First time pool owner - building in Austin, TX area

[CentralTexian]

New member about to sign a contract - head is spinning

I'll keep this thread updated as we sign contracts and get underway. Our family of 5 - three kids 11 and under - want a recreational backyard pool.

Looking to build our first pool/spa and joined this website on a recommendation, we live in the Austin, TX area. We have received three quotes and get our fourth and final next week. Even without that fourth quote I am already locked up on the decision process, my brain just doesn't work with this many variable. When buying anything I get obsessed with balancing value vs what I want, but with so many different considerations with a pool it feels like I'm going to be picking someone on faith alone.

Updating 7/28: We chose option 3 from the builders below, and this is in their quote:

Pool and Spa
Pool 95' perimeter, 530 sq ft of water, 3.5' to 5.5', 16,000 gallon
Spa 8' round with bubbler, 6 jets, 2 drains
Small tanning ledge with bubbler, two bench seats of 6' and 8'
#4 grade 40 rebar throughout - single mat mostly but extra steel/mat where needed, 10" on center
All walls 8" to 10" thick
Shotcrete (wet mix through hose)
Concrete Pool Shell Protector CPSP
Tile allowance for pool and spa
2 drains and 2 skimmers in pool, 5 returns
QuartzScapes Tier III
Travertine 3 cm eased edge paver for pool and spa coping
Pentair Easy Touch 8 w/wireless transmitter and screen logic interface adapter
Pentair Intelliflo VS+ 3hp pump
Pentair 520 cartridge filter
Pentair Globrite lights (4 in pool, 1 in spa)
Pentair Racer Pool cleaner with booster pump (might replace with robot?)
Pentair UV system (no model details)
Rainbow 320 inline Chlorinator
Flush mount decor return fitting 1.5" with 3/4" opening
Pebble top covers for main drains, frame and ring color matching
340 sq ft of decking, 16" on center, spray decked
spray deck of existing patio being tied in
Poolmiser autofill with back flow prevention
Pentair Mastertemp 400K heater
Never lube 2" x 2.5" three way valves with clear view spring check valves
Ball valves to control suction and return valves independently
14' pool wall at 14" with travertine fascia and 18" travertine sheer
Maintenance kit and pool school

Swimming Pool and Spa with Travertine water sheer. - YouTube

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Original text:

One national builder, well reviewed and recommended designer, is the lowest of the three bids by $5K. mid sized pool (gunite) of the three at 433 sq ft, largest sq ft (400) of concrete decking, using flagstone, one bubbler on entry, jandy pump, raypak heater, 2 hayward colorlogic lights, includes a step down off our current patio to pool decking height, uses a "venturi injected power" type of in floor cleaning from A&A (which does not require a second pump), no robot, 1 skimmer. Cartridge filter, stonescapes and pebble pool coating, Ozonator only. Lowest price and a decent sized pool but equipment isn't my favorite since I've become pro-Pentair during research

Second national builder, well reviewed and recommended designer, is $5K higher in price, smallest sized pool (gunite) of the three at 387 sq ft, smallest sq (322) ft of concrete decking, using limestone, raised wall and 4' sheer with extra bench, all pentair equipment (pumps, heater, 1intellibrite light in pool and spa , controls, etc) throughout, includes two steps down off our current patio to pool decking height, uses Paramount PV3 in floor cleaning with 19 heads and a second pump to power it, no robot, 2 skimmers. DE filter, pebble sheen, UV and Ozone. also had deluxe therapy jets in spa, this pool is small but completely decked out from an equipment perspective - probably overequipped.

Thirdd builder is a smaller local company, well reviewed, is $6K higher than lowest bid and $1K higher than the other, largest sized pool (shotcrete) of the three at 530 sq ft, in the middle sq ft (340) of concrete decking, using travertine, raised wall and 18" sheer along with bubblers at entry and in spa, all pentair equipment (pumps, heater, 5 globbrite lights, controls, etc) throughout, includes decking that is level to our current patio, includes no in floor cleaning but does include a robot and 2 skimmers. cartridge filter, pebble sheen, UV and Ozone, the only one with an autofill. This is by far most square feet of water and travertine seems nicer to us than limestone or flagstone, but it's a smaller company and has no in floor cleaning


Sorry for typing that all out - it was good to consolidate it and see it summarized in front of me. But how do I pick? I think we like the last of those three, even though most expensive, because it's the bigger pool, uses travertine, and we like the idea of decking that's even with out current patio (it results in a 30" wall at back edge of pool though). But they are the smallest company and even though well reviewed they may not be around in ten years.

