Difficulty and cost of a concrete pad for pool equipment?

[sccm_sysadmin]

Just something I'm turning over in my head, nothing set in stone () yet.

My pool is about 10 years old and I'm the 2nd owner. It came with the house we bought earlier this year. I've been using TFPC since I opened it, with 100% success. Now I'm looking at ways to optimize it...not necessarily from automation, but making sure my equipment is kept in good shape and is easily maintained for the foreseeable future, since we have no plans to move again.

Right now my equipment is just behind our pool. The pump and filter are sitting on what looks like a piece of hard plastic directly on the ground, and my heater on a second piece of hard plastic. Electric service and the pump timer are on a wooden post. I'd love to have all these on a single concrete pad for long-term durability.

How much work and expense would it be to disconnect and move all the equipment, dig out a small footing, pour a concrete pad (with gravel underneath it), put all the equipment back on it and re-connect everything? Maybe...5ft x 10ft? Not huge but enough room to easily access everything. This is pretty far into my backyard so a concrete truck couldn't access it; I'd have to mix it on site.

Any curveballs I'd need to look out for? Obviously I'd need to make sure I don't hit any plumbing or electric lines, or the bonding wire. I'd probably re-do the plumbing at the same time to put in some higher-quality valves and remove some flow restrictions (a few unnecessary 90-degree junctions/elbows). It could be a good opportunity to "do it right", putting in good equipment for the long haul. New VS pump, bigger sand filter, dual-union valves, Stenner pump, etc.

I'll grab some photos later today.

Has anyone else ever done something like this? Thanks for any input.

 

[kimkats]

It is very doable. It will be very hands only or small, tiny digs to make sure you do not hurt or cut anything important.

I would sketch out your plans so you will have the best possible placement for working around the equipment and plumbing needs to cut down on the tight curves you are dealing with now.

I would have a tiny slant to the pad to make sure water runs off.

Think about adding a light for the pad as well. Might as well go big!

Now is the time to do it. If you have to leave the pump off overnight while it is the burrr time no big deal really.

Share your pic here and someone can jump in with ideas.

Kim

 

[Jimrahbe]

sccm,

Sounds like a pretty easy DIY job to me. Some 2 x 4 for the forms, a little rebar, and a few bags of concrete mix...

I recommend you make sure you layout want you want where ahead of time and make sure you leave plenty of room to make changes in the future if needed.

I would also NOT bring any pipes up through the concrete.

Other than that, it sounds like you have a pretty good plan to me...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[Nectarologist]

You might want to farm that out, especially if you don't have a mixer readily available (or one you can use for free). For a 4 inch thick pad you'll need 28 bags of concrete mix ($130 just for that in my area, add $65 to deliver it). At 80lbs per bag you're looking at multiple trips to the store (unless you have a heavy duty truck). Plus loading it twice (once at store, then into car, unload from car, then to job site), rock delivered and using a wheel barrow to move it from your driveway (or schlepping bags from the store to the yard), buying, then cutting rebar. Buying wood and cutting to size for the forms. You can do it but it's a huge job for one person without the right tools. A pro will knock it out in a morning with a few guys, and you won't be sore As Kim said doable but just know what you're getting into. Can't hurt to get an estimate for the pad. I'd guess that size it'd be $500 for a pro to do it for you in NC. $600 tops. Let us know your progress, good luck!

 

[sccm_sysadmin]

You might want to farm that out, especially if you don't have a mixer readily available (or one you can use for free). For a 4 inch thick pad you'll need 28 bags of concrete mix ($130 just for that in my area, add $65 to deliver it). At 80lbs per bag you're looking at multiple trips to the store (unless you have a heavy duty truck). Plus loading it twice (once at store, then into car, unload from car, then to job site), rock delivered and using a wheel barrow to move it from your driveway (or schlepping bags from the store to the yard), buying, then cutting rebar. Buying wood and cutting to size for the forms. You can do it but it's a huge job for one person without the right tools. A pro will knock it out in a morning with a few guys, and you won't be sore As Kim said doable but just know what you're getting into. Can't hurt to get an estimate for the pad. I'd guess that size it'd be $500 for a pro to do it for you in NC. $600 tops. Let us know your progress, good luck!

Those numbers aren't too bad at all, to be honest. Thanks!

Schlepping (28) 80-lbs bags of concrete mix doesn't sound fun at all. In fact it sounds downright terrible. I needed a few of the quick-setting 50lbs bags to replace a fence post, and those definitely weren't any fun to get into and out of my car...and I haven't even carried them to my back fence yet! Bleh.

 

[sccm_sysadmin]

sccm,
I would also NOT bring any pipes up through the concrete.

Yes, absolutely. I figured I would move the electric lines if necessary but leave the PVC pool plumbing in place where it comes out of the ground, and pour the pad behind those pipes.

I would have a tiny slant to the pad to make sure water runs off.

Think about adding a light for the pad as well. Might as well go big!

Slant is a good idea, and a light is absolutely a fantastic idea -- I'm kicking myself for not thinking of a light. See, that's exactly why I posted! Right now if I need to go out there at night, it's usually by the light of my cell phone.

 

[Chemnut]

Pressure treated pine would be easier IMO