Hello everyone!
First off thanks to all the frequent (and infrequent) posters here who I've been lurking for weeks, soaking up the knowledge to prepare for our pool build. After kicking the tires with pool builders several years back and talking about it every year since we've decided this is the year to make it a reality.
Our in-development plan is to build a pool, spa and outdoor kitchen. The pool will be a free form design around 30'x15' with an attached spa. The outdoor kitchen is going to be a free standing structure around 15'x12' with a TV wall, granite counter space, a sink, fridge and grill.
I've been in touch with three area builders who come with several recommendations and zero 'stay away' warnings from neighbors. They also have generally positive ratings on the popular review sites; Yelp, Google, etc. I've met with all three but only have an estimate back from one of them.
Even without all the estimates complete there is already a leader in the clubhouse so to speak. So we'll see how all that plays out once I get final proposals and do my thinking, re-thinking, then over-thinking.
Questions:
Why are these guys so anti-salt water? I really don't get it, is their a clandestine chlorine lobby that I'm not privy to? One sales lady put on the full court press for the tab based dispenser when I asked if they could do saltwater. Even dropping the 'it destroys the equipment' argument. It seems irrational to me which usually means I don't see or understand all the forces at work. I'll wait until the last minute to add that into the contract, or I'll add it myself after the fact, making sure they leave space for me to pipe it in somewhere convenient.
Is there any reason to pick Hayward vs Pentair vs Jandy equipment for quality / reliability reasons? Two of the builders use Hayward. The other says they use Jandy but says he'll use whichever I want.
How loud is the equipment these days? I plan to use VS pumps where needed. I ask because my equipment pad will be fairly close to the spa (~20 feet) and outdoor kitchen (~10 feet). It will be near my air conditioner which I'm hoping is louder because that doesn't bother me when it's on. I would consider building a masonry wall if needed to help with the noise.
Thanks all!
First off thanks to all the frequent (and infrequent) posters here who I've been lurking for weeks, soaking up the knowledge to prepare for our pool build. After kicking the tires with pool builders several years back and talking about it every year since we've decided this is the year to make it a reality.
Our in-development plan is to build a pool, spa and outdoor kitchen. The pool will be a free form design around 30'x15' with an attached spa. The outdoor kitchen is going to be a free standing structure around 15'x12' with a TV wall, granite counter space, a sink, fridge and grill.
I've been in touch with three area builders who come with several recommendations and zero 'stay away' warnings from neighbors. They also have generally positive ratings on the popular review sites; Yelp, Google, etc. I've met with all three but only have an estimate back from one of them.
Even without all the estimates complete there is already a leader in the clubhouse so to speak. So we'll see how all that plays out once I get final proposals and do my thinking, re-thinking, then over-thinking.
Questions:
Why are these guys so anti-salt water? I really don't get it, is their a clandestine chlorine lobby that I'm not privy to? One sales lady put on the full court press for the tab based dispenser when I asked if they could do saltwater. Even dropping the 'it destroys the equipment' argument. It seems irrational to me which usually means I don't see or understand all the forces at work. I'll wait until the last minute to add that into the contract, or I'll add it myself after the fact, making sure they leave space for me to pipe it in somewhere convenient.
Is there any reason to pick Hayward vs Pentair vs Jandy equipment for quality / reliability reasons? Two of the builders use Hayward. The other says they use Jandy but says he'll use whichever I want.
How loud is the equipment these days? I plan to use VS pumps where needed. I ask because my equipment pad will be fairly close to the spa (~20 feet) and outdoor kitchen (~10 feet). It will be near my air conditioner which I'm hoping is louder because that doesn't bother me when it's on. I would consider building a masonry wall if needed to help with the noise.
Thanks all!