Thanks for letting me vent - I may throw a dart at the end of this.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: New member about to sign a contract - head is spinning

Well the first thing that jumps out at me is that all of them include UV and/or ozone ... and we an TFP feel that these are just not needed in a private residential outdoor pool and are a waste of money that may give a false sense of security. You must still maintain proper chlorine levels with these and if the chlorine does everything you need, why include the added UV (you have sunlight in Cedar Park? plenty of free UV) or ozone.

Also, you will find VERY mixed reviews on in-floor cleaning systems. I had one at previous house and would not install one again. An electric robot is going to keep the pool cleaner and cost less up front and to run.

Pumps: you should get a VS pump
Filters: larger is better

Have you read:
Pool School - Construction
Pool School - Pool Equipment

 

[Jimrahbe]

Re: New member about to sign a contract - head is spinning

ct,

A couple of questions for you...

Did you request the in-floor cleaning system? If so why? In the old days when your choice was either a suction side cleaner or a pressure side cleaner, it was a third option. But this was back when people were still using the old black rotary-dial telephones. With the invention of Robot pool cleaners, there is just no need for any type of water powered cleaner. They add a lot of complexity to the swimming pool plumbing that often comes back to haunt you later.

If you have looked at this site at all you should already know how useless we believe UV and Ozone systems are. Unless of course you live in the part of Texas that gets no sun...

See this thread... Alternative sanitizers and pools--The Truth!!

Why would you want UV or Ozone??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: New member about to sign a contract - head is spinning

Sorry Jim and I are not helping you make a decision

The best way to go into this is research exactly what YOU want in your pool from equipment to design. And then gets quotes based on your desires and not what the pool designer wants or the salesman wants to sell.

Do your homework and you may need to get them to revise their bids to be what YOU want.

- - - Updated - - -

For example, any member here that has a SWG would tell you to go that route (me included). But, you will find that TX builders seem to push back on these with scare tactics about how the salt will ruin your pool ... this is just not true. But, if you go in saying that you want a SWG or you will find a different builder, I would guess they would try to work with you.

 

[CentralTexian]

Re: New member about to sign a contract - head is spinning

Regarding the in-floor cleaners - no, not specifically requested. I did tell each builder one key goal was "easy to maintain pool". I went in requesting a SWG after reading this site, three builders said they could not recommend it and one national builder - the one with the cheapest quote above - did agree to quote as SWG but then I changed it after the three other builders said it wasn't a good idea in central texas. I am not sure why central texas builders seem more against it, the mention not only natural stone damage (which I can somewhat see) but also equipment damage (which TFP tells me is a nonsensical claim). But I agree with you both, in floor is more cost, more parts, in one quote requires an extra pump - more maintenance costs and not sure it's worth it. I do see many users here who love their in floor cleaner and it does seem the design capabilities and technologies have improved in recent years. But by no means am I married to the idea and did not specifically request. One builder said they had a "special" going with Paramount and the infloor cleaning option was "free". I am very cynical and skeptical about the so called sales, I am sure they always have one. But I did ask if I could remove the in floor cleaner to lower the price and he said "no, because we're throwing it in free". Uh, oooo K?

I know every pool requires chlorine, but was convinced UV, and perhaps Ozone, could lower the chlorine requirements. I could get into UV wavelengths and intensity provided by a bulb vs UV sunlight filtered out by ozone at that wavelength, but it's definitely a controversial topic here. I do feel UV is fairly cheap and can lower chlorine usage, but also get why it may not be worth it to most. I just want to make my pool easy to maintain and if I could lower chlorine content that would be great as well.

 

[CentralTexian]

Re: New member about to sign a contract - head is spinning

Sorry Jim and I are not helping you make a decision

.

I really appreciate any and all replies, even if adding to the confusion. It's hard to dismiss the fact that I as a customer, who is willing to pay them $75K and any additional costs upfront for SWG, is told that they just can't do it based on what they've observed on salt pools. I have to defer to their advice, which they provide even though I was pushing SWG. I have no idea if their ideas are just antiquated, or if there is something unique to our central texas climate, or if there is something unique to the stone sourced in this area. As a pool newbie, it's hard to argue with them.

I should note that note only did the national builder with the lowest quote above agree to quote salt, he recommended it as he had it in his own pool. That may be something that pushes me to that company after all.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: New member about to sign a contract - head is spinning

The key to keeping a clear pool is keeping the FC above the minimum listed for your CYA in the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA].
Period.
How you choose to accomplish that is up to each owner.

