LED Bubbler alternative - Vinyl Liner sun shelf

Jump to latest Follow Reply
J

JJ.

Member
Mar 19, 2024
5
London UK
Hi all,
I'm currently having a pool built here in the UK.
It's in-ground, block work, with an internally rendered shell, but will be an on-site vinyl liner (NOT gunite & tile due to cost reasons). Big part of my design is a 16' x 8' sun shelf / lounger area (8" water depth) with x2 CMP 8" LED Bubblers - idea being that running water would drown out a little road noise we have, plus thought they just looked cool when lit in the evening!
(Nb: there's nowhere really suitable for a waterfall.)
However, I/my pool builder was having trouble finding anyone with the vinyl liner/fibreglass fitting kit for the CMP 8" LED bubblers. I contacted CMP, and they've just replied stating that all of their LED bubblers (both 8" & 4") have now been discontinued !?! Arrrgh !!
Hence even if I can still find any old stock of the vinyl fitting kits & 8" bubblers themselves, I'm now concerned about future spare parts (LED modules etc) availability ... and am questioning going with the CMP ones being a bad idea.

I saw that Hayward do a LED bubbler, but this appears to be gunite/tile only - no vinyl fitting kit.
CMP also show a non-LED bubbler - but this also appears gunite/tile only.

Question is:
Can I/my PB (he's happy to help out with an alternative solution, as knows the bubblers were a key part of the plan) recreate an LED bubbler look, with a standard bubbler/fountain/vertical outlet, and then separate led light fitting? Any suggestions?
- I think this is exactly what @bdavis466 has recommended on a couple of threads, but does anyone have any suggestions I can find online for the standard bubbler/vertical plume/outlet part, that's suitable for a vinyl liner pool?

(Also spotted @bdavis466 suggestion of a venturi tee to suck some air into the bubbler outlet, but this being my 1st involvement in a pool, that's something I'll have to bring up with my PB who'll hopefully understand the mechanics of that.)

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.
 
Interesting.
I consulted x4 pool builders here in the UK before starting the project, and all x4 assured me an "on-site liner" (as opposed to a "bag liner") would be totally fine with blunt footed loungers (and also dog claws - we have x2 medium sized dogs). They all gave the impression that the quality and strength of "on-site" welded liners has improved to such a degree that this would be a good way to bring my plan within a budget I could afford.
Thanks for tip-off, I'll bring this up again with my PB, and check he's happy to underwrite what he said :)
 
JJ. said:
have now been discontinued
Click to expand...
There is a very good reason why they have been discontinued...................they don't work. They are VERY prone to leaking and almost always end up being taken out and a new liner being put in at great cost to cover the filled in holes where they were.

Now if you really want a water feature you can make one to go on a return like @YippeeSkippy has. Maddie, can you please post your fun sprinklers?
 
Thanks @kimkats (y)
I was starting to assume that being the case, as the Pentair also looks to now be discontinued.
Appears everyone is pulling out of the LED Bubbler market - I guess all that water flow pushing up past an LED unit, and then slamming back down on top of it, just doesn't mix well.

After discussions with my builder, we're still going to bubbler the shelf, just not LED bubblers. We're planning just standard 1.5" threaded outlet with CMP 25503-000-000 bubbler caps screwed in.
And then mount a separate light unit either alongside also pointing upwards, or in the side wall pointing laterally against the bubbler flow. Hopefully this will create a similar effect, whilst having the advantage of it all being readily available standard fittings that are unlikely to fail - except the light unit at some point, but that can just be replaced with whatever light unit available at the time. Basically just listening to what @bdavis466 advised people in a couple of posts previously :)
Thanks @YippeeSkippy too, for the photos. That may well end up a future project! :giggle: (Once the build is finished, and I see where my builder finalises all my returns etc.)
Thanks so much guys x
 
  • Like
Reactions: kimkats and bdavis466
JJ. said:
Thanks @kimkats (y)
I was starting to assume that being the case, as the Pentair also looks to now be discontinued.
Appears everyone is pulling out of the LED Bubbler market - I guess all that water flow pushing up past an LED unit, and then slamming back down on top of it, just doesn't mix well.

After discussions with my builder, we're still going to bubbler the shelf, just not LED bubblers. We're planning just standard 1.5" threaded outlet with CMP 25503-000-000 bubbler caps screwed in.
And then mount a separate light unit either alongside also pointing upwards, or in the side wall pointing laterally against the bubbler flow. Hopefully this will create a similar effect, whilst having the advantage of it all being readily available standard fittings that are unlikely to fail - except the light unit at some point, but that can just be replaced with whatever light unit available at the time. Basically just listening to what @bdavis466 advised people in a couple of posts previously :)
Thanks @YippeeSkippy too, for the photos. That may well end up a future project! :giggle: (Once the build is finished, and I see where my builder finalises all my returns etc.)
Thanks so much guys x
Click to expand...
Why do you say that Pentair is discontinuing LED bubblers?
 
There's a thread " Need a solution for replacing Pentair bubbler/light. " in the "Everything Else" forum, where someone with Pentair LED Bubblers has been told discontinued.

It appears we have much more limited choice of Swimming Pool kit here in the UK (just a much smaller market I guess), so other than the CMP I was really struggling to find LED bubblers. I eventually stumbled upon the Pentair alternative, but that thread about them also being discontinued made we wary of them too.
There may well be other better alternatives out there, or indeed CMP & Pentair may be planning to release improved replacements (although the CMP guy wouldn't comment on that), but like I say I'm limited to what I could find & see here in the UK, so apologies if I'm steering anyone down the wrong path, but I myself am going to change my plans on fitting combined "LED Bubblers".

My builder has agreed with @bdavis466 suggestions, and is happier to separate the 2 functions. Have the bubbler & light either sitting side by side, or the light shining perpendicular from the side wall. then we aren't beholden to anyone discontinuing anything, and just replace the separate light when/if it fails with any suitable alternative at the time. It may not look quite as good, but that future flexibility of not having to dig out and replace a whole fitting (especially with a liner in place), is very attractive to me.

Just wanted to share, hope any of this is of some use to someone, and apologies if I've misconstrued anything.
 
JJ. said:
There's a thread " Need a solution for replacing Pentair bubbler/light. " in the "Everything Else" forum, where someone with Pentair LED Bubblers has been told discontinued.

It appears we have much more limited choice of Swimming Pool kit here in the UK (just a much smaller market I guess), so other than the CMP I was really struggling to find LED bubblers. I eventually stumbled upon the Pentair alternative, but that thread about them also being discontinued made we wary of them too.
There may well be other better alternatives out there, or indeed CMP & Pentair may be planning to release improved replacements (although the CMP guy wouldn't comment on that), but like I say I'm limited to what I could find & see here in the UK, so apologies if I'm steering anyone down the wrong path, but I myself am going to change my plans on fitting combined "LED Bubblers".

My builder has agreed with @bdavis466 suggestions, and is happier to separate the 2 functions. Have the bubbler & light either sitting side by side, or the light shining perpendicular from the side wall. then we aren't beholden to anyone discontinuing anything, and just replace the separate light when/if it fails with any suitable alternative at the time. It may not look quite as good, but that future flexibility of not having to dig out and replace a whole fitting (especially with a liner in place), is very attractive to me.

Just wanted to share, hope any of this is of some use to someone, and apologies if I've misconstrued anything.
Click to expand...
The other thread you refer to I believe is talking about an old model of the Pentair bubblers, not their current version. Your solution sounds fine, but I don't see where Pentair is discontinuing their current line of bubblers (Colorvision).
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply