Pool Build - California Dreaming - 3 Years Closer

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Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

There's a long standing joke in my house about me and my sharpie..I'm like that commercial where they have the sharpie mini thing..I label everything..during our recent deck reconstruction I labeled all the lines running under the deck from the pool house in a couple locations. I have pool maintenance written on the inside of the pool house wall (just plywood) in sharpie. There's sharpies EVERYWHERE in my house.

Anyway, I'm trying to calculate how many sharpies it would take to label all those lines???? Unbelievable...but it will be an amazing product when finished!
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

I will post pictures tomorrow of the plumbing.

I have a feeling the plumbing will not be finished until Saturday. The trenching has taken up a considerable amount of the crew's time. The returns are looped around the pool which alone is about 250 feet and then there is the 280 feet run of gas and electrical from the main house.
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Thanks pool girl. I had to laugh thinking of you with the sharpie. But besides that you reminded me that I better ask the plumbers to mark everything before they leave!!
The plumbers are not putting in the equipment until later and will be pressure testing from the pipe ends for the pre-gunite inspection.
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Sorry about the delay in posting the following pictures of the plumbing which was completed Saturday. The plumber had calculated 2 days work with 4 guys; but it ended up at 3 1/2 days. All in all I was very pleased by the job and the cost.

I was quite foolish in my initial budgeting to think I could complete all plumbing and electrical for less than $5K (without the cost equipment) considering the sheer amount of returns, water features, fiber optic and electrical conduit, and gas and main electrical runs of over 250 ft each. Regardless of my underestimation, I got an excellent deal with labor at only $2K and material at around $4K. I estimate another $1K to $2K for electrical wire runs, breaker panel setup and equipment installation and programming.

I rewarded the plumbing crew at the end of the phase with some grilled food and tequila shots. I hope you enjoy the pics and seeing the pool take shape. Tomorrow is the pregunite inspection, wish me luck.

Lastly, if anyone here is knowledgeable of pool eletrical wiring I would love an opportunity to chat. Thanks.
 

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Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Here are some more shots. You can see the swim up bar filled with pipe - the plumbing here comprises water feed for sink and misters, fiber optic for perimeter lighting under the coping/bar shelf to light up entries and seating area, pipe for water feed and fiber optic lighting for the spouts in columns, and electrical.

The background shows the wall and fence I cut through to avoid going through the front of the house and tearing up everything in between. You can see the corridor it created which made things so much simpler. Well that is if simple means getting two HOAs and the utility company that own the service road behind my house to comply.

The second shot shows more of the tight trenching (about 600 ft of trenching altogether if you include the main electrical and gas runs).

The third shows the sun shelf/wading pool area. The risers are for the bubblers and the conduit for fiber. the return is set low in order to push any wandering or settling debris back into the main pool.

Thanks for you kind interest.
 

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Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

spillmar-Where are you located (PM me if you don't want it known!). If I am close by, I'd be happy to stop by and take a look before you shoot the pool.
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

You win some and you lose some. The inspector passed all plumbing, electrical and gas today but was unable to approve the steel; good news is goodbye to open trenches bad news is no shotcrete until the engineer makes changes to plan and rebar crew makes some corrections. Not a huge disappointment at the end of day but it will cost me additional $$$$.
 

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Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Thanks Lynn. I wish I was a bit more charasmatic in my writing, but I only have a limited amount of time to share my build.

Truly, I can't wait to be able to show the pool with cement. I have a small window for shotcrete however before I travel for business most of the summer. I have a feeling it will have to wait till end of June. It's okay though since it is all out of pocket since loans are scarce.
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Man what a project! That thing is going to be Saaaaweeeeeeeeeet! :whoot:
Our steel inspection failed due to "lack of dobies" in the deep end and on the baja step. I'm kinda glad it failed though as it showed that the inspector was paying attention or just being picky. The steel guy came out the same night and added the extra 5 "dobies" via miners light!
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Well I called the engineer and hopefully we can resolve the discrepancies in the steel work by making changes to the engineering plan and then adding the missing rebar to the bar, specifically the shelf/bar top that extends 18" from inside wall of swim up bar inward toward bar stools. Hopefully this will get done fast so I can move forward with the shotcrete.

I decided since I need to make engineering changes to go ahead and add four columns behind the pool for a gazebo type structure that will be tied into the roofline of the future pool house. :idea: Might as well do this now since the inspector stated it would be beneficial to get all of the columns completed and set the Simpson column brackets when shotcrete is applied.

Since the plumbing, electrical and gas have been approved :) I can start to backfill and start the grading necessary to lay the base and sand for the paver pool deck and the paver side courtyard where the fountain will be located. I can then also move forward with the grading for the pad on which the foundation for the future pool house will be laid.

Stay tuned and thanks for your interest and advise.
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

We start our dig on Tuesday, and I think I'm more excited about your pool than my own! I can't wait to see the finished product; as I said in a previous post, this really is one of the most awesome plans I've ever seen. Good luck!
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

The steel inspection has been rescheduled for Thursday. I bit my lip and redid the parts of the pool rebar flagged during inspection. This cost me about $700 and hurt my pocket gooood. Regardless it was better to have caught the structural deficiencies now rather than later when separation cracks would have demanded a redo of the concrete shell.

Other than this things are going relatively well. I had a real laugh when I had to cut a return going to the sun shelf which had to be dug down another 2.5 feet for a deeper concrete pour. I forgot that the lines were under pressure from the inspection. Let's just say I got thoroughly soaked. It was a gusher. It reminded me of a movie scene where an oil well crests; only if it had been oil I could finish the pool sooner. I probably have a picture somewhere of the calamity.

This weekend I did run some additional power lines to the three fiber optics illuminators or light cans as they are called by some. So at this point no more conduit is needed. I will meet with another electrician Saturday to get a bid to run all wire through conduit plus setup equipment as well as run service feed to subpanel from the main house.
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Today I worked on the pool about 10 hours. After meeting with an electrician who was to pull wire through about 10 conduits If I pay a king's ransom, I decided to do the work myself. I had alot of 12 awg copper wire and some 8 awg insulated. I ran all of the wire and then rerouted all of the luminaire's condutis to where I will have junction boxes.

I read a couple tips on some electrician forums and applied some of them. For example I had in some places about 100 ft runs of electrical conduit and did not have a wire feeder/puller long enough. Funny enough the tip on line worked. I took masonry string attached a small piece of a plastic bag and fed in on one side and on the other turned on my shop vac and viola the string went through. I then knotted the string on the bent tips of the wire, covered with electrical tape and pulled. It was very hard to pull 100 feet of wire. I had a friend feed the wire and Had him put a spot of shaving gel every five feet. All went through except one run where I had to cut the conduit and couple it after getting through one obstruction.

Now that the wiring is all complete I can finally fill the trenches. The shotcrete is still pending my return from scheduled travel.

Thanks again for your interest.
 
Re: Pool Build - California Dreaming

Wouldnt say Im an expert on pool electrical but I did mine, it passed and it works. However, I am quite good with relays and such. So if you have any questions about your controls and getting everything the way you want it, shoot me a PM.
 

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