Dig Day November 28!

The builder doesn't believe a wall is needed after walking the pool; they are going to bring in some dirt to even out the slope and they said it would be good. They said they could install a wall if I preferred, waiting on the cost for that.
 
Oh goodie!! Have you seen BLACK MONDO GRASS????????? It is OH SO PRETTY!!! Look here:

It does not have to be mowed, is a very fast grower, and did I say it was pretty?
I do like that, but I would need so many it would be cost-prohibitive! We are bringing in 12 loads of dirt to level is some.

I have a question about a generator; I'm not sure if this is the best place.

I want to provide some backup for the pool equipment in case of a power outage; my area was without power for about 5 days last year when temps were in the single digits.

Our pool will be on a 100-amp subpanel, and we have 2 main 200-amp panels inside. I got a few quotes for whole home generators, and a 26KW is around 15k installed, which is outside of budget for right now. Is there another path I can take for backup power for only the pool pumps? Or I could just install the transfer switch now and install a generator next winter (the pool won't be ready til April).
 
I do like that, but I would need so many it would be cost-prohibitive! We are bringing in 12 loads of dirt to level is some.

I have a question about a generator; I'm not sure if this is the best place.

I want to provide some backup for the pool equipment in case of a power outage; my area was without power for about 5 days last year when temps were in the single digits.
If air temperatures are that low, another option would be to just drain the pad equipment assuming the pad is above water level. When water temps get below 50F, there really isn't much chance of algae anyway so the pool can safely sit idle for many days until water temps start to rise again. Think of this as a partial close.

The conditions for freeze damage are usually pretty extreme. Normally, they do not occur until temperatures get below 32F for more than around 10 hours depending on the plumbing setup. You can see some examples here and other types of solutions that may be just as effective if not more so than running the pump:


Our pool will be on a 100-amp subpanel, and we have 2 main 200-amp panels inside. I got a few quotes for whole home generators, and a 26KW is around 15k installed, which is outside of budget for right now. Is there another path I can take for backup power for only the pool pumps? Or I could just install the transfer switch now and install a generator next winter (the pool won't be ready til April).
You shouldn't need that much power for the pool equipment. Most of it is just the pool pump and most pool pumps are below 3kw.

What make/model pump do you have?

But will the generator be autostart or will you need to start it manually? If the later, there are probably many other options in the above link that would be just as effective and certainly more convenient.

Have you looked into battery backup?
 
If air temperatures are that low, another option would be to just drain the pad equipment assuming the pad is above water level. When water temps get below 50F, there really isn't much chance of algae anyway so the pool can safely sit idle for many days until water temps start to rise again. Think of this as a partial close.

The conditions for freeze damage are usually pretty extreme. Normally, they do not occur until temperatures get below 32F for more than around 10 hours depending on the plumbing setup. You can see some examples here and other types of solutions that may be just as effective if not more so than running the pump:



You shouldn't need that much power for the pool equipment. Most of it is just the pool pump and most pool pumps are below 3kw.

What make/model pump do you have?

But will the generator be autostart or will you need to start it manually? If the later, there are probably many other options in the above link that would be just as effective and certainly more convenient.

Have you looked into battery backup?
Thank you for all of this info. I will look into it.

The equipment is above water level about 2 feet. 2 Jandy epump 2.7hp - one for pool/spa and one for water features.

The generator is auto start; it's a whole home that is why 26kw. I could do much smaller or a battery but I assume I'd still need transfer switch and then to manually switch off the breakers other than pool.

Sounds like I may be overcomplicating it - our home builder had his pipes burst in his pool last year during the freeze but he didn't drain or do anything during that time.
 
We're getting close to our house being completed which means we'll resume the pool work, yay! But I have another electric question for everyone.

I'm looking to run driveway lighting from my jandy panel all the way down my driveway - approx 850 feet. What's the best way to accomplish this?
 

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That is out of wheel house. Lets see if anyone else can help on that question.

I'll stop asking my electrical questions :D

I do have a Firebowl question though. Does anyone have recommendations for Firebowls? I need 2 of them and they have to be remote-controlled - a big plus for an app and an even bigger plus if they work with Jandy.

I know Grand Effects is a Jandy product, but they are $6k each. Just wondering if anyone may have a little budget friendlier option.
 
For what it’s worth I got The Outdoor Plus 24” fire bowls. Maya series square hammered copper. Got a deal for $2k each (without remote start). If I remember correctly that adds about $2k each. I have a video of them in action in my build thread.

Newb OB with BYOP in Buckeye AZ - 1st 30 days new plaster

Good luck in your search. They are crazy expensive.
 
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For what it’s worth I got The Outdoor Plus 24” fire bowls. Maya series square hammered copper. Got a deal for $2k each (without remote start). If I remember correctly that adds about $2k each. I have a video of them in action in my build thread.

Newb OB with BYOP in Buckeye AZ - 1st 30 days new plaster

Good luck in your search. They are crazy expensive.
Looks great! What are your column dimensions? Look very similar to what we'll have (36" wide) and the 24" looks good there. I couldn't decide if I'd need 24, 27 or 30.