Embarking on a new pool in Austin, TX

[bgentry]

Hi TFP folks! I've been lurking for awhile and really appreciate what a great resource this forum is. I was already convinced that SWG was the right choice for us thanks to many detailed posts on that subject.

We're just about to embark on a new pool project here in Austin, Texas. I thought I'd post the specs and design plans to see if anybody has any feedback or recommendations before we sign the contract. Though I grew up with a pool, this would be my first time owning and maintaining one, so I have lots to learn! I'm especially interested in any feedback on construction or equipment options, questions we should ask, etc.

Thanks in advance! I plan to share a lot more as the process continues.

Pool Measurements
23' x 34' max forms, 21' x 32' water area
Pool Perimeter: 114 linear feet
Pool Depth: 3'6"- 7'0"
Pool Area: 552 sqft
Pool Capacity: TBD (we just revised the profile)
Beaches: 2, per plan
Spa: 12' x 8'
Spa Perimeter: 40'
Spa Area: 96 sqft
Spa Depth: 4' (we are quite tall)
Spa Bench Depth: 20"
Spa Benches: all 4 sides
Spa Capacity: TBD

Materials
Steel: 1/2' Rebar #4, tied on 9" centers with a four bar beam and additional bars at all high stress areas if required
Tile: glass/standard
Coping: Travertine stone 12" wide, 12" wide coping beam
Decking: still evaluating, but hoping to do travertine for the whole deck area
Decking specifications: Installed over 8" bed of road base compacted and formed with concrete mesh and 3/8" rebar on 14" centers
Gunite: high pressure dry gunite, water and quality controlled at job site. Minimum 12" thick floor, 12" walls
Plaster: Hand troweled quartz, with color and fleck of preference. 3 year warranty on material

Equipment
Pool Return/Jets: American, Four (4) Pool
Automatic Cover: Cover Star Eclipse, Stainless Steel
Automation System: Jandy POL-30-9204 - IQ904-PS AQUALINK RS4 POOL
Variable Speed Pump: Jandy TLD-10-1001 - VSPHP270DV2A 2.7THP 115/230V
Control: Jandy WiFi automation controlled by smart phone app
Filter: Cartridge Filter, Jandy, 580sqft
Cleaner: TR36 Polaris Automatic Cleaner
Salt System: Yes (I've asked for details on which SWCG will be included)
Skimmers: 2
LED Lights: 3
LED Color Changing Beach Bubbler: 2
Heater: JXI 260 or 400,000 BTU N/P
Blower: Jandy air blower and silencer
Maintenance Equipment: pole, net, brush, test kit, pool school
Start-up chemicals: tabs, acid shock for one week

Plumbing
Main drain suction line: 2.5" Schedule 40 PVC
Returns: 4 x 2" Schedule 40 PVC, adjustable
Skimmers: 2 x 2" Schedule 40 PVC, anti vortex covers + equalizer lines
Valves: Jandy lifetime valves
Plumbing Manifold: 2" PVC pipe
Main drains: Two (2) with anti-vortex covers, 2" Schedule 40 PVC
Overflow line, fill line
All lines to be pressurized during gunite application and deck pour

Electrical
Bonding: per electrical code, i.e. deck bond, pool shell, lights
Hook up of underwater lights, timers and pool pumps including circuit breakers, GFCI, etc.
Power pulled from main panel

Construction time: 90-120 working days after excavation, weather permitting
Warranty: 10 year structural on the pool shell, transferrable. Pool: 3 years any service to equipment or masonry.

 

[HermanTX]

welcome to TFP. You have found a great resource to help in your pool construction and maintenance.
Your pool volume is estimated around 20,000 gals. Your PB is using all Jandy equipment so get the AquaPure 1400 which is rated at 40,000 gals. It is the largest SWCG that Jandy offers.

The design is unique with a double Baja shelf.
Are you getting the pool cover due to a lot of trees around your pool or is it mainly for safety reasons? Just curious.

Get the specifics on the Automation systems as Jandy has several models with varying degrees of capability. You can go to their website for more info.
The large cartridge filter is great. As is the 400BTU heater. You may want more specifics on the VS pump as Jandy has several models. But all are good.

120 days after excavation is a short timeline in this age of excessive demand for pools. I do hope the PB can stand behind that.
Good Luck And keep us posted.

 

[bgentry]

Are you getting the pool cover due to a lot of trees around your pool or is it mainly for safety reasons? Just curious.

Yes, we have about a dozen oak trees surrounding the pool area. They dump leaves and pollen a couple times a year and we figured the cover would help the pool stay much cleaner. We also back up to open space so the cover should help keep out lots of critters that might otherwise drown in the pool. The safety aspect will be a relief for future kids as well.

Just heard back on the SWCG, and it looks like it will be the AquaPure 1400 (we were sent the manual for the 700 and 1400, and the 700 is only for 12k gal). I asked them to make that explicit in the contract, thank you!

I’ll ask for specifics on the automation and pump systems.

The design is unique with a double Baja shelf.

Yeah, we iterated on designs with a bunch of builders but ultimately landed here. It gives us plenty of tanning ledge space, nice symmetry, and the deep end shelf will act as a bench for the deep end and hopefully make it feel less lonely down there Since the whole thing is a rectangle the single cover will slide over the entire area too.

What would you say is a realistic timeline these days? 120 working days is 6 months after the dig, which we thought was realistic. Fortunately our builder purchased lots of extra equipment when the shortages started hitting so they have garages filled with enough pumps & parts to keep their projects moving.

 

[walkinpool]

What would you say is a realistic timeline these days? 120 working days is 6 months after the dig

Hi, welcome to forum! Nice build. My dig started in late May and the builder is confident we'll be swimming in September. 6 months is possible right now. Roadblocks my builder navigated well but still had delays: couldn't find 2.5" PVC pipe, scheduling challenges with excavator but more so with the gunite crew. I sat for about 1 month with steel and pluming in the hole before the gunite was shot. The rest of my project here on out is fullly in their control, outside of Pentair sending us the equipment .

 

[bgentry]

I got the info back on the automation system and pump:

Automation System: POL-30-9204 - IQ904-PS AQUALINK RS4 POOL

Variable Speed Pump: TLD-10-1001 - VSPHP270DV2A 2.7THP 115/230V

Any thoughts or recommendations on these?

 

[HermanTX]

Automation System: POL-30-9204 - IQ904-PS AQUALINK RS4 POOL

This is the base system and includes 2 controllers for 2 valves (1 on return and 1 on suction). This allows automation to go from Pool Mode to Spa Mode and back to Pool Mode.
it has 4 relays to allow control of the SWCG, pool light and spa light. Just need to verify that is all you need to control.
It has wireless to connect to your phone, computer.

see the attached brochure that shows all the various features - your is the RS-PS4

 

[bgentry]

That should be sufficient for what we need to control initially, though I might want to make it easy to expand with a chiller in the future—I guess we’d need more relays for that?

One thing I’ve seen in a few threads are various recommendations about PVC sizes. Do the sizes above (2.5” main drain, 2” skimmers + returns) sound ok, or should I be pushing them to use 2.5” for everything?

 

[HermanTX]

One thing I’ve seen in a few threads are various recommendations about PVC sizes. Do the sizes above (2.5” main drain, 2” skimmers + returns) sound ok, or should I be pushing them to use 2.5” for everything?

This should be fine. The PB should run some basic calculations based on length of runs and elevation of pool to equipment pad. Many pools use 1.5" returns and only 2" suction. So having 2" throughout with 2.5" suction on main drain should be sufficient.

 

[JBear]

How many jets for your spa - and is it requiring an extra pump? We are thinking of a 10x10 and getting mixed answers from builders based on our request for 16 jets. Some are saying we need a second pump and others say one is fine.

 

[bgentry]

How many jets for your spa - and is it requiring an extra pump? We are thinking of a 10x10 and getting mixed answers from builders based on our request for 16 jets. Some are saying we need a second pump and others say one is fine.

As of now the plan is four jets using the same single pump. Debating whether we should add more, because it is a good size spa.

 

[bgentry]

Took awhile, but we've signed the contract! A few updates since my last post:

• The number of spa jets was incorrect on the original contract, we're actually getting 10 which makes sense for the large spa.
• We're using 2.5" PVC everywhere (I saw this recommended elsewhere).
• We added an auto-fill system along with associated plumbing to ensure that we don't need to pull a hose over to the pool on a regular basis.
• Construction timeline is estimated at 90-120 working days, plus weather delays. With any luck this puts us at a timeframe of April for completion of construction.

I'll keep this thread updated as we go through permitting and final design!

 

[KJB1]

3 year warranty is nice

 

[bgentry]

The pool was dug last week! We hit a fair bit of rock, but that's expected out here. There were a bunch of big boulders as well as solid rock shelves on either end of the pool that had to be jack-hammered through. Excavator had some equipment issues which set them back a little, but otherwise it was a pretty quick dig!

Rebar began going in yesterday as well.

 

[bgentry]

They finished laying all the rebar on Christmas Eve. Plumbing and electrical should go in tomorrow & Tuesday. Builders seem confident we’ll get all that done and inspected in time to spray gunite this week!

 

[flynwill]

Looking good. Look like you will have an automatic cover to cover everything when not in use? If so great plan.

 

[bgentry]

Yes, we’re surrounded on all sides with big oaks. Not looking forward to clearing those leaves out of the skimmers otherwise!

 

[HermanTX]

Yes, we’re surrounded on all sides with big oaks. Not looking forward to clearing those leaves out of the skimmers otherwise!

The leaves are just a nuisance. The acorns are the real issue as they stain the decking, etc.

 

[bgentry]

We had some delays due to minor plumbing and rebar rework, but we’re spraying gunite as we speak! Here are the pics from yesterday afternoon before the pour.

Also our pile of equipment arrived!

 

[bgentry]

Here’s the equipment delivery.

 

[bgentry]

Gunite was finished yesterday evening.