My pool renovation - initial questions on hardware selection

[Mobius5]

Hello,

So having moved into a house 2years ago with a dilapidated pool and having just completed the house renovation, now my attention is turning to the pool to hopefully get it running for next spring. It's an IG pool (30x10', 14,000g) concrete with in-situ fibreglass lining, perhaps done at a later date to rectify a leak, not sure.

So, initially, I contacted a local pool builder for a quote for a full renovation. Given the size of the quote I'm looking to undertake some of the work myself and subcontract some specific jobs to keep costs down and am right now just trying to figure out my hardware setup.

Current thinking:
Vinyl liner: Aquaflex Alkorplan Touch Elegance (probably need to install some sort of padding to prevent fibreglass texture showing through). I'm looking for a pool that looks quite dark & moody rather than bright blue/green tinges, so I think I need a grey liner?)
Skimmers: AquaGenie (mainly as this would allow me to get rid of the main drain, as renewing that pipework under the pool would be a headache)
Auto topup: see Q1 below
Pump: Variable speed: Aquaspeed Eco-V 0.75HP. The existing STArite 1HP does work but it's oversized, especially if I go SWG, Q4 below)
Heater: Poolex Jetline 160 air source heat pump
Control Panel: Certikin CCP03
SWG: IC40 if I can find a UK supplier.
Filter: Certikin, Taeglus, Triton... what's the difference (Q3 below)?!
Cover: Poolock Manual Safety cover
Robot: DolphinS200
Lights: probably something from certikin

Current question:
1. Any comments on the hardware selection? Do I need an auto-top up to protect the pump, particularly if If I go with the Aquagenie and remove the main drain. On the flipside, in the UK and with a full safety cover I'm not sure evaporation will be much of an issue, only splashout

2. What pipe diameter should I be looking to utilise for flow/returns etc? 1.5" PVC and what depth is this normally buried to?

3. Any suggestions on filters?

4. The local PB recommended against using a SWG because of the hard water in the area and them having had issues with recent installs and scaling on the plates. Getting a TF test kit is difficult in UK (I'll probably end up buying the Lovibond MD200 6 in 1 in due course) but for now I have the local waterboard figures and my own test from installing the water softner in the house (total hardness 390ppm) or water board figures 323 mg/l

Given the range suggested for a SWG up to 300ppm, I wondered if I could just dilute the water fill with some of the house softened water to get back within the range. I appreciate that might take a little time running through the water softner and regen cycles but I think that should work?

The other item from the waterboard figures I noticed is the Alkalinity at 331. Is this the same as total alkalinity? In which case I would need to aerate to lower?



Thanks in advance!

 

[jimmythegreek]

Not a fan of the aqua genies I think standard skimmers are better. You would need to modify the coping or replace to install liner track to be able to use a liner. You can pad the pool with foam and would have to in order to protect it. Sont know your budget but chipping it out and replaster is best way on a concrete pool. With foam under liner if you ever had water trapped it would bubble and wrinