Georgia Pool Build.... FIRED PB need advice please!!!

[JoyfulNoise]

Matt, would this be a one time expense?

Nope.

A good quality sealer will last a couple of years but needs reapplication. There's no way to know how much time you'll get out of it. Some people can get a couple of years, some people (like in my extreme climate) might only get 18 months.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Is there any way to add a little aggregate to the sealer on the diving rock?

 

[Clubhouse]

Check with the new builder and see if there is away to use the existing niches, but install 12v LED lights. I believe low voltage lights do not require bonding to the light niches.

However, your water still needs to be bonded and often that is accomplished via the light niches. There is a plumbing fitting that can be cut in at the equip pad on a return line that can accomplish water bonding. The fitting looks like a "T" but perpendicular side is sealed with brass fitting to run your equip pad bonding wire too.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Is there any way to add a little aggregate to the sealer on the diving rock?

Stone sealers are meant to be penetrating sealers - they have a water-like viscosity and they are designed to penetrate the pores of the stone. It's not meant to be a coating on top of the stone layers. A stone sealer on the diving rock might actually make it more slippery, not less.

A good angle grinder with the right diamond blade coarseness might do the trick. You want to add texture to the surface.

 

[sheree202]

View from our bedroom....looking forward to the landscaping!! But, so excited for h20



Our son enjoying the swan




We have a new builder lined up to get the equipment pad running. Hoping to see the bubblers and slide in action soon!

 

[kimkats]

Look! I see water and a swan!!! Love that the first pic of the water included the swan! Then that cute kid! LOVE the smile!

 

[sheree202]

The new PB mentioned not needing to bond the light since we've already passed the electrical inspection. They are installing the lights tomorrow and he said there's no need to drain the pool. However, our "issue" last night with the pipe actually drained the pool to the top of the light niche already. I want to make the pool as safe as possible....am I right by assuming that means draining and bonding?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The new PB mentioned not needing to bond the light since we've already passed the electrical inspection. They are installing the lights tomorrow and he said there's no need to drain the pool. However, our "issue" last night with the pipe actually drained the pool to the top of the light niche already. I want to make the pool as safe as possible....am I right by assuming that means draining and bonding?

This is one of those circumstances where - just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you ought to do it. Yes, you could not bond the lights but that would not be the safe or correct thing to do. I imagine your new PB is just trying to save you the cost of doing it and saving himself some extra work. But the fact is, your niches should be bonded, it's the right and SAFE thing to do.

The water is down anyway so just do it and pay the new PB whatever it costs to do so.

 

[cbrach411]

I'd have a couple people come out and evaluate the work and make sure everything is properly done. If be More so worried about the safety or things being done correctly. Especially with kids.

 

[sheree202]

So, now that the pumps are running I have a new set of problems.

First, one of four deck jets isn't working right.



Second, the PB I brought in to finish the equipment tells me that the 1.5HP pump dedicated to the slide is too powerful. He thinks that's why the seal broke between the pump and the pipe a few last week. The slide company actually told me that I needed a 3HP (at minimum 2HP) and I went with less power then their recommendation.

As for the LED bubblers....the fired PB never installed the bulb/chord part so now we have to buy them ourselves (another $700...just spent $1k on the pool lights last week). Landscaping may have to be put on hold for now. We are thousands over budget by having to finish the pool ourselves. But, I'm trying to stay positive. I have a pool with water in my yard and that was my goal.

 

[Rossterman]

Is there any way to add a little aggregate to the sealer on the diving rock?

Yes- I did the exact same thing. It can be mixed into the sealer and becomes invisible once applied but gives the surface a non-slip finish. It comes in a small bag at home depot for a few dollars. Fine glass beads is what I believe it actually Is. Mine has been in place for ~5 years and is about ready for another re-application of the sealer/anti-slip.

 

[sheree202]

Yes- I did the exact same thing. It can be mixed into the sealer and becomes invisible once applied but gives the surface a non-slip finish. It comes in a small bag at home depot for a few dollars. Fine glass beads is what I believe it actually Is. Mine has been in place for ~5 years and is about ready for another re-application of the sealer/anti-slip.

Good to know!

 

[Rossterman]

Deck jet is probably just plugged with debris. Take it apart, backwash it and likely you will be good.

