Love the house, hate the pool.

[PebblePool]

Hey Y'all,

I've been around the forums for a year. Right after we remodeled our pool, I unfortunately lost my job. My wife and I have to relocate for a job which I've just got, and I really need some help with this pool. We haven't bought the house yet, but we're trying to determine how much work is needed to restore this pool.

Here is the equipment pad.

Here is what my guess is for equipment:
1) Pool heater
2) Tablet Chlorinator
3) Cartridge Filter
4) Water Feature Pump
5) Circulation Pump
6) Automation Controller
7 purple) ?
7 blue) low voltage lighting transformers
8) ?
9) ?

More to follow, Thanks!

 

[kimkats]

Sorry you lost your job but so glad you got another one!

When will you be able to get the details on the equipment and pool? How does the water look? How does the plaster look? When will you close on the house?

Kim

 

[PebblePool]

So, here is the bad. The surface is scaled terribly, and the spa has a crack and surface separation about the size of a grapefruit along the enclosure, and of course the usual bad check valve which is draining the spa when the pump is off.

Spa

Pool

Sorry you lost your job but so glad you got another one!

When will you be able to get the details on the equipment and pool? How does the water look? How does the plaster look? When will you close on the house?

Kim

 

[PebblePool]

They've also hacked the in-floor cleaner.

 

[PebblePool]

Then there is the electrical, what a mess.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

8 & 9 are air blowers typically used on spas. But why two ? Did they hook up some kind of aeration system or use one to bubble air into the in-floor system. That pool looks really hacked....

Aesthetic/personal critique - all that stone work is just....yuck, ugly. Sorry, not trying to bash your pool but it’s just the “natural stone” work was overdone in that design.

#7 purple might be a separate cut-off for the heater.... it sure, you need to open up the panels and trace all the wiring.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I'd suggest losing the ugly stones, capping off the in-floor cleaner and then have the entire pool re-finished in AquaBright.

How do you feel about that table? It can be a nuisance to the floor cleaner sometimes if you use a robot.

That's as far as I can advise... all that equipment just baffled me.

Maddie

 

[PebblePool]

We are looking to re-model, hopefully with a 20K budget. Once we remodel, the table is GONE! You could tell that the original owners put a lot of money into the pool when they installed it in 2000. The automation system is an AquaLink RS-12.

The current surface is a pebble surface. We are 50/50 on the natural stone, my wife thinks that it would look good if it was cleaned up a bit. I'd like to lose it. I figure that re-modeling this pool would be much less expensive than buying a similar home without a pool and installing a new pool.

JoyfulNoise, No offense, isn't our pool yet. We're just trying to get opinions, and figure out if it's worth the drama.

I'd suggest losing the ugly stones, capping off the in-floor cleaner and then have the entire pool re-finished in AquaBright.

How do you feel about that table? It can be a nuisance to the floor cleaner sometimes if you use a robot.

That's as far as I can advise... all that equipment just baffled me.

Maddie

 

[kimkats]

Hacked is the right term for that cleaning system.

Is the $20K budget for an allowance for getting the pool fixed?

I like the stone but can see where it would be an on going cleaning issue. Ask your wife is she is willing to be the one to keep it clean if y'all do keep it.

I say take out the infloor cleaning system all of the way. With there being a screen enclosure around it you will not get much stuff to clean up so.....no need for the infloor system. My guess about the hack on it was so they could run a cleaner using the pump. You can get a robot and not have to add any pipes or such.

Do the pumps work? Do you know if the auto stuff works?

Kim

 

[PebblePool]

Kim,

The 20k budget is self imposed, it’s what we reduced the purchase price by to re-do he abysmal state of the pool. I’m not sure what is under the stones, I hope it is a surface that we can attach standard pool tile to. That would make it easier to convince my sweet wife to convert it over.

I agree about losing the infloor cleaner. I don’t know if they cap them on the floor or they chip them out and fill them with hydraulic cement before applying the new surface.

Hacked is the right term for that cleaning system.

Is the $20K budget for an allowance for getting the pool fixed?

I like the stone but can see where it would be an on going cleaning issue. Ask your wife is she is willing to be the one to keep it clean if y'all do keep it.

I say take out the infloor cleaning system all of the way. With there being a screen enclosure around it you will not get much stuff to clean up so.....no need for the infloor system. My guess about the hack on it was so they could run a cleaner using the pump. You can get a robot and not have to add any pipes or such.

Do the pumps work? Do you know if the auto stuff works?

Kim

 

[kimkats]

If it were me I would have them chip out around them, cut the pipes so they would be under the new hydraulic cement AND cap them before applying the new surface. That way you would never know they were even there.

Do you have an offer in on the house?

