Almost ready to sign a contract, this is the list, any comments?

[jdsaengine]

Ready to sign a contract with a pool builder. Other than he is back logged and cannot start construction till October 2021 which seems like an eternity in these trying times. Here is the laundry list and a few questions of mine.
Anyone care to comment pro or con on the proposed list?

Inground fiberglass 12'x26" Latham pool
Pentair Superflo variable pump (he was up selling on the variable to save energy)
Pentair Clean and Clear cartridge filter ( he was talking me out of a sand filter saying the cartridge would keep the pool cleaner and no need for backwash piping to a drain)
Pool Frog XLpro Chlorine chem treat system (I wanted salt generator system and he is talking me out of it saying this Frog system uses less chlorine than normal and salt pool will eat away my auto cover alum parts)
CoverStar auto pool cover with flush track upgrade
Perntair Ultratemp heat pump heater, upgraded to 90mbh for 8000 gal pool ( this is the big question, is gas heater less or more problems? He says the heat pump would last longer from corrosion standpoint. I understand its slower heating but we did upgrade on the BTUh from 70 to 90mbh)

thanks for taking a look

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hello!
Please don't let him put that silly Frog in the pool! It contains minerals that can build up in the pool and cause stains, particularly vulnerable are fiberglass pools. Get a simple SWG and it will be fine. I've had an autocover over my salt water pool for 9+ years- no visible damage whatsoever! SWG systems are best when they're 2x the volume of the pool- this means you can run them on low and they'll last longer. My first cell only got replaced recently, and it was 3x the pool size.

I *like* sand filters. They are the easiest, and get the job done albeit perhaps a tad slower. But we know a trick with adding a bit of pool DE powder to the filter when you want to "up" its filtering power. Its also super easy to backwash and lower my pool level if rain has been heavy.

Variable Speed pumps are going to be a federal law in 6 months time. They use the least amount of energy.

Gas works fast, heat pumps work slower and is dependent on outside air and humidity levels. Costs of energy and gas come in to play here. That heater sounds small to me, but I'm not really up on them.

Here are a few things to mull over from our PoolSchool -

Pool School

www.troublefreepool.com

And our Wiki pages-

Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Keep us updated..... we love to follow pool builds and pics are very welcome!

Maddie

 

[ajw22]

Inground fiberglass 12'x26" Latham pool

Fiberglass Pools - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Pentair Superflo variable pump (he was up selling on the variable to save energy)

VS pump is good except the Superflow does not interface with any automation.

How to select pool equipment - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Pentair Clean and Clear cartridge filter ( he was talking me out of a sand filter saying the cartridge would keep the pool cleaner and no need for backwash piping to a drain)

Flip a coin. Both are good.

How to select pool equipment - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Pool Frog XLpro Chlorine chem treat system (I wanted salt generator system and he is talking me out of it saying this Frog system uses less chlorine than normal and salt pool will eat away my auto cover alum parts)

Get a SWG. You don't want any low chlorine system that adds minerals and metals to your water.

Alternative sanitizers and "chemical free" pools--The Truth!

Pool owners frequently seek out "Chemical Free" alternatives to pool water sanitization. Many claims in favor of these systems and methods have been made (usually by the manufacturers of such systems) often without adequate scientific proof of their efficacy. Let's take a look at them and see...

www.troublefreepool.com

Salt Water Chlorine Generators

Salt Water Generators are designed to produce small amounts of chlorine continuously. This is perfect for day to day use and reduces work for the homeowner.

www.troublefreepool.com

CoverStar auto pool cover with flush track upgrade

Good.

Perntair Ultratemp heat pump heater, upgraded to 90mbh for 8000 gal pool ( this is the big question, is gas heater less or more problems? He says the heat pump would last longer from corrosion standpoint. I understand its slower heating but we did upgrade on the BTUh from 70 to 90mbh)

If you have NG then get a gas heater. It will heat your pool faster, be more reliable, and easier to repair.

Pentair MasterTemp Heaters - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Pentair UltraTemp Heat Pump - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

thanks for taking a look

Welcome.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Do you want any sort of automation system, as I do not see that included. I also do not see a cleaner listed.

 

[Donldson]

(I wanted salt generator system and he is talking me out of it saying this Frog system uses less chlorine than normal and salt pool will eat away my auto cover alum parts)

It's very interesting that pool builders, when talking someone out of getting an SWG, almost never say to get a tablet feeder and buy a relatively inexpensive bucket of trichlor tablets to fill it with. No, for some reason it is almost always specifically the Frog system. The system that is entirely proprietary and requires the purchase of their branded mineral pack and their branded chlorine packs that contain the same tablets as any bucket of tablets but are marked up 5x the price. I see he's even selling you on the XL Pro despite it being designed for pools twice the size of yours.

And recommending a cartridge filter that will require replacement cartridges instead of a sand filter, huh? Seems like a pattern, but I can't quite put my finger on it...

Now here's something interesting: aluminum doesn't care in the least about the salt level in a salt pool. Most pools end up with nearly the same amount of salt in them over time. I can tell you what does kill metal parts though and that's acidic water. Usually that's not a problem unless a constant source of acid is being added to the water. Something like an acidic source of chlorine would do it. The most acidic source of chlorine of course would be tablets, like the ones found in a Frog chlorine pac. Oh. Wait, that would mean the chlorine he is trying to sell you is likely to damage your metal than the SWG he is trying to talk you out of. Huh.

 

[jdsaengine]

All good responses, thanks everyone. We will consider a SWG a lot more going forward.

One bit of info on the reason for cartridge vs a sand filter, at least as was told to me. My location does not have a good method for piping backwash from a sand filter other than just dumping it out in the back yard. So a cartridge type filter system was proposed by him. If I ever have to remove some water out of the pool, if CYA is high for example, I would use a portable pump and dump in the back yard or out to the street.

We have gas available, its just several hundred feet away and across a lot of existing patio area to run underground piping, so a heat pump seemed the easiest.

Never considered automation and it was not brought up by the installer. What is automated vs manual operation?

 

[PoolGate]

All good responses, thanks everyone. We will consider a SWG a lot more going forward.

One bit of info on the reason for cartridge vs a sand filter, at least as was told to me. My location does not have a good method for piping backwash from a sand filter other than just dumping it out in the back yard. So a cartridge type filter system was proposed by him. If I ever have to remove some water out of the pool, if CYA is high for example, I would use a portable pump and dump in the back yard or out to the street.

We have gas available, its just several hundred feet away and across a lot of existing patio area to run underground piping, so a heat pump seemed the easiest.

Never considered automation and it was not brought up by the installer. What is automated vs manual operation?

You should dictate to the builder what you want and let him design around it. Most builders know how to build a pool and not much else. Many don't know anything at all about water sanitation, which is where this site will be your best friend.

Frog - for sure OUT!

Saltwater system - IN!

Cartridge filter - For sure IN! Way, way less mess than sand/DE and in many cases, set and forget for the entire season. Key thing with the filter is that it is a place for particulate matter from the water column to be stored. It does not play a significant factor in water clarity. Proper chemistry is what makes your water clear.

Heat Pump vs Gas. Heat pump will not extend your season but will keep your pool at 90 all season long for less money than gas. Gas is better for "on demand" uses like if you were getting a spa.

 

[ajw22]

What is automated vs manual operation?

Where will your pool equipment be relative to your pool and house? Will it be convenient to access the equipment when dripping wet or at night?

Without automation you need to find your way out to the pool equipment to adjust the pump or turn the heater on or off or adjust the heater temperature.

Automation - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com