As to waterslide, what you need is the required GPM info from the mfg. that way you can determine pump size using pump curve and piping friction loss calculations to right size the equipment. Our slide uses way less water than our 2 hp pump can deliver and is slipstreamed off the supply to the 3 sheer decents in the diving wall.

Manytimes it seems PBs and equipment mfgs overspec the requirements so they dont have issues with customers. For example, the consultant I Used in our build wanted to use a 2 1/2hp circ pump since it was also going to feed our 10 panel solar heater on the roof of our two story house. I did the calcs needed and jandy's 1 hp stealth pump was a perfect fit for flow at the calculated pumping head. It Has worked perfect for 10 years now and saved me a ton of energy costs over what he wanted to install.

 

[sheree202]

The slide requires 75 GPM. I did look at a chart and it seemed like the 1.5HP would be perfect for the slide. The new PB suggested replacing it with a 0.5HP pump. I'd really prefer to keep the pump that I have.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The slide requires 75 GPM. I did look at a chart and it seemed like the 1.5HP would be perfect for the slide. The new PB suggested replacing it with a 0.5HP pump. I'd really prefer to keep the pump that I have.

My waterfall has a 3HP pool pump which is way too big. But the saving grace is that the output of the pump is split between a single wall return and the waterfall pipe. So I can adjust the fractional amount of water sent to the waterfall versus the wall return. I even had to add a shutoff valve to one of the legs because there just wasn't enough back pressure (head loss) in the system to keep the pump quiet.

Does all the flow from the 1-1/2HP pump go to the slide?

 

[sheree202]

My waterfall has a 3HP pool pump which is way too big. But the saving grace is that the output of the pump is split between a single wall return and the waterfall pipe. So I can adjust the fractional amount of water sent to the waterfall versus the wall return. I even had to add a shutoff valve to one of the legs because there just wasn't enough back pressure (head loss) in the system to keep the pump quiet.

Does all the flow from the 1-1/2HP pump go to the slide?

It does just go to the slide. There was a control valve to control the pressure, but I just found out that the new PB cut out the control valve today because he thinks its the reason the seal between the pipe and the pump bust the other evening. Now we can't use the slide at all...the full power is too much when the pump is on. I don't understand why a control valve can't be used instead of replacing the entire pump.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It does just go to the slide. There was a control valve to control the pressure, but I just found out that the new PB cut out the control valve today because he thinks its the reason the seal between the pipe and the pump bust the other evening. Now we can't use the slide at all...the full power is too much when the pump is on. I don't understand why a control valve can't be used instead of replacing the entire pump.

Pool pumps are high pressure pumps. So 1-1/2HP can generate a lot of pressure. Restricting the flow increases the system pressure behind the valve and would just waste a lot of energy.

Where is the drain that the pump pulls the water from for the slide? Do you know the vertical distance from that drain to the top of slide? In other words, how high does the water have to travel?

If the vertical distance isn't too high, then a waterfall pump (low head but high flow rates) is a better choice. Perhaps the PB can get you a new waterfall style pump and you can sell the extra pool pump in C-L or eBay?

 

[Rossterman]

Good to know!

BTW I used deck-o-grip as the sealer but found it didn't provide enough anti-slip properties so augmented it with the additive. This may have been because I have mexican travertine coping, but not sure. Just didnt want anyone slipping as the coating made it slipperier than unfinished without the additive.

 

[grottoguy]

I have a 3hp pump for my waterfall and slide but we were getting more water than we needed. So I had my PB add a connection (additional pipe) that let me defer some of the water that would have gone to the waterfall and had it sent to a return ( and I can control how much water goes to that return). It was very easy for him to do. Can you do that?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I have a 3hp pump for my waterfall and slide but we were getting more water than we needed. So I had my PB add a connection (additional pipe) that let me defer some of the water that would have gone to the waterfall and had it sent to a return ( and I can control how much water goes to that return). It was very easy for him to do. Can you do that?

That is definitely a good idea.

Sheree,

If your PB can do that, then he will need to add a control valve (manual) to adjust flow back to a return and you will definitely need a check valve added to ensure that the main pool filter pump can't send water to the slide when the slide is not active.