Kim

 

[Nectarologist]

Hi. That's a beautiful layout. A power washing would do wonders and buy you at least a year to see what you really want to do with it (if you buy the house). The rocks can be removed it you don't like them and if you want a beam in it's place it can be done (or just leave it felt and match up the coping). I wouldn't be afraid to talk with a mason about that. Might be better than a pool company (who likely farms the work out). Personally I like the table but you can easily place drinks on the coping. As long as the pool and spa work the rest is just updating equipment as needed. The valve can easily be fixed but the crack I wouldn't know. The electrical can be cleaned up pretty easily. If the inflow words you can tackle that if/when you remove the rocks. If you love the house I wouldn't worry about the pool. After putting in some money you'll love it too One thought is there is a big contrast between the rocks and the white coping. I think that draws a lot of attention to the rocks. Not sure what the options are to color concrete (decking and/or coping) but that may be a budget friendly alternative to removing all the rocks (maybe leave them on the far side of the pool).

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You might consider rebuilding the in-floor system with new parts and hooking it up to the return system so that water from the heater can be pushed through the in-floor jets. It’s much more efficient to heat a pool from the bottom up. Trying to deprecate the in-floor system by sealing it all off just seems like your asking for leaks. As long as the plumbing is still good, why not try to use it for something worthwhile ?

 

[KDpoolguy]

Yes 8 & 9 are aerators, could be for spa and other for in-floor, I’ve seen something similar. In-floor is hacked, but clever if someone couldn’t get flow through in floor valve, or simply didn’t understand it, but likely it was leaking-easy fix I can explain as I rebuilt same system. The pool is certainly salvageable and it makes me sad when I see a pool like that so poorly maintained. No pool line tile is asking for trouble as well, but can pebble be saved and repaired? I vote to keep in-Floor, it’s worth a pressure check and rebuild IMHO. I can see it’s an A&A Quikclean system and all parts are readily available. Robots don’t work well on spas, and you have in-floor in the spa as well it seems.

 

[iamomeed]

I bought a house with an ugly pool. I went with an unlicensed contractor and he screwed.

I then went on home advisor and got literally about 20 bids. And then came up with my own plan by putting together all of their information. And countered with what I wanted. It's what I should of done first.

The thing with pools is that there's always more and more upgrades. Heaters are the most expensive thing.

Just get some bids and see what the pros say

 

[Dodger]

You might consider rebuilding the in-floor system with new parts and hooking it up to the return system so that water from the heater can be pushed through the in-floor jets. It’s much more efficient to heat a pool from the bottom up. Trying to deprecate the in-floor system by sealing it all off just seems like your asking for leaks. As long as the plumbing is still good, why not try to use it for something worthwhile ?

Thanks for making this comment. I have been working to improve our inherited in-floor system based on the assumption that heat and chemical distribution through it were worth it. Now I feel validated, at least for the heat assumption.

The "cleaning" function is less useful, except mostly to make the previously invisible level of dust/pollen visible (via dead spots in coverage.) A good reminder to brush!!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Thanks for making this comment. I have been working to improve our inherited in-floor system based on the assumption that heat and chemical distribution through it were worth it. Now I feel validated, at least for the heat assumption.

The "cleaning" function is less useful, except mostly to make the previously invisible level of dust/pollen visible (via dead spots in coverage.) A good reminder to brush!!

I don’t like doing chemical additions through an in-floor system as I’ve seen pools where the plaster gets stained near the jets due to the concentration of chlorine coming out of them. It’s less of a problem with wall returns because the water is rapidly diluted and injected into the bulk water volume where it can’t pool & stay concentrated. Heating is definitely better done through a floor system.

 

[Dodger]

I don’t like doing chemical additions through an in-floor system as I’ve seen pools where the plaster gets stained near the jets due to the concentration of chlorine coming out of them. It’s less of a problem with wall returns because the water is rapidly diluted and injected into the bulk water volume where it can’t pool & stay concentrated. Heating is definitely better done through a floor system.

Okay cool. I hope I can assume you are referring to liquid chlorine. If you think this is also a problem with SWG chlorine, that would mean I'd consider turning off my SWG while the floor system valve is open.

For MA, I will assume the same idea that localized plaster damage could occur near the floor pop-ups. So I will give it 30 minutes or so after MA addition before opening the floor valve.


Edited: I already have a few stains near a couple of floor pop-ups due to the PB not being careful during start-up. I believe "old water" in the floor plumbing leached out onto the fresh plaster. This also happened at one or 2 of our returns. Fortunately, the stains have faded over time.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It can happen with SWGs too as the FC is slightly elevated and the pH will be elevated too. SWGs are pH neutral over time but not when the chlorine is first generated. If there’s any iron in the water, staining can occur.

Acid is best added in front of a deep end return, never through the skimmer. By adding into the deep end, it dilutes rapidly enough to not matter. Brushing after chemical additions is always the best way to ensure good mixing.

 

[PebblePool]

I would bet one of those return pipes on the pad is dedicated to the in-floor cleaning system. I'd just plumb it in before the SWCG.

Okay cool. I hope I can assume you are referring to liquid chlorine. If you think this is also a problem with SWG chlorine, that would mean I'd consider turning off my SWG while the floor system valve is open.

For MA, I will assume the same idea that localized plaster damage could occur near the floor pop-ups. So I will give it 30 minutes or so after MA addition before opening the floor valve.


Edited: I already have a few stains near a couple of floor pop-ups due to the PB not being careful during start-up. I believe "old water" in the floor plumbing leached out onto the fresh plaster. This also happened at one or 2 of our returns. Fortunately, the stains have faded over time.