a couple of question I was hoping the forum group can help me with as I talk with PB.

I am planning on locating the equipment in the back corner of my yard. It will be about 80' away from the pool/house. If wanted to use solar panels would the 160+' round trip distance be a problem?

I am look at Pentair IntelliChlor, Intelliflo Variable speed pump VS-3050 with either EasyTouch or an IntelliTouch. I am leaning towards the IntelliTouch. I think my set up would be simple. Pool and Spa with shared equipment, waterfall, LED lights, and some low voltage lights around the pool deck, Gas heater for the spa and if Solar panels will not work for my setup I might add a heat pump to heat the pool. Can the EasyTouch handle two heaters? From looking at prices online it looks like the IntelliTouch would only cost a couple hundred more. But I could use my computer to manage the equipment and use an iPhone/iTouch/iPad as a remote. Or should just stay with the EasyTouch.

What else should I thinking about? I like to know as much about a topic as I can. Most PB are just trying to sell you what they have or know about, but I am the one that has to live with this for a long time.

Thanks in advance,

Marc

 

[Brentr]

Welcome to TFP Your plan sounds great however there are people with a lot more experience here who will help you. Where are you in NE Florida? Are you planning to screen it? One thought is to also plan for future add ons like summer kitchen, and cabana, and Florida room. Sometimes I wish we had more entertaining space, believe me you can never have too much. Also plan for electrical outlets and water spickets. You can never have too many. Look at out pool build in the sig bar.

 

[FLA Rider]

Welcome to TFP Your plan sounds great however there are people with a lot more experience here who will help you. Where are you in NE Florida? Are you planning to screen it? One thought is to also plan for future add ons like summer kitchen, and cabana, and Florida room. Sometimes I wish we had more entertaining space, believe me you can never have too much. Also plan for electrical outlets and water spickets. You can never have too many. Look at out pool build in the sig bar.

I live in the Jacksonville area. It will be screen enclosed. I am planning on a outdoor kitchen down the road, trying to figure out how to run a drain line from the back yard to the front yard for the sink. I am trying to think to whole project out now and making wish list of what I might want to add later and what I can do now to make it easier. Like running pipe under the footing for water, drain, light and power. This forum is great for getting ideas.

 

[Brentr]

I will be running my drain to my interior deck drains. That pipe runs to the back of the property. You can then do a small drain Field just for it. I would do this project after your pool is built. Make sure to put electrical outlets in all 4 corners of your screen and put water spickets in all 4 corners both inside and outside the screen.

 

[Richard320]

All I can offer from bitter experience is to locate your skimmer at the extreme downwind side of the pool. That way surface trash gets blown into it instead of past it. If I could redesign my pool, I'd raise the spa section a few inches, just enough so you have to step over the edge. Less crud would end up in the spa, which is hard to vacuum with the sharp corners. Be sure your deck is pitched away from the pool, noticeably so. The edge of mine is about 1/2" higher than the patio drains, which isn't enough when a good rainstorm with wind comes along. It tends to clean the patio at the expense of the pool.

As long as they're running wires, put a few outdoor outlets in convenient spots. You'll need somewhere to plug in a submersible pump for draining, as well as possibly plug in a stereo or a worklight, maybe even festive patio lights.

 

[FLA Rider]

Thanks for the ideas

Marc

 

[Isaac-1]

On the location for the equipment pad, make sure to oversize the diameter of your pipe, a little cost now saves a lot of money in the long run on electric bills due to pumps working harder to overcome flow restriction. With that long of run I would go up 2 sizes above whatever the standard fitting size is at the pump for the length of the run.

Ike

 

[cadillac]

Can the EasyTouch handle two heaters?

It can handle a gas heater with a heat pump, yes. Adding solar to the mix can be tricky, but it can work. Spa would have the gas heater, and the pool would have the heat pump / solar combo. Gas heater's fireman's switch wires connect to the "Spa" aux circuit via a relay, heat pump to the "heater" connection, and solar is solar.