Can you "get by" with lower FC levels ... maybe, but no guaranteed.
The only time UV or ozone should really lower FC losses (note I will not recommend a lower absolute FC level) is if there was enough contaminates in the water where these would break them down before the chlorine did. That just does not happen in a residential pool. And usually the UV / ozone actually destroys some of the chlorine making your daily losses higher.

Again, it really is up to you to become informed about exactly what you want and not let the builders influence your decision.

Will the in-floor system be less work? Maybe. Although I always had debris that collected in certain areas of the pool that I would have to brush around or vacuum up. And generally you have to run your pump on higher speeds and longer which is going to use more power and cost more money. What happens when that system breaks down or you develop a leak under the pool? At a minimum, if you get the in-floor system, have a standard set of wall returns installed that is isolated from the in-floor by valves. This way you can run the normal returns when the in-floor is broken or abandoned ... or even when you are swimming and do not want to keep stepping on and kicking the pop-ups

- - - Updated - - -

Much of the "issues" that the builders there point to regarding the SWG is the soft stone they tend to use. Avoid that soft stone work and there is no worries

We have members with SWGs with the flagstone there with no flaking or other issues. Then again we have members with no-SWG with flaking flagstone ... some of which is no where near the pool. Natural stones are variable and unique, so there is always some risk with it ... salt or not.

I think travertine is less of a worry.

Remember, just about all the chemicals added to your pool are adding salt. And it is not uncommon for a non-SWG pool to have salt levels up to or even higher than 2000ppm. A SWG needs 3200ppm ... so not much difference. And the ocean is 32,000ppm.

 

[CentralTexian]

Whoever we pick I will try to track the progress, the frustrations, and add photos in this thread. This is a great website and I see lots of amazing pools being built.





I merged this into your other thread, although looks like you noticed and deleted most of the duplicate info. I did move it into the Construction area as well. jblizzle

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Howdy to my Texas fellow and welcome to the pool building area!

I understand (I think) where you are with all of this! I was there 3 years ago. You're ahead of where I was, because I didn't find TFP until I had already signed the contract and the dig had begun. I did make some mistakes, but none were major.

I get it..... The PB's (or salesmen?) tell you to trust them, and we tell you to trust us. I know in my mind, I saw the 3 PB's and even the one salesman as experts. Why wouldn't I consider them as experts since I'm paying so much, right?!!! In fact, it took me until maybe a quarter way through the build to realize they are not the experts I thought they were. Mostly, my PB coordinated the subs. I will say this, he was there for the dig, rebar, and gunite which are big.

Sanitizing your pool: I got to know my PB very well and by the end of the build, he told me that PB's (maybe not all, but at least some) get incentives to sell certain products and equipment. From the people who post on TFP, Texas builders all over are anti-salt water generator systems, it's not just your area. And usually, those builders want you to take the UV, Ozone, Mineral systems in addition to an inline chlorinator using the chlorine-with-CYA pucks. It makes me wonder since this is so widespread across Texas, if the manufacturers of those systems (not the swg) target Texas. Texas is in the top 4-5 states for building pools, and Texas compared to most states has few regulations. I had no inspections in my area. Some places do in Texas, but those are usually regulated and inspected on a county basis or some of the huge neighborhood developments. My PB was the only one who was ok with me going with the swg, and he didn't sell UV, Ozone, or Mineral systems. He did tell me he would not use flagstone. That was fine with me since, I had had a flagstone patio for 15 years before the pool, and it was awful - peeling, cracking, mildewing, etc.

Pool cleaning: I have a robot pool cleaner (see my signature). I don't have an in-floor cleaning system, because it didn't make sense to me for my needs. Here in Houston, we have more leaves and small general debris from trees and plants than from dust. In the Dust/Sand/Dirt Prevalent areas it makes more sense to me. As you read here, you'll see more of those systems in the Arizona and Vegas areas. I think in some parts of West Texas, that system would be more reasonable (I used to live way out there and know the dust storms!). I wanted something that would climb the walls and brush and even brush the waterline tile. I still do some brushing on my own (with those long poles), but I know my robot Rosie will be doing them when I can't. I also wanted something that I could maneuver where I wanted it to clean in certain circumstances. I can do that with the remote for my robot. I think now it's usually done by bluetooth on your phone. If the PB won't give you credit, I suspect there's more to the story. In floor cleaning systems could not do those things I wanted done.

