Features on a budget - IG build in Central Texas

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@ctrav - thanks for the feedback! I still like Option 3 also, but I should have been more specific when I put the price differences. I should have compared to the PB equipment list which only had 2 GloBrites total. Adding the extra 4 is really like $1100 more than what they told me to get :p. Either way I don't think the 2 Globrites would be enough and I would have needed the more expensive IntelliBrites anyway. I did not request a light over the pad, but I have no problem doing my own wiring. I will probably be hovering over the electrician anyway so I don't have a rats nest of flex conduit.

As I'm going with Pentair, the salt system will be an IC40. I'm looking at also going with an Intellichem to monitor the pH and inject MA to keep the levels down since I will have a 24" sheer and two bubblers. I've read some people don't have to bother with MA very often so I may wait to see what my pool does to determine if it's worth the added expense or not. I would think I could use it during the colder months to add liquid chlorine to the pool since the SWG would be hibernating, but putting chlorine into a tank vs directly into the pool may just be a wash as far as effort goes.

On the topic of the trees, they are dwarf fruit trees so all of them should eventually get 8'-10' tall and wide. Some of them were purchased a little more mature than others so there is some size difference right now. They are between 3-5 years old now and we finally got our first yield of fruit this year. Had some plums ripen already and waiting on green apples, donut peaches, and pears to ripen now. The plan is to keep them in the barrels for now since my soil isn't really adept for planting most of these trees, so hopefully with them being dwarf and staying in the barrel we can manage their growth and fruit yield better and not need to plant them in the ground.

The sizing of the pergolas will probably have to be increased once we actually get some chairs out there and see how bad the sun is going to be, but the back of the house is facing due west so we get afternoon and evening sun. We are allowed two sunken umbrella holders so looking at the tanning ledge and bar top right now.
 
Good job with the signature Jeff! Dwarf fruit trees now thats very cool and tasty Im sure. Keeping your options open is a good thing and perhaps its different in your neck of the woods but here just not of Fort Worth I have to add MA at about twice a week. MA is nasty stuff so use caution. Having some shade in this Texas heat is a must so good luck :)

Keep us posted...
 
A couple comments:
1) You probably do not want to share the same transformer for your pool lights and landscape lights as you won't have separate control. I'm not familiar with the Pentair landscape lights, but the Easytouch controller is likely expecting a separate transformer. For $100 you can add a Intermatic PX100/PX300 transformer.
2) Regarding your comment on Intellichem...After 1 year of running my pool, I am considering adding a IntelliPH. I haven't heard great things on Intellichem. My PH rises about 0.1ppm per day (I think mostly due to the SWG), so I add 1 cup of acid every other day. It would be nice to automate this, especially for when we are out of town. I wish I had asked my plumber to add a threaded T (capped off) just before the SWG then I could easily add the acid injector for the IntelliPH.
3) If you are near Austin, check out wholesale pool equipment. I asked them to price match online and they were comparable. Pentair has strange requirements on their warranty, like everything has to be on the same invoice and they now have this TradeGrade designation. Marshall and Darren will give good advice. have an awesome showroom and there is no worry about qualifying for the extended warranty
 
Foosman said:
A couple comments:
1) You probably do not want to share the same transformer for your pool lights and landscape lights as you won't have separate control. I'm not familiar with the Pentair landscape lights, but the Easytouch controller is likely expecting a separate transformer. For $100 you can add a Intermatic PX100/PX300 transformer.
2) Regarding your comment on Intellichem...After 1 year of running my pool, I am considering adding a IntelliPH. I haven't heard great things on Intellichem. My PH rises about 0.1ppm per day (I think mostly due to the SWG), so I add 1 cup of acid every other day. It would be nice to automate this, especially for when we are out of town. I wish I had asked my plumber to add a threaded T (capped off) just before the SWG then I could easily add the acid injector for the IntelliPH.
3) If you are near Austin, check out wholesale pool equipment. I asked them to price match online and they were comparable. Pentair has strange requirements on their warranty, like everything has to be on the same invoice and they now have this TradeGrade designation. Marshall and Darren will give good advice. have an awesome showroom and there is no worry about qualifying for the extended warranty
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Foos,

Thanks for the feedback! I contemplated weather or not to put them on the same but two thoughts came to my mind...am I ever going to be in the backyard and want to run one and not the other - and I was only looking at the 4 relay controller so keeping both on one would not tie up a relay to run them separately.
On the IntelliChem there are some issues, but my primary interest is to automate delivery of MA and have visibility of the delivery and variation of pH. If the IntellipH interfaced with ET then I would just go that route also.
I’ve been doing a lot of shopping around and researching warranty and I’m not looking at anything that is on their TradeGrade list so one place pretty much has the best pricing for my main three (pump, filter, automation). I may check them out depending on the delivery windows I get though since they may start digging this coming Monday so thanks for the info!
 
Another week gone and we are still looking at half-dead grass, albeit with another color painted on it


The pool is now 2' longer, 2' wider on the shallow end and almost 3000 gallons more than before


I'm also pretty much set on upscaling the Easy Touch to an 8 and had an idea I wanted to try out so for $100 more I'm getting the pool & spa version with the IC40 still. One thing we did have to scale down on was the lights. They wanted almost as much as one light for conduit and installation so since we are a little over budget now I figure we can make due with only 1 light on the tanning ledge. Looks like we will need to cut back on the landscaping/hardscaping budget since I've gone a little crazy with buying my own stuff...going to be close to double what they credited me for their equipment :eek:
 
kimkats said:
Any time line for the digging to get started?

Kim:kim:
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They are supposed to bring the equipment back out this afternoon to be ready to start digging tomorrow morning. So this morning I went ahead and ordered all of the equipment I need (hopefully). Only thing I wasn't sure about was a check valve or if I wanted to bother with one with an integrated flow meter like the FloVis. Where are the check valves typically placed?
 
Well we are officially part of the "hole in the ground" club! They started digging yesterday morning:




Trench for plumbing and electrical where the equipment pad will be:

I also had to finally take down the side fence to prepare it to be moved forward so the equipment is not visible from the street. I plan on putting a gate on this side also as it is quicker access to the pool for neighbors or parties.

You can see all the rock that they are digging up. Thankfully they didn't have to use that jack hammer attachment, which would have really slowed them down:


They still have some final work to do to really cut in the edges and get the depths right, but they made good progress yesterday despite only having one dump truck that had a 45-60 minute round trip to dump each load. I think they got 4-5 loads out yesterday and will probably have another 4-5 loads left in the pile already behind the fence:





Some miscellaneous pics of the cow pasture behind me and the Saharan Desert dust clouds we have been getting:

 

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kimkats said:
Let the DIRT begin! Can't say mud for this one LOL

Are you picking through the rocks to use in other places of the yard?

Kim:kim:
Click to expand...

No my wife has made me toss out rocks I’ve tried to use for landscaping before so figured I would save myself from that and let them haul the rock away this time :p
 
Here’s the progress they made yesterday after spending the whole time busting up rock and finessing the walls and steps.






They say the pool bottom is graded and ready for gravel.

Unrelated picture for today...one of the dig crew found this guy on my front porch:
 
Mr. Snake said there were too many people in the back...........time to move on!

Now go out there with your plans and a measuring tape. Add about 8" for gunite, steel, and plaster. Is it wide, deep, long, etc enough? NOW is the to the time to tweak or fixed as needed.

Kim:kim:
 
Yesterday was the last day for the excavation crew. They had a couple places that needed some final attention and then came the gravel base:





A shot of the pool from the existing patio and above:



They brought in the steel and plumbing to start tomorrow and hopefully be done by Monday for inspections on Tuesday/Wednesday and then Gunite on Thursday.



Unrelated pic pic for yesterday...Garden hose is not good for replacing irrigation pipe long term. Luckily it decided to burst while I was on the porch and not in the middle of the night. I don’t have another hose long enough so had to make due with a “custom” patch job:
 
Good progress was made yesterday as well! The steel workers had almost a 12 hour shift but got their job done:







I will probably need them to come back out though as the tiered entry steps don't look centered/symmetrical and the benches jutting out from each side are supposed to be 4' long and barely look 2':


As you can see from the later pics that the plumbers made it out as well. They didn't stay as long as the steel guys (or show up as early) so they still have some pipe to lay around the backside of the pool as well as plumb in the other skimmer, sheer, and bubblers.






The equipment pad looks a little small even though it only has to have a pump and filter placed on it, but I would like to add a tank for MA injections later so I may see if they can lengthen it a foot or two:
 

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