Open letter to Mr. Pool Builder...

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PoolGuyNJ said:
Mr .Pool Builder strikes again:
th_MurphyYxPad.jpg


Printed with the owner's permission.

Scott
Click to expand...

:shock: Ok, my install is nowhere near as bad as this so I'll just shut up. That's terrible, I'm not even sure he can remove the pump basket!
 
In defense of Mr. Pool Builder: The majority of time we have to fight for every inch of space to put the equipment and often end up with a compromise that is less than ideal. If it weren't for code requirements for electrical and heater clearance, architects, homebuilders, landscapers and homeowners would have us pack it in even tighter. We might gain a few inches in the argument for optimizing hydraulic performance but when I explain that eventually someone will have to change the pump motor and needs room for a screwdriver and the ability to see the electrical connections, they ask "how often will that need to be done".

In the above photo there is a gutter downspout on the left and there could be a/c units, power boxes, sewer lift stations, gas meters and sprinkler control boxes on the right. The electrical hasn't been done yet and that will require 3 ft of space. The gas piping will also take up more space.

Quite often its not that we are trying pinch pennies and save a few inches of pipe, but having to work in a very minimal space.

Hope I don't get slammed too bad for trying to defend the bad guy!
 
renovxpt said:
Hope I don't get slammed too bad for trying to defend the bad guy!
Click to expand...

Nope!

You read the thread, and "get it". I wish most pool builders would take into account pad dimensions and equipment layout as part of the build and make the necessary adjustments/requests for a little-more-space. It's just in the majority of installs I work on (50+ pools), 90% are way too tight - and there's plenty of room to spare.

I know when I had my pool built, the pad was in the way-back of the yard. Nothing within 30' of the pad. And they tried to cram it all into as small a space as possible to save money and concrete.
 
Another example of exactly what I'm talking about.

This would have been an easy change-out EXCEPT...
1) The original installer through away the quick-connect couplings to the pump and threaded it directly to PVC (otherwise, it would have been a direct drop-in), and
2) I wound-up throwing away the JVA and the JEF because I had to cut into the pipe.

5528469750_fdfa025548_z.jpg


And

SEE ALL THIS FRIGGEN SPACE!!!
5528469674_f847fdae50_z.jpg


Here's the final re-plumb (a 5 hour job, should have been two at most - had to go to Leslie's and pay retail ($90) for the 3-way valve):

(also, sorry for the bad contrast - bright day, cr*** camera phone):

5528469464_bc00a5bd5e_z.jpg
 
Suddenly this thread has a new level of relevance to me.

I have a booster pump for the spa, looks old, that started leaking. I'm a mechanic; dealing with seized bolts, stuck gaskets, installing seals, that stuff is no problem. But how to get the thing out to where I can work on it? No unions. The piping looks like it was already cut once or twice and reassembled with couplings, so there aren't any straight sections long enough to glue onto once I cut it out!

I only use the thing for aeration when I want to drop TA. Maybe I'll just leave it alone....
 

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Not always the PB's fault.
I have had many home builders that leave us a postage stamp to install equipment in.
I had one that we literally strapped the manifolds to the walls above the equipment because there was no room for anything.
I wish I had taken a picture.
 
I discussed this thread with my PB :)
They install all the equipment next week. I'll post a couple photos when it is done.
My PB tells me that all the "new" Jandy equipment is designed to easily connect from one piece to another, I guess we will see.
 
You did see this on the prior page, yes?

taekwondodo said:
Here's a funny one - I had a pump replacement on a pad last year that had ZERO slack PVC between the pump's output and the filter. It went:
Jandy Union (Pump), Slip, 90o Elbow, JVA, slip, Jandy Union (Filter). And only about 1" on the pump input side. It went Spa/Pool - JVA, 1/2", Jandy Union.

So - the Stealth II motor went out, and the customer wanted the 2-speed stealth as a replacement.

I pulled the pump (contorted to get it out) and got it into my shop. The new pump arrived and the unions were in the EXACT same place - WOOT! WOOT!... right?

We, I'll be danged - I looked and the threads were different! I couldn't believe my eyes! It seems some product manager in their infinite wisdom at Jandy decided that their new "VersaPlumb(TM)" thread was better than the NPT thread they used to have on their unions. So, I had to cut-out almost all of the pumping on the pressure side and rebuild it - all because Jandy changed the thread on the wet-end!
Click to expand...

Just remember, that if they don't leave any slack, any future upgrades are committed to the Versathread... and if Jandy changes the thread, or you want a Pentair, you're gonna be cutting pipe ;)

- Jeff
 
So as a guy who will soon be installing and arranging his own equipment pad....

My layout will be :

Fence to the pool area
12" dirt/pipe coming from/to the pool zone
8X10 concrete pad with 10' along the fence/pipe zone and 8' along the wall to the house
I was thinking (this area will not be seen by poolgoers, just us homeowners)
why not have the pipe sticking out of the ground about 5 feet to have plenty of room for changes down the road, and spread things out alot? Have all the incoming on one side, and the outgoing on the other and valving mostly on the tall pipes sticking out of the ground?

Its not like the extra 5-10 feet are going to make that much difference in the performance, and the maintenance will be much easier?

am I thinking right or not?

I mean I will have a lot of large equipment... heater, heat pump (cooler, its the deep south), pump, way oversize filter, plus the automation panels and all that stuff.
 
When talking to my sales guy he assured me we would have a good size equipment pad. I know the pool he took us to look at had a bigger pad than the one we have now. Filter, booster and pump all on one pad. It is tight, the pump is hanging over about a 1/4 of an inch, same with the filter. It is crazy! My last pool they set the pumps right up to the back wall leaving virtually no way to do any repairs without cutting the pvc.
 
Richard320 said:
Suddenly this thread has a new level of relevance to me.

I have a booster pump for the spa, looks old, that started leaking. I'm a mechanic; dealing with seized bolts, stuck gaskets, installing seals, that stuff is no problem. But how to get the thing out to where I can work on it? No unions. The piping looks like it was already cut once or twice and reassembled with couplings, so there aren't any straight sections long enough to glue onto once I cut it out!

I only use the thing for aeration when I want to drop TA. Maybe I'll just leave it alone....
Click to expand...


I had a similar situation when I needed to swap out a few valves. I found the "socket saver" that Waste mentioned to be extremely helpful. You can use it to bore out the old pipe in an existing union and basically reuse the union.

http://www.amazon.com/Jones-Stephen...9YS8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307302563&sr=8-1

I purchased mine through a local plumbing supply company and it worked out better than amazon+shipping.
 
There are also "Overcouplers" which fit over existing couplings, and the ends of elbows, which come in handy... also, there are "Pipe Extenders" which fit on the inside of the PVC - if you're really desperate.
 
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