TFP advice vs PB's: That was easy for me. TFP does not make money from any recommendations. PB's do. Some PB's have more integrity and are above board. We have some PB's who participate on the forum. Those guys I trust. I wish there were more PB's on here, but I'm not surprised. I actually found my PB through another pool forum (Garden Web now owned by Houzz). He was on it for years and was as honest as the day is long. That's mainly why I chose him. I saw 8 years worth of posts from him fighting for the pool owner building their pool. He told me that every year he had 1-2 pool builds he had to finish, because a PB ran out on the pool owner. I remember he turned red in the face when he talked about them.

Choosing a PB: If you do talk to a salesperson, be sure to ask to meet the PB before you sign a contract. Have a good long sit-down with the PB and then ask him to meet the supervisor or project manager (whatever he calls it). You want to know whom you will have most contact.
Like you, I'd want the biggest pool I could get. And YES to travertine. I have it with a salt system and love it. It's cool to the feet most of the time. In the heat of the day, I can still walk on it barefoot. I may not want to stand in one spot for a long time, but I don't have to run hot-footed. As soon as shade hits it, it is cool. That amazes me.
As for a PB being here in 10 years, there are no guarantees. Two years after my pool was finished, my PB had 2 massive strokes. Sadly, he was not able to get back to normal life. Most of your warranties come from the manufacturers, the plaster company, and the gunite people. Those are the ones I would focus on.
So what would I do? Sorry, I know you didn't ask, but...... I would draw up what I want for a pool shape, list everything I want (features, equipment, pool shape, deck shape, materials, etc) and take it back to the PB's I felt best about. It should be a pretty easy yes or no from them. Better yet, I might go for one more bid if possible. I know that isn't always an option, and by that time, I might be overwhelmed. This is an important process. Take a deep breath and go a little further, or take a break and use the time to do more reading, questioning, and thinking.

TFP WILL help you for free come up with the design you love and your list to give for round 2. Many of us have even spent hours helping a pool owner make tweaks to their designs to get just what they want. Some members are so good, they can tell you where to place the skimmers, equipment pad, etc. TFP will do whatever you need!

Now, it's my turn to apologize for writing so much. I felt your frustration. In fact, you may not have even wanted more input. I just wanted to share my experience.

Take care,
Suz

 

[SuzfromTexas]

One more thing!!! Around here, it's interesting that the PB's don't want to install a salt system, but the pool service companies are excited to retrofit your pool with a salt system. I was in the pool store Monday, (shhhhhh, don't tell anyone here) and a woman came in wanting to know if they could retrofit her pool with a saltwater generator. The guy nearly jumped over the counter, and he had a gleam in his eyes! (ok, I'm exaggerating a little, maybe, but he was very eager) I live in an older neighborhood with many 20-30 yo pools, and most have been retrofitted with a salt system. That speaks volumes. Any way to make money.

 

[CentralTexian]

Wow, thanks for those replies Suz! And thanks to the previous replies as well, all in depth and helpful - I’m amazed so much feedback is offered to a stranger but I’ve been seeing that again and again on here in the month or so I’ve been reading.

im surprised pool cleaning companies want to push salt if SWG is the path to easiest maintenance. I guess it makes their job easier but the homeowner might realize it’s easier to maintain and drop the cleaning company!

I agree with your final thought in your first reply - we are gathering all the pros and cons from the various quotes and will try to combine all the pros into one pool request, ask our preferred builder if they can build that within our budget, and go from there.

i also appreciate the warranty reply - if warranty is provided by subcontractors or manufacturers, rather than by pool builder company itself, then maybe the young company isn’t so risky.

thanks again!

 

[CentralTexian]

OK, think we've picked a builder - but not yet signed contract. Big ask - wondering if anyone could comment on this bid (please let me know if I should post this on a different board)

