Pool Builder got paid and wont respond

[985Plaster]

So my long story short is that I paid my pool builder the final draw and I am not happy with the final result; he said that he would come back out and fix what is poorly installed but now that he is paid he wont respond. I know that I messed up and should have never paid him until the job is done but there is nothing that I can do about it besides complete the project myself.

My problem is that I have a few plumbing leaks and wanted yalls input on plumbing....
#1 My return to the pool from the heater has this long U shape feeding the Salt Generator and I was wondering if it is possible to shorten the lead and get the Salt generator off the ground?
Basically move the generator to the Green location in the picture and eliminate the Yellow area.. my brain cant understand the reasoning for the long run but I am not a pool builder so I am not sure if there is a reason for it

#2 The wiring is absolutely horrible and I need to rewire all of it, so yall know of a nice wiring solution that I can use for wire management?

#3 I feel that there are better ways to plumb the pool pump to the filter then to the heater.... can some of you please produce an image to give me insight? I feel that the flow is heavily restricted with all the 90 degree elbows

Thanks for your input

 

[SJPoe]

#1 - almost looks like you could remove the U altogether - most SWGs want a certain amount of 'straight' before them - probably why they did what they did. That said, the 90s don't usually restrict the flow nearly as much as people think.

Its hard to see where some of those pipes run/join - can you add some additional shots from other angles ?

 

[Jimrahbe]

985,

Removing a few 90's will not make any difference in how well your plumbing will work, and I can't understand how that will effect any 'leaks'..

I don't see any reason not to get your SWCG off the ground, but again, you will never notice any difference is overall operation of the system.

I can't tell from the pic, but the only way to increase your plumbing flow is to have a heater by-pass.. I can't tell if you have one already or not.

I suspect that your Spa drains down, when the pump is off.. If so, that is not a leak, it is because of the lack of a check valve in the spa line.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[985Plaster]

985,

Removing a few 90's will not make any difference in how well you plumbing will work and I can't understand how that will effect any 'leaks'..

I don't see any reason not to get your SWCG off the ground, but again, you will never notice any difference is overall operation of the system.

I can't tell from the pic, but the only way to increase your plumbing flow is to have a heater by-pass.. I can't tell if you have one already or not.

I suspect that your Spa drain down, when the pump is off.. If so, that is not a leak, it is because of the lack of a check valve in the spa line.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hey Jim, thanks for the response. Sorry for not being clear... the SWG is leaking on the output side 90 degree joint tat is why i am now thinking replumb and if i am going to modify one thing i am going to clean it all up. As for the Spa draindown yes that is happening because there is no check valve in place.

 

[985Plaster]

#1 - almost looks like you could remove the U altogether - most SWGs want a certain amount of 'straight' before them - probably why they did what they did. That said, the 90s don't usually restrict the flow nearly as much as people think.

Its hard to see where some of those pipes run/join - can you add some additional shots from other angles ?

Poe, Thanks for the reply; I will have to get home this evening for better shots as I took these this morning before leaving for work.

 

[setsailsoon]

I don't think you're going to gain much by re-plumbing. The swg requires a certain number of pipe diameters straight pipe before the inlet end (I think it's 5 and probably varies with brand). I actually like it on the ground vs up in the air since it's pretty heavy. Either way though it should have some supports other than a union ring. I do think the wiring is pretty messy. I've seen other installations where they wrap all the excess wire around pipe instead of cutting it to length and leave a small loop at the end for future work. I do have a couple questions though. What's the deal with your pad concrete that's been chipped out around the air blower air line? Similar for the gas line where soil has been removed. Also I don't see any bonding wires. Could be they are hidden from view but I don't see them at all.

Chris

 

[985Plaster]

I don't think you're going to gain much by re-plumbing. The swg requires a certain number of pipe diameters straight pipe before the inlet end (I think it's 5 and probably varies with brand). I actually like it on the ground vs up in the air since it's pretty heavy. Either way though it should have some supports other than a union ring. I do think the wiring is pretty messy. I've seen other installations where they wrap all the excess wire around pipe instead of cutting it to length and leave a small loop at the end for future work. I do have a couple questions though. What's the deal with your pad concrete that's been chipped out around the air blower air line? Similar for the gas line where soil has been removed. Also I don't see any bonding wires. Could be they are hidden from view but I don't see them at all.

Chris

Good Eyes!! After your message I looked at the bonding and none of the equipment is bonded.... *facepalm*.... as for the chipped concrete, the concrete guys came out and poured, when they did they poured down the blower line as well as one of the returns to the spa because of this the builder had to chip out he slab to cut and paste new PVC, this build was a nightmare and I didnt want to go too deep into the problems that I ran into with this build. Once all of this is completed I plan on patching the slab but wanted to get everything completed before putting more concrete down.

 

[TinFoilHat]

You should be reporting all of the shortcomings of this builder to your state contractor board. Bonding is a huge error and I would question the gas line install as well.

 

[setsailsoon]

Good Eyes!! After your message I looked at the bonding and none of the equipment is bonded.... *facepalm*.... as for the chipped concrete, the concrete guys came out and poured, when they did they poured down the blower line as well as one of the returns to the spa because of this the builder had to chip out he slab to cut and paste new PVC, this build was a nightmare and I didnt want to go too deep into the problems that I ran into with this build. Once all of this is completed I plan on patching the slab but wanted to get everything completed before putting more concrete down.

When you get the bonding done you'll need to tie in to the bond system for the pool. It should have been connected at multiple points to the rebar in the gunite and looped around the pool. Exact layout for the loop depends somewhat on your local building department requirements. In my case the loop needs to be 4-6" out from normal water level and 6" below. Connections need to be done with proper bonding clamps.

I hope this is helpful.

Chris

 

[TinFoilHat]

I hope they bonded it back to the breaker box and not just bonded it around the pool and called it good.

 

[sktn77a]

I'm guessing this work wasn't permitted or inspected? In any event, it appears that it was done in an unprofessional and unsafe manner. You need to report these issues in writing, in a certified letter, to the builder stating that you are holding him responsible for any liability/injuries incurred by his work and giving him a specified time (two weeks) to rectify the problems.

 

[TopJimmy]

Here’s some pics of my piping which I re-did after my pool builder crafted a mess. Might give you some ideas. I consider the heater bypass to be essential.