Need equipment recomendations

[booboo]

I am getting ready to build a small pool/spa, what we call a spool, and need some recommendations for equipment. The contractors are going to do the work I just have to purchase the equipment myself. The local pool guys so far have been a disappointment and I am not comfortable with their recommendations.

The pool will have approx 3500 gallons. The list below is the things I want in the pool. We would like to keep the pool temperature at about 95 degrees with the solar and the ability to get it hotter with the propane. I am in southern Arizona and the solar works real good here.

Sand filter
Salt chlorinator
Automated controls
Propane heater
Solar heater
Cover to keep heat in, dirt out, and safety for kids and dogs
Fiber optic lighting or nice alternative
In floor cleaning system
Variable speed pump or pumps
Therapy jets
Water leveler
And everything else necessary

I was told that Sta-Rite makes an automated control that takes care of everything including the solar. I was also told that they also make a pump that has a variable speed that can be dialed in to your preference.

Any recommendations?

 

[JasonLion]

Is that volume right, 3,500 gallons? That is a very small pool to have all that equipment on. Perhaps that is a typo? The size of the pool affects equipment choices greatly, so I want to clarify before recommending anything.

 

[booboo]

Here is a very crude drawing of the pool. The blue line is spa seeting with jets. The 13 foot by 7 foot will be about 4 foot deep. The center part between the seeting will also be 4 foot. With this drawing I came up with 3500 gallons. I very well could be wrong.

 

[JasonLion]

Thanks for the picture. I calculate between 3,500 gallons and 4,000 gallons depending on how the seating is done.

That is a very small pool, really more of a large spa. Just keep in mind that it will cost very nearly as much to build as a significantly larger pool.

The IntelliFlo pump from Pentair is a good choice for this situation. Pentair and Sta-Rite are really the same company these days, even though they are maintaining the two brands independently. Sta-Rite has a pump called the IntelliPro, which is nearly identical to the IntelliFlo but just slightly less well thought of.

To go with that you will probably want a Pentair/Sta-Rite automation system so you can have complete control over the pump speed. The EasyTouch system is a good one to look at, though you could get away with a SunTouch to save money, or move up to the IntelliTouch if you want some extra features.

The number of jets will influence things quite a bit. If you want lots of therapy jets you may well need a second pump.

In floor cleaning systems can be extremely nice to have and they can also require a lot of maintenance sometimes.

The filter choice will depend on the number of pumps and the plumbing design. You don't need a very large filter based on the small size of the pool, but the medium to high flow rates for the in floor cleaning and therapy jets will require a larger filter unless they are on a different pump. As a general rule it is best to oversize the filter, less maintenance and a small energy savings.

 

[booboo]

It looks like probably 9 therapy jets, three on each bench. Could we get away with one pump with this many? One more thing. The equipment is going to be in my well house that will be 50 to 75 feet from the pool, depending on the placement of the pool.

The intelliflow was the pump I was looking at. Am I right to think that if we have this pump we could adjust the intensity of the therapy jets.

Do you recomened the salt chlorinator made by Sta-Rite?

I have lived in Phoenix Arizona for most of my life and recently moved to Southern Arizona. I have had pools all my life so I am pretty set on what I want. The in Floor cleaning system and salt are not options for me. I have been talked out of them before on pools and have regretted it.

What about the in ground cleaner. Is there a company that designs them or sell parts?

 

[JasonLion]

Nine jets is marginal for one pump, possibly out of the question given the long run to the equipment shed. Using two pumps would simplify the plumbing design and insure that you can get the flow you want out of the jets.

Yes, the IntelliFlo allows you to adjust the pump speed in very small steps, setting the jets to whatever level you desire. You might also want a blower, to put more air into the jets.

I am personally a fan of AutoPilot SWG systems, but if you are getting a Pentair/Sta-Rite automation system you can add on their SWG for a very attractive price. The AutoPilot systems have some cool features, but the Pentair/Sta-Rite systems work well.

There are a number of companies that make in floor cleaning systems. I am not familiar with which ones are the best as I generally avoid them. I know that there are many people who are very happy with their in-floor systems, but you also hear stories about long strings of sequential failures. Presumably the better quality systems have fewer problem, that simply isn't my area of knowledge.

 

[booboo]

Thanks for the responses, I think I know what I want now so I think it would be better if I start a new thread on each piece of equipment I am considering instead of getting all confused here.