Pool and Spa
Pool 95' perimeter, 530 sq ft of water, 3.5' to 5.5', 16,000 gallon
Spa 8' round with bubbler, 6 jets, 2 drains
Small tanning ledge with bubbler, two bench seats of 6' and 8'
#4 grade 40 rebar throughout - single mat mostly but extra steel/mat where needed, 10" on center
All walls 8" to 10" thick
Shotcrete (wet mix through hose)
Concrete Pool Shell Protector CPSP
Tile allowance for pool and spa
2 drains and 2 skimmers in pool, 5 returns
QuartzScapes Tier III
Travertine 3 cm eased edge paver for pool and spa coping
Pentair Easy Touch 8 w/wireless transmitter and screen logic interface adapter
Pentair Intelliflo VS+ 3hp pump
Pentair 520 cartridge filter
Pentair Globrite lights (4 in pool, 1 in spa)
Pentair Racer Pool cleaner with booster pump (might replace with robot?)
Pentair UV system (no model details)
Rainbow 320 inline Chlorinator
Flush mount decor return fitting 1.5" with 3/4" opening
Pebble top covers for main drains, frame and ring color matching
340 sq ft of decking, 16" on center, spray decked
spray deck of existing patio being tied in
Poolmiser autofill with back flow prevention
Pentair Mastertemp 400K heater
Never lube 2" x 2.5" three way valves with clear view spring check valves
Ball valves to control suction and return valves independently
14' pool wall at 14" with travertine fascia and 18" travertine sheer
Maintenance kit and pool school

Swimming Pool and Spa with Travertine water sheer. - YouTube

 

[Jimrahbe]

ct,


Unless you live in the part of Texas that gets zero sun you do not need the UV. Sigh!!

Never, ever use "Ball valves" they are only cheap for the pool builder but will cost you a lot more when they get stuck and break and you have to replace them. Go Jandy never lube or go home..

Mark this day on your calendar... You will be sorry that you did not go saltwater.. In two years let us know if this is true or not..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[CentralTexian]

Jim,

thanks for the feedback on the ball valves - I’ll ask that each be replaced by a Jandy style valve, correct? Is there a big cost difference?

i May very well regret not having SWG, I went in asking for it with each builder. The cheapest (but not low end by any means) national builder agreed to do it and the designer said he had salt in his own pool. The other three builders strongly argued against it and a local pool inspector I know said he could spot salt pools as soon as he lays eyes on the deck and coping - implying it left some visible signs of wear or damage. As I said earlier in this thread I have no idea if there is something unique about the city water, rainfall, locally sourced stone, or other environmental factors that cause more issues in central Texas than other areas, or if it’s just an antiquated negative perception by local builder - but I struggled to argue with what I hope are experts, the builders, and don’t want to ask them to build something they don’t feel good about. It’s been a huge debate and you are right I may be adding a SWG down the road.

i see the sunlight/UV bulb argument often on here and don’t agree with the statements. I do agree that the effectiveness or need to have UV is highly debatable, but the UV wavelengths emitted by these bulbs to kill bacteria or other life is different than the sunlight wavelengths which reach the earth’s surface. The atmosphere will filter out the UV wavelengths that kills life, thank goodness. But as a redhead, I know there are wavelengths which cause damage! They aren’t overly expensive but one more thing to maintain.

I wanted SWG, or UV or ozone, but then i walk across to my neighbors house and all he has is a DE filter and a pressure side cleaner and his water is crystal clear and he says self maintenance is easy after having pool for 6 years. It’s hard as a first time owner to know what is necessary vs nice to have vs a complete waste, that’s for sure. I appreciate the feedback and I’ll tell you when I buy an SWG.

 

[Jimrahbe]

ct,

It is our "job" to try and point you in what we believe is the right direction.. But it is your pool and you get to decide what you want and what you don't want.. I have no problem with you buying a UV system for your pool. My comments were really directed to new pool builders who were only getting UV/Ozone, because their pool builder was pushing it. Does not seem to be the case for you.

I agree with your comments about the UV wavelengths.. The sunlight analogy is more of at how useless we believe UV systems are and not meant to be technically accurate..

I fully understand your reluctance about going with a saltwater pool, based upon all the different inputs you are getting.

Jandy valves will be a little more expensive, but if you look through our pictures you will see many cases where ball valves were used and the handles have broken off because the valve has frozen in place. Again, your pool, your rules..

On the bright side... you will love the Easytouch with ScreenLogic.. The IntelliFlo is the "Gold standard" of pool pumps. I have the same size filter, with the same size pool, and only have to clean the filter twice a year.. Probably could only do it once a year if I wanted.

Thanks for posting and good luck with your new pool..

Jim R.

 

[CentralTexian]

Thank you Jim! Builders aren't pushing UV/Ozone per se but did push me away from salt - which makes me feel guilty to say on TFP.

I was pretty set on Pentair and did get the builder to go from EasyTouch 4 to 8 without changing quote price - I am sure they price in those upgrades up front to later "give it away".


