Equipment on a pad or is loose stone ok?

[dotbombjoe]

My builder told me he prefers not to put equipment on a concrete pad. I had thought it was standard practice or even required to have equipment on a pad. I get not wanting to run the plumbing through the pad but I'm not feeling at all confident about the stability of this equipment if it isn't on a pad...that side of the house turns to slushy mud when it rains -- how is that going to work with heavy equipment on it??

The last time I brought it up his reasoning was to reduce vibrations...but that seems like a different problem to me, shouldn't you pour a pad and then solve equipment vibration problems if/when they arise?

Advice?

 

[bbqjosh]

You can buy a lightweight concrete pad for the pool equipment. That is the way equipment is being installed around here. You can size them and space them as necessary and can bolt the equipment to them. Take a look on amazon.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Joe,

Lazy is as lazy does... Your pool builder in my mind is just being lazy.. If this were my pool I would want a 4" thick concrete pad and the bigger the better, so that all the equipment is not crammed together.

Is your pool builder planning on coming back and picking out all the weeds over the year or two?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SpringPool]

A prefab or concrete pad is the way to go. Our PB had them use the
left over gunnite and had it made extra large.

 

[bmoreswim]

My equipment "pad" is an anomaly, but yes, you want the equipment on concrete as a best practice. Mine is rock solid and that's what you want. Concrete gets you that.

75EC71A4-63EF-47BE-98CD-4BD306E72E53.jpeg

• bmoreswim
• May 19, 2019

 

[dotbombjoe]

Thanks all, very much appreciate the advice

 

[dotbombjoe]

Pad poured. We'll see if it all fits. Thanks again all!

 

[Jimrahbe]

Dot,

I am happy to see that he did not bring each pipe up through the concrete...

Jim R.

 

[dotbombjoe]

Yes, we were both on the same page about that. I had assumed he was just going to cut the pad short and not extend it past the pipes but this will be much better as it will make walking past that area a lot easier with solid ground.

 

[Randrx2]

Is there a joint where the pad meets the building? I cannot see one.

 

[dotbombjoe]

They used a sort of foam material everywhere the concrete met with another surface (ie, the house or the fence); hard to see in the pics.

 

[Randrx2]

They used a sort of foam material everywhere the concrete met with another surface (ie, the house or the fence); hard to see in the pics.

Ok, cool. Thanks