Bid evaluation, please

[cybertoad]

We've narrowed down our pool builder search to two pool companies. Here is the first bid and design, we will be receiving the final numbers from the other builder tomorrow morning. Would appreciate if anyone has any input on this bid in central California!

Please see bid attached.

 

[kimkats]

HI! What a fun time in your life!! How exciting but scary at the same time!

Lets talk about your design. The one thing that really stands out to me is the fact the spa will block the view of the pool from the house. That could be dangerous if you have kids or pets. I just know I enjoy looking at my pool from inside the house.

I would move it to opposite the seating area, between the shelf and raised wall. Then you could put a seating bench there instead.

What are your thoughts? You will not hurt my feelings if you don't like it so tell the truth so I can know how you are thinking.

Kim

 

[cybertoad]

Hi kimkats, thanks for weighing in! Actually we have more windows on that wall than the graphics show (see pics) which will provide some view of the pool. I think the idea with putting the spa front and center was to provide a birds-eye view of the infinity-edge spa... But that is definitely a good point of consideration. I may ask the designer to move it and see how it looks, just to see

 

[kimkats]

If you are sitting inside the house you will not have much of a view of the overflow part of the spa. If you put it to the side you will be able to see the water fall from the spa.

 

[cybertoad]

I think he meant watching the water "vanish" off the edge... Good points though

 

[Jimrahbe]

Toad, (Funny, that is the nickname for my oldest daughter.. )

Things that the designer never tells you.. Running constant waterfalls or spillovers will drive your pH through the roof. Waterfalls sound great for the first 10 minutes and then they are just like living next to a freeway...

So you end up spending a ton of money on water features that after a year, you end up not using too much at all..

Have you ever actually sat in a gunite spa? If you have not, then I really, really suggest that you do before you buy one. They are not all that comfortable.. They are the most over sold and most under used item of most pool builds... Don't get me wrong, some people just love them, but my pull-it-out-of-your-rear guess is that 75% of spa owners either never use them or use them less then two or three times a year.

I suggest that you go with the Saltwater option.. If you do, make sure the EasyTouch has the built-in SWCG power supply... You can thank me later..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ajw22]

I agree with Jim on waterfalls and water features.

I don’t agree about a gunite spa if you want a larger spa then you can get with the standalone spas. We have a large gunite spa that we like to stretch out in. Maybe we have good padding on our bottoms but comfort is not an issue.

We had a standalone spa in my last house. After a few years it developed leaks and other problems. A gunite spa is pretty much maintenance free and piggybacks off your pool investment. An advantage to a standalone spa is it can be used all year round.

So there are pros and cons to each type of spa.

 

[ajw22]

Comments on equipment...

SWG - how many gallons will your pool be? We recommend the SWG be at least 2X the pool size. You probably want the IC40 if not the IC60.

Pump - dont know why the WhisperFlo is speced instead of the Intelliflo. The Pentair Intelliflo VS 011028 is recommended.

Automation - Pentair is replacing the EasyTouch with the IntelliCenter. New SW improvements will be coming to the Intellicenter. Read Pentair IntelliCenter Review - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Cleaner - skip the suction cleaner and get a robot cleaner. You don’t need to get it from the Pb but you need to put an outlet nearby to power it and find a place to store it. Look at the Pool Cleaners section for what is popular.

Heater - 400K BTU Pentair Mastertemp is good.

Equipment Pad - install a light for when you need to check equipment at night.

Autofill - there are pros and cons to it. An autofill can hide leaks. Your pool can be losing water and you will not realize it. You can have setup a manual valve so you know how much water you are adding to the pool. If you are in a high evaporation area then an autofill may make sense. Auto-Fill and Leveling Systems

Overflow drain - have it included. In case of heavy rains you will not need to be out there pumping down your pool.

 

[Jbrillo]

An advantage to a standalone spa is it can be used all year round.

Just curious but can’t you use a gunite spa year round too?

 

[mknauss]

Just curious but can’t you use a gunite spa year round too?

If you are in a region that you must close and winterize your pool/spa, then no, you cannot use the spa year round.

In regions you leave the pool open in the winter then yes, you can use the spa then. It will not retain the heat, you must heat it up for each use.

 

[Jbrillo]

Ah.....of course! I forget that not everywhere is as hot as living in the south. We don’t have real winters here but our blazing, humid summers almost make having a pool a necessity.

 

[jtburf]

Personally I would turn the spa and also place it in the far corner of the pool.

Two reasons, 1. no blind spot caused by it. 2. privacy...


Just my .02


John