Equipment Placement

[SiennaTexas]

I'm currently getting designs and estimates for a new pool in the Houston, Texas area. One question that has come up is pool equipment placement. Our gas and electrical hook-ups are on the other side of the house with a double concrete driveway in between. So far we have had 3 PBs and 3 recommendations. One says bore under the driveway and put the equipment pad near the gas/electric hook ups. One says he can't bore, he needs to cut or demo/replace driveway because he doesn't bundle the pipes, he lays them flat (says this is the best way/ he's the most expensive and seems to be pushing quality). Third PB says just put the equipment pad next to the pool. It would be right next to the hot tub, but screened by standard wooden fencing. I'm worried about noise. He will still have to bore under driveway to connect to gas/electrical, but will save money since the pad is so close to pool. So my question is, who is right, or more right anyway.

Should also mention we lived in a master planned community with an iron fence on part of the back yard, so we may have to put the pad on the other side of the house like the first two recommend, if the HOA won't approve the pad in the yard, even with the fence hiding it.

 

[kenmar]

Where do YOU want the equipment?
Then, it just becomes an issue of doing the work properly.

 

[mart242]

Why not route gas + electrical main through the house crawl space / basement / or whatever you've got down there so that it reaches the other end of the house? That's what I did for my gas line

 

[jblizzle]

I had a similar setup at my first house (but no driveway to deal with). Electric and gas was at SW corner of house and pool was at NE of house. My builder (whom I was stuck with based on the new development contract) stated that running a larger and longer gas line could become more expensive than the bump up in plumbing size due to the longer run from the pool. I ended up with the equipment at the NW corner of the house (away from most of the yard). This was nice in that the equipment was generally out of view and could not be heard (although newer variable pumps are quieter). Also the "blower" on the hot tub pulling in air was quite loud. It was slight annoying in that to turn on the hot tub or adjust the temperature I had to walk through the yard to the other side of the house (which in AZ is gravel). Although this too could have been solved with a basic automation system with a remote.

I think it does come down to personal preference ... mine is out of sight and sound. That said, current house has the equipment on the other side of fence only about 10' from the pool and I generally do not hear it, but we do not have a hot tub pulling in air which as I recall was the loudest noise.