All Bids in - a few specific questions?

[panamagixxer]

My last bid came in at $74K, makes me feel much better

It is a 16' x 44' pool (with 8' x 16' being a 10" deep tanning ledge), the pool is a play pool design, so no deep end.

-Building permit
-Excavation and removal of spoils
-16’ x 44’ steel reinforced gunite pool shell according to specified plans
-1/2 “ steel rebar used throughout entire pool shell
-Two 5G color LED underwater pool lights
-Two surface skimmers
-Dedicated vacuum line
-Two Paramount bubblers on tanning ledge
-suction and return plumbing installed for future slide
-Poured in place stamped cantilever concrete coping
-6” band of frost proof waterline tile
-Matching trim tile on step and bench edges
-Automatic safety pool cover with concrete box
-Walk on deck lid kit with stones to match coping for auto cover box
-Diamond Brite plaster finish
-Pentair Intelli Flow variable flow circulation pump
-Pentair Intelli Flow variable flow water feature pump
-Pentair Clean & Clear Plus 520 cartridge filter
-Pentair Master Temp 400,000 Btu natural gas pool heater
-Pentair Intelli Chem chemical automation system, equivalent to BECS unit
-Stenner 45 feed pump
-Pentair CO2 feeder and CO2 tank
-Pentair IntelliZone Ozonator CD-5 without contact vessel
-Levelor electronic autofill system
-Specified gauges, thermometers and flow meter
-SR Smith Swim and Spike volleyball set
-SR Smith Dual Post Basketball set
-Vacuum head & hose, 16’ extension pole, wall brush, debris skimmer net, water test kit
-One spring opening and fall winterization
-Customer training session with ongoing tech support

I have heard from a few people that the Ozonator is overkill mostly used by commercial builders, thoughts?

The Pentair CO2 feeder & tank could also be considered overkill, used mostly by commercial?

The pool is really 16' x 36' if you take out the tanning ledge, is 2 LEDs enough light?

Intelli Chlor Salt System vs Intelli Chem System? I guess the old salt vs chlorine?, but do the systems work about the same? I was told the chlorine model was more exact on how it distributes the chemicals?

Thanks for any advice, I should be in contract by next week.

 

[JasonLion]

It is nice to see a builder specifying a larger filter to begin with. Most builders undersize the filter.

I would skip the ozone system, it doesn't add any value unless you have large pool parties two or more days in a row.

The IntelliChlor is more than sufficient. IntelliChem adds significant complexity and more things to break for no appreciable improvement (for an outdoor pool, it has advantage indoors).

What is the Stenner 45 feed pump for? Typically that would be either chlorine feed or acid feed, but you also have a SWG and a CO2 system, so I don't see what the Stenner will do.

I'm not a big fan of CO2 systems. Most people don't need PH regulation, and if you do (typically only for people with high TA fill water) then IntelliPH is a better/simpler approach.

On the lights, it kind of depends on what effect you are going for. For a pool that size, two lights is enough for most things but three would give you brighter colors and better coverage over the entire pool. Given the high end selection of the other components I would expect to see three lights, even though most people would be happy enough with two.

 

[panamagixxer]

Thanks for the feedback, its funny, you get quotes, but until you meet the contractors the real connection doesn't happen. I am lucky, I like the lowest bidding company. Next week I will meet with them again and get their opinions on the equipment on the list. As information, I used a 3rd party engineering firm to develop the plans and get all the companies to bid on the exact same thing. They do a lot of commercial bids, so that is why some of the stuff is a little overkill. I should make my final decision today and then work on specifics with the pool builder. He did question the Ozone and suggested salt water.