Can this be fixed without breaking my pool?

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K

KatNiz

Member
Apr 5, 2023
9
Chandler, AZ
Pool Size
14100
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
We recently found out our pool builder left out several components for our IFCS: it’s missing a pop-up head, a debris canister and the drain was supposed to have a sump pump and a secondary point of suction in the side of the pool.

This “error” means:
1) The “Cleaning Guarantee” of the IFCS manufacturer is void unless/until the plumbing matches their design, and
2) Most significantly, our pool is not compliant with the Virginia Graeme Baker Act and is a safety hazard as kids or anyone with long hair can get sucked into our drain and die.

My question:
Is it possible to dig into plaster, Shotcrete and rebar to
1) add a secondary point of suction in the side wall of the pool (to match what the IFCS manufacturer specified,
2) add an in-floor cleaning head
3) add a debris canister
4) change the drain to accommodate the IFCS manufacturer’s specified VGB compliant drain

…all without compromising the integrity of the pool shell?

Also, the area where the pop-up head is missing and needs to be added was not excavated properly so the pool builder had extra Shotcrete built up, without adding any additional rebar.

Is cutting into our pool to make these corrections possible? Is it advisable?

If we don’t correct the missing pop-up and canister, our IFCS is ineffective. If we don’t correct the drain, our pool is a safety hazard.

Thoughts?
 
Welcome to TFP.

What is the status of your pool? Has it been plastered? Has water been put in it?

Yes, those changes can be made. The devil is in the details.

Post pics of the current condition of the areas that need to be modified.
 
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ajw22 said:
Welcome to TFP.

What is the status of your pool? Has it been plastered? Has water been put in it?

Yes, those changes can be made. The devil is in the details.

Post pics of the current condition of the areas that need to be modified.
Click to expand...
Hello and thank you for the welcome :)

The pool was completed a few months ago. It is plastered and there is water (salt water) in it.

AFFD937B-33AA-401A-802B-28B8EC334D9F.jpeg471EAD7D-D20A-418A-AF0F-7F7EF4D6200E.jpeg95A8FE31-A2C5-4552-8484-C66F680D24BB.jpegC149C4B5-E5BB-4918-9D4D-8BA63908DFE4.jpegBC7FF896-7941-4A1F-A4D0-7686FA9A35BA.jpeg0B6AB00E-512B-4476-9CC5-B242DB4891E8.jpeg

The photos show it presently and also under construction. The PB dug the bottom as a straight line when it should have had a shallow end dipping to the deep end. So they built up the area with Shotcrete (and did not add any rebar or alter the rebar to do so). The pictures with the blue line indicate the future shape of the pool bottom. The extra thick Shotcrete is where the pop-up head is missing. The secondary suction for the VGB drain is supposed to be installed on the wall. The drain is supposed to be an MDX-R3. And an equipment side debris canister is supposed to be included, but wasn’t.

I’m curious if they will have to cut through Shotcrete and rebar, or just Shotcrete? And will that cutting compromise the pool/lead to cracks?
 
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Old pools get renovations like you describe. It is disappointing to see it done to a newly constructed pool.

They can core drill holes in the side of the pool for new pipes and drains. Putting a new pop up in the floor will take some trenching of the floor for the pipe. Exactly what will be done depends on where the existing pipes are to tie into it.

You have pavers on two side of the pool and if they need to tie into pipes on those sides the pavers may need to be pulled up to get access to the outside pool wall.

The pool will need to be drained for the work.

What exactly is your PB proposing to do? After the pool is chopped up and the new pipes and drains added it needs to be replastered. Will the current plaster all be chipped out down to the gunite using flat, not pointed, chisels?

I can't tell exactly where the new pop up will be placed or where they will need to tie into the pipes. Or where the missing wall drain needs to go and where that will tie into a pipe. These are details you should understand to know how much they need to cut up the pool or deck.
 
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Do you have a plumbing schematic and/or the engineering drawings, etc?
What is the PB proposing to remedy these issues?

Where exactly in AZ are you?
 
proavia said:
Do you have a plumbing schematic and/or the engineering drawings, etc?
What is the PB proposing to remedy these issues?

Where exactly in AZ are you?
Click to expand...
I do have the plumbing drawing; I’ll try to upload it and sketch out where the missing plumbing should go.

The PB was only emailed yesterday about the non-compliant drain (Paramount emailed them). Paramount did not mention the other missing components of the IFCS, so I asked if they would re-send with that info (better to come from Paramount than me). I am not sure what they will propose.

I’m in Chandler. :)
 
Hey neighbor - change you profile location to Chandler AZ
Also tweak you signature with gallons (instead of size), manufacturers/model numbers for your equipmemt and test kit info. Having this info in your signature assists us in providing help without needing to ask for this info eadh time.

I wonder how the city inspector missed the non compliant dual main drain requirement ...
... and wonder what else he/she may have missed.
 
Honestly, this is all on your pool builder to make right. Hopefully you have a decent working relationship with them. If not, then you’re in the territory of a possible lawsuit for failure on their part. I’m not advocating a lawsuit but none of this is merely cosmetic or a choice between options - what the PB did is a complete failure to follow code and engineering plans. That’s on him or the crew he used.

Go slowly and do not, under any circumstance, offer ideas on how to fix it. Make them own the problem and give you solutions with options. Hold their feet to the fire and stay on top of them because this the point in time when you will know if this contractor is good or bad - good contractors own their mistakes and make the situation right while dishonest contractors run from the problems, shift blame and try to run out the clock and hope you’ll go away.
 
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proavia said:
Hey neighbor - change you profile location to Chandler AZ
Also tweak you signature with gallons (instead of size), manufacturers/model numbers for your equipmemt and test kit info. Having this info in your signature assists us in providing help without needing to ask for this info eadh time.

I wonder how the city inspector missed the non compliant dual main drain requirement ...
... and wonder what else he/she may have missed.
Click to expand...
We all wonder that too. :/

As for my signature, I don’t know the gallons of the pool because we made it a bit bigger (went from 30 to 33’), but the PB didn’t update that info for us. I’ll try to find the other info to flesh out the signature.
 
TrinaBNa said:
As for my signature, I don’t know the gallons of the pool because we made it a bit bigger (went from 30 to 33’), but the PB didn’t update that info for us. I’ll try to find the other info to flesh out the signature.
Click to expand...

It can be easily estimated using the PoolMath and the bottom of the page.

An average 4' depth would be 14,300 gallons.

You can find other ways of calculating pool volume at Calculators - Further Reading
 

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