New pool decision in SW Kentucky.......HELP WANTED!!

[stulesmi]

Hello all! First post here on TFP. First of all, I'd like to say that I love all of the great info that's available here. It's been super helpful thus far! We are considering our first pool build this winter. We have been researching and gathering prices for some time now. Here is what we have come up with so far.....

20' x 42' rectangle with a 8' x 12' tanning ledge ("L" shaped pool)
3.8' to 8' depth
14" x 6' bench at deep end
vinyl liner with concrete walls
Diving rock
Astral VX7 salt system
Astral variable speed pump
2 LED lights
Aquabot automatic cleaner
Sand filter (Jacuzzi brand)
Safety cover
Solar cover
Magna or Latham brand liner

The quoted price for all of this is around $55k and includes no decking or electrical.
An Aqua Comfort heater is around $4k but can be added later if we want.

Our questions (family with 3 kids under 12) are this......

Does anything stick out to you (good or bad)?
What would you change?
What kind of decking would you suggest? I haven't gotten quotes yet, but we're looking at around 1200 sq ft of decking. Considering plain concrete ($5-$7), SunDek ($10), or stamped concrete ($13)

Any and all help is appreciated! TIA

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!

The Astral VX7 SWCG does not show up on a comparison chart I use. Their website shows 25gm per hour, which is about 16oz per day I believe.

That is pretty small. How many gallons is your pool expected to be. Be sure your SWCG can handle adding at least 5ppm FC to your pool in a 12 hour period.

Take care.

 

[stulesmi]

It looks like the pool will be approximately 37,000 gal. Do you think the VX7 is too small? What would you recommend?

 

[mknauss]

It looks like the pool will be approximately 37,000 gal. Do you think the VX7 is too small? What would you recommend?

For that size pool I would suggest a unit rated for a 60K pool. Even better one that can produce 3 lb of chlorine gas per day.

You do not say you are looking at automation. So you do not have to have the same manufacturer of pump and SWCG (though it can make things easier).

The only SWCG that can produce 3 lb of chlorine gas per day is the RJ60 by Circupool.

The reason you want one that large is so you can generate your chlorine in mid-summer in 12 hours or so. You can go smaller, and run your pump longer, but you will need to manage your FC needs more closely during high organic loads or bather loads in mid-summer.

The unit you are showing on your equipment list will generate 1.5 lb of chlorine gas a day, or 4.9 ppm FC if operated 24 hours a day at 100% generation.
Normal pools use 2-4 ppm of FC per day in the summer.

Take care.

 

[stulesmi]

Great! Anything else that sticks out??

 

[Jimrahbe]

stu,

Welcome to TFP... A Great research tool for all new pool builders...

I don't see anything wrong, but as Marty suggests you really need to look into the size of any salt cell you select.

I'm more curious about why you have selected the "Astral" brand of equipment. They are not one of the three major brands and I am not at all familiar with them. So please tell us what features made you select that particular brand???

Just like you, I'm trying to learn things here.. so, I'd appreciate your feedback.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[stulesmi]

I did not choose this brand. This pool was offered as a package and then I tweaked some of the details. I did not change any of the equipment because I am not educated enough on these products to do so. That was my reasoning for the post. It sounds like I have a lot of questions to ask my PB.

 

[mknauss]

When you search the Astral brand, it is from Australia. That is not a problem. But typically we see Pentair, Hayward, or Jandy.

Take care.

 

[kimkats]

Oh Goodie!!! A new pool build! SWEET! THANKS for letting us come along for the ride!

I am going to ask a couple of our "other side of the world" folks to give their input on that brand of equipment.

You can also ask your PB about who does the warranty work on it. I would also ask if there are any parts available on this side of the pond.

Can you take and share a pic of where this pool is going? Kind of a before shot!

Kim

 

[PoolGate]

I would not go with that brand. I know nothing about it but I do know that the "mainstream" brands mentioned above are supportable on this forum and have a much larger following (in this country). I also would not go with a vinyl liner. Have you checked on gunite for pricing? Decking and electrical is going to run you a LOT more. Just a concrete deck will run upwards of $10k and electrical, depending on complexity, can run $5k plus. I suggest you contact all pool vendors in your area and get quotes from all of them. Make sure they are apples to apples for a good comparison. You can and should expect and be prepared to go 20% over budget when all said and done.

 

[needsajet]

Astral is an accepted brand here. They're owned by Fluidra (Spanish company), and their USA production center is in Jacksonville, Florida. Those are good suggestions to ask about warranty and service. I'm surprised to see it in a USA build as well, so I'm guessing they're breaking into the US market, probably with some good pricing. They sell all over the world, so entering the US market makes sense. I don't have any direct experience with their stuff. I found a forum reference down here that the VX chlorinators need about 40 GPM to clear the hydrogen gas, and although that was for a larger model, it's still higher than other SWGs. The forum post is 4 years old, so you could ask if this has been solved. Otherwise, the rest of forum posts I could find suggested high reliability for their pumps and SWGs.