Design/Plan/DIY Build NorCal pool

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Intelliconnect is the low end automation. 2 relays and no load center. It can control a pump, ICXX cell and pool lights.

Easy Touch is their early 2000's high end product offering. The ET is not modular or easily upgradeable. The ET has been replaced by the IntelliCenter although it is still sold.

Chances you want the IntelliCenter. You get a load center that is your pool subpanel. It is modular and expandable and Pentair is pushing software upgrades on it.
 
manoweb said:
Another issue I am dealing with is that in a thread like:

Build thread: Vinyl in-ground, 18x40, Fastlane, Autocover.

You can patch your liner if the dogs get to it. You'll have your poolhouse forever! And you'll have a nice convenient place to do your testing. I'm waiting for a doggie swimming party picture by the way. Looking great!
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

The owner @lazygirl1978 mentions she has benches on the deep end. I believe that is a wonderful idea but so far I have not found a vinyl kit that has those benches. This is a show stopper I need to find a solution before I can proceed. I'd love to see detail pictures of benches like those and understand how they are formed in a vinyl liner pool with autocover.
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@manoweb I think your issue is you are looking for a "kit". I think you can get a custom vinyl liner made with benches.

@jimmythegreek how do you get a vinyl liner with benches?
 
Hello and good to see you back! I remember you hanging around before and I believe also announcing you were moving and wouldn't be able to pursue the build when initially planned. I'd highly recommend keeping all of your questions in one place going forward. It becomes much harder to follow the flow if there are multiple threads for the same build. The reason your Fastlane was not so familiar is that they are probably installed on .x% of pools. And autocovers are probably just a few percent, but way more. I will be interested to see the Fastlane follow-up you noted above. I'd be very surprised if there isn't a good alternative for a vinyl IG pool with an autocover. All of the plumbing and intake should be either on the bottom or sides and not have to be at the water surface like the one you show. I think you will build a very good following for this thread as it builds momentum.

Regarding equipment being below the level of the pool. Sure, no problem. Not the most popular but quite common. I think instead of the valves being discussed above, which yes you would need to consider specifically for your setup, you would need to ensure proper installation of check valves. They would be the devices that will keep the water in the lines from draining out shoud there be an opening in your system. So if for example, your pump cover had an o-ring that wasn't sealing properly, when the water is shutoff, a check valve immediately after the pump would keep the water that normally flows towards the pool from draining back down and out through the system opening. Or if you are cleaning your filter, no need too change valves, the check valve should do the trick. A valve would just be a back up or to allow for some other operation as well.

You will definitely want a Wi-Fi switch on your autocover so you will be alerted when it is opened and also be able to check the status of the cover remotely. And perhaps there is something you can set for alerts if the cover is open more than x number of hours, etc.

Looking forward to seeing your progress and questions! The common term used for pools like yours is Owner Builder (OB) when you will be the general contractor. Knowing that you may sub some off the jobs out to yourself if you provide the best return on your investment. Searching by that term will also guide you to many threads that may be insightful.

And lastly, a few good overview before pictures would be great to help us see your vision more clearly!
 
ajw22 said:
@manoweb I think your issue is you are looking for a "kit". I think you can get a custom vinyl liner made with benches.

@jimmythegreek how do you get a vinyl liner with benches?
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Yeah I used the term "kit" as I mean the set of steel or composite walls/bracing that form the upper 42-48 inches of the pool, where the benches will be located, and the vinyl that can certainly be customized. But they have to work together. I mean I'd be able to fabricate the benches to be attached to the walls, but 1) I'd like if there are read-made solutions first (like in the thread I mentioned?) 2) if I have to fabricate my own, I wouldn't mind having a look st (copy) a solution that is known to work well, is safe etc. I really welcome advice here.
 
bmoreswim said:
Hello and good to see you back! I remember you hanging around before and I believe also announcing you were moving and wouldn't be able to pursue the build when initially planned.
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Yes wow you remember correctly. In fact I recently came back to my original property after a couple of years.


I'd highly recommend keeping all of your questions in one place going forward. It becomes much harder to follow the flow if there are multiple threads for the same build.
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OK

Regarding equipment being below the level of the pool. Sure, no problem. Not the most popular but quite common.
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Yeah I was thinking about that location because I have some space that is not used in any other way, it would also be "hidden" away, and probably also reflect away some of the noise (the Fastlane pump I believe can be quite loud when it's working).

Thanks for the check valve advice, I will prepare a plumbing schematic and also check how much flow reduction I should expect with those valves.

Looking forward to seeing your progress and questions! The common term used for pools like yours is Owner Builder (OB) when you will be the general contractor. Knowing that you may sub some off the jobs out to yourself if you provide the best return on your investment. Searching by that term will also guide you to many threads that may be insightful.

And lastly, a few good overview before pictures would be great to help us see your vision more clearly!
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Yeha very familiar with the term OB, in fact the people of the planning/building dept know me well :D

Job site photos are an excellent idea. I might have something around
 
manoweb said:
Interesting, it integrates an electric panel. I need to underdstand exactly how it works as two grand seem expensive for a subpanel :D
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In one box you have your CB subpanel, Intellichlor Power Center, and Intellicenter automation electronics and relays. You can price out the individual components as you can buy an IntelliCenter box with just the automation and relays. As I said the IntelliCenter is very modular. I think you will find it is cost effective and simplifies the wiring to have it all in one cabinet.
 
They have premade stairs and tanning ledges available. You can add them to any side of the pool but it will change in the deep end if that's your thought. Om shallow side the while thing is usually one depth until the break line. Anything added here is just attached to pool walls and either concrete filled or gravel/concrete. On deep end you have slope so either a swim out area is created and lined or a premade fiberglass/steel unit is installed instead of a wall panel. There are limitations with vinyl you cannot replicate a gunite pool but you can get real close
 

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jimmythegreek said:
They have premade stairs and tanning ledges available. You can add them to any side of the pool but it will change in the deep end if that's your thought. Om shallow side the while thing is usually one depth until the break line. Anything added here is just attached to pool walls and either concrete filled or gravel/concrete. On deep end you have slope so either a swim out area is created and lined or a premade fiberglass/steel unit is installed instead of a wall panel. There are limitations with vinyl you cannot replicate a gunite pool but you can get real close
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What I would like to do is this, from @lazygirl1978 's build thread.

I will also have the autocover and the fastlane, very similar design. It's probably very simple but I'd like to know how those are built.

Yes I know that I cannot have the complete freedom that a gunite pool has, but I am not looking for anything too complex!

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ajw22 said:
In one box you have your CB subpanel, Intellichlor Power Center, and Intellicenter automation electronics and relays. You can price out the individual components as you can buy an IntelliCenter box with just the automation and relays. As I said the IntelliCenter is very modular. I think you will find it is cost effective and simplifies the wiring to have it all in one cabinet.
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I am sure it is, thank you for the advice!
 
Those are just corner pieces that are attached to the wall panels. You have to keep the relation of size comparable to the slope of the hopper. Those are pretty simple they are just sheetmetal, and in that application they are braced internally you wouldnt fill those, the angle slope couldnt support the weight
 
jimmythegreek said:
Those are just corner pieces that are attached to the wall panels. You have to keep the relation of size comparable to the slope of the hopper. Those are pretty simple they are just sheetmetal, and in that application they are braced internally you wouldnt fill those, the angle slope couldnt support the weight
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That is exaclty as I thought, I wouldn't have filled those. My plan was to have polymer walls - not steel, but it does not really matter. I tried to look for those corner pieces for sale but it sounds like I'll have to fabricate my own.
 
Kind of bad news for the corner piece for benches. The reseller I was working with says "The manufacturer [Hydra Pools] will not make a liner for custom made steps unfortunately". Unless I can find another vendor it seems I will have to forget about the deep end benches. My wife is not convinced they are necessary but I thought they were a good idea.
 
I'm guessing you are looking to deal with pool warehouse? I've never seen corners or self supporting anything on polymer walls it wont work. All steel tanning ledges etc go onto steel panels. You can mix and match the panels as well. Personally I prefer steel panels especially when customizing a pool. For a DIY first time job it gets tricky setting a liner over anything like steps and benches
 
Poolwarehouse is indeed one of the very few that is willing to deal directly with the "public". I tried to contact other liner manufacturers but they won't talk to the end user, and the reason I was in favor of a vinyl liner pool was to work on it myself.
I am completely open to steel panels, my preference for polymer wasn't really justified by anything. If anybody knows a manufacturer willing to provide the necessary corner pieces and custom vinyl liner let me know :) I wish @lazygirl1978 was online to provide some info on how it went for her.
 
Thank you very much. In the meanwhile I am cleaning up the job site. I spoke to local people and new swimming pools in this area are typically built insulated nowadays. It makes a lot of sense for a pool with auto-cover where the main cause of heat loss (evaporation) is practically eliminated. The weather here even in the Summer is not often very hot, especially in the evening. It does not sound too complicated to insulate the back of the walls with panels and use spray foam for the complicated spots. I am doing some research on what is used to insulate the bottom part of the pool and how that could fit in this design. The vinyl liner pool vendors I spoke so far dismissed the argument unfortunately.
 

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