New to the forum and new to pools

[Okimar]

I'm considering a San Juan Lelani fiberglass pool install.

It's a 6,000 gallon 12'1" x 23'9" pool that would be located under a screened in porch behind my lake house in central Florida.

Based upon the discussions I've read here, I decided to ask a common question about UV systems because I'm wondering if I could have an exception to the advice that I've seen shared due to the specifics of my install. (Which are mostly very negative...)

1st question: Would this be considered an indoor pool, given the screen will be blocking a huge percentage of the natural UV rays from the sun?

2nd question: Given the smaller size of my pool compared to the ones I've seen here, it being a fiberglass surface and my plan to use a variable speed pump and it being located in a covered and screwed area, could the Delta UV systems be a good choice to reduce the amount of maintenance and cost of ownership? (Yes, I have see the price of replacement bulbs...)

It seems to me that the water would be circulated thru the pump and UV unit with more frequency than with larger pools, thus sterilization cycle would be more complete.

The salesman isn't pushing me to buy anything... I'm just trying to do my own research and make my own choices.

I live on a fixed income and don't want to become an expert in biology, nor do I wish to become a slave to a pool that will make me choose between food or a green pool.

I know several elderly people in my neighborhood that have cement pools and they spend a small fortune on chlorine and other chemicals that I don't think they even understand in addition to spending at least 1 day a week scrubbing the cement if the don't have a little machine that hooks up to the pump that rolls, vibrates and cleans the pool surface for them. (Sad....)

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

1. Will the sun be able hit the water at all? Honestly, in an open air environment, I would forgo the UV for a year and see if you have a problem with high CC. If you do, then add supplemental equipment later.

2. See 1. A UV system does not really reduce maintenance.

You need to have sanitizer in the water, that is chlorine (FC). The byproducts of breaking stuff down is CC which is usually eliminated by the UV from the sun and more FC. A UV will only help if the CC are building too fast.

A pool requires work. There is no maintenance free pool. But, following the methods we teach can allow you to maintain spectacular water at a very low cost.

Unfortunately you are probably correct that most of your neighbors are slaves to the pool stores and spend way too much money on chemicals and potions that do not help and may make things worse.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

My folks had a pool in The Villages under a screen "bird cage" and that they used a pool guy to service. They had no idea how easy it is to manage a pool and how much better it is to do it yourself (because no one cares about the quality more than you, right?) and lord knows they would have saved oodles of money not paying him. Knowing what I know now i know they could have very easily managed the pool with just adding some household bleach daily.

The testing the way we promote isn't more than 5 minutes, and many are so tuned in to their pool water that they just can look and know if it needs more attention or can skip the testing that day.

Can you manage to pour a little bleach in the pool each day?? Its the absolute cheapest method! And your test kit is your security 'cause you'll know whats in your water....and what isn't!

Good luck with your decisions

 

[Okimar]

Wow... I was surprised to see responses already, given that I never received an email alert that anyone had replied.

Thank you to both of you.

There would be a screen top (yea...it will look like a big bird cage...lol) over the area and the sun is not blocked from sunrise to sunset in that location.

I was really hoping with those specifics that the UV sanitizer might help reduce the need for lugging as many gallons of clorine as everyone else seems to.

It seemed credible because of that is claimed on the Delta UV sales flyer and their videos online. Oh well...

Does anyone have any real world experience here with the Hayward Aquarius Salt Clorine Generator?

I'm also scratching my head on is the Hayward brochures and website shows a large multi-colored LED light with much smaller lights that they describe as additional accent lights. My installer told me that they have stopped installing the bigger ones because the smaller ones put out plenty of light. Does that sound like bull poop?

Does anyone have any experience with these lights to tell me if only one of those small ones would be bright enough to light up the water like they show in the Hayward videos with a 12x24 pool?

The only other thing I'm scratching my head over right now is when I asked what kind of fill they use around the fiberglass shell from San Juan, he said they will just use the dirt that they will dig up making the pit. Does that sound okay to everyone here? (It's kind of a sandy dirt, given that I live 9 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico in central Florida.)

I just want to figure this thing out in my head before it's in the ground and I regret something that can't be fixed without spending a fortune I don't have to fix something that was done wrong or cheaply to save a few pennies earlier.

Again, thank you to anyone that can help.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

As for "lugging" bleach- I reckon your pool would take about 20 ounces per day (assuming goal FC of 4, with natural daily loss of 2, using CYA). So it comes to be about a gallon every 6 days.

When folks have to grab many, many gallons is when they've got an algae filled pool that needs remedied.

Can't help you on the lights. I do think if your pool is darker blue that a bigger light is useful.

I have a Compupool SWG and it works great for us. All SWGs are handy items to have, and the added salt in the water makes it feel silkier.

 

[Casey]

Welcome to TFP.

 

[Okimar]

What's the difference between these pumps?

Thank you Casey.

I had to give up on San Jan pools... Their installer went MIA on me. (No response to repeated emails or phone calls for a month.)

I've since signed with a local outfit called Pettit Pools that makes their own fiberglass shell and installs the deck and screen enclosure too.

Based on what I've read, I'm going with bronze anchors for the rails and having to buy my own pump since they don't supply anything by 3/4 hp single speed Hayward pumps. (They are supplying a larger filter to handle a variable speed pump.)

I also picked up a 3 year old 100,000 btu heat pump from AquaCal that I'm going to use off of eBay for $1000.

I'm having a huge problem figuring out the operational difference between the Hayward Ecostar and Tristar pumps... (Any explanation of the difference will be a huge help.)

 

[jblizzle]

Ecostar is bigger (moves more water) and has more features (like better integration into automation systems)

 

[Isaac-1]

With your size pool assuming no water features or spa, you would be much better off with one of Haywards smaller 1.5 HP VS pumps like the Max-Flo VS or Superpump VS, note at least the Max-Flo VS now comes in 2 varieties the original integrated controller only version, and the new version that also supports connection to outside relays or control by automation system. Since you have a heater you would want the relay / automation control version that would allow the heater to turn up the pump speed to a preset amount when the heaters built in thermostat tells it to comes on. (this is a simple relay connection and programming set speed override operation)