Would love feedback from others - I put in the youtube link to design, shape is a bit odd and if anything I wonder if pool is too big for space. Sq ft of surface water for the four quotes was 387, 388, 433, and 530 (chosen builder) and all prices within $6k of each other, going with bigger pool but wonder if that's necessary and making it "prettier" would be better long term than making it big.

Swimming Pool and Spa with Travertine water sheer. - YouTube

 

[Jimrahbe]

ct,

You don't often hear many people saying "Gee, I sure wish my pool were smaller"...

I looked at your video and it looks pretty nice to me just the way it is.

Good job on going with the ET 8... It gives you room to add things later...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SuzfromTexas]

CT, you are a great sport, and I really admire that. I'm with Jimrahbe all the way, and I understand that it's probably not easy for you to buck what is being advised. As Jim said, it is your pool and your way; we just don't want to see you spend money on things you don't need, and not spending where you do need (at least in our opinions).

I do want to repeat what I said earlier for the benefit of others enjoying your build thread, since you mentioned it again. The push against a salt water generator system is NOT due to any special conditions of your Central Texas region. It is a push generally across the state, and seems worse in the Houston area (which our climate is very different from yours). Out of 5 PB's I interviewed, only one said he understood why I wanted it. (I hired him.) He had built his own 120K gallon pool with salt systems. He just warned me not to use the poor grade flagstone that he had used in the early days. A large amount of PB's in Texas are against swgs's and pool stores are all for them - that's fairly state wide.

Please don't feel like you can't say on TFP what you want to do. We respect you for building a pool, for listening to what we have to say, and deciding for yourself what you think is best for your money, your pool!!! We hope you stick around and let us help you for the rest of the build (whether both sides agree or not - LOL!!!!). We would also love to teach you how to maintain your own pool and water. In that case, we DO need to know what equipment you have or don't have, so honesty is the best policy.

I saw your video - gorgeous pool!!!! I love your design! And I love the fountain in the spa - so, so pretty! Again, I agree with Jim R.! I have minimal decking and wish I had cut back on the decking and eeked out even more pool! If you and your friends and family love swimming, playing in water, being together, and cooling off together, you'll want as much pool as you can get. If the pool is simply an ornament for the backyard, then go with a much smaller pool. (Yes, there are people doing that across the country, and we respect their decisions, too. But c'mon..... seriously???? Suz loves BIG pools whenever possible!!! Lol!!!!!)

A few comments on the bid....

Returns: 5 is ok, but I have similar sf of pool, and I have 6 returns. The 6th one is on the sun shelf, so you want to get a 6th one there unless there already is one. I'm glad I have 6 especially for adequate skimming of the surface when the pump is running. Those 6 returns do a good job of moving the leaves and blowing debris around to my 2 skimmers.

Pool cleaner: Oh yes, I agree with you. Ditch the Racer and booster pump. That will cut some spending through future electric use with another pump. The money up front you save will go to a pool robot, and I promise you won't regret it. They clean much better and will even go up the walls. Dolphins by Maytronics are sort of the Hondas/Toyotas of cleaners and will give you better results and longer life with fewer repairs. You can research more under the Pool Cleaner section here on TFP.

Rainbow inline chlorinator: You could save a few bucks here by saying no thank you. I didn't understand what it was until it was too late. It's a tube that holds the chlorine pucks that are the McDonald's or junk food (with tons of mystery additives) of the pool water maintenance world. If you are planning to follow TFPC (Trouble Free Pool Care), then you won't need these. If you decide to use a pool service company, then they will expect you to have this.

The above are the items I'm familiar with. Jim R. covered some of the others, so I will leave those alone. Other members may be along to add their experience with the rest of the items.

Thanks for asking us to join along on your pool build!!! We all love pools and know the great memories pool ownership brings to individuals and to families! Stick around, and we'll have some fun and learn a few things on both sides!!!!

Let us know any questions you have!

Take care,
Suz

 

[Foosman]

Penatair has rebranded Dolphin robots, I have the Prowler 920. Ask your PB how much to upgrade to the 920 or 930. You’ll want an electrical outlet nearby...the PB can add one easily during construction if needed. I found that most pool builders are against SWG due to liability. Customers were claiming the SWG was responsible for damages and threatening to sue. It became a scapegoat. I applaud your use of travertine. Do a comparison to the limestone around here and it is night and day different. Travertine is so much harder.

 

[CentralTexian]

Thanks to you both for the feedback. I do wonder if Travertine would set me up better for an SWG due to it's hardness. Who ended up putting in your SWG, Foosman?

I second guess everything but I'm ready to get a contract signed and move on to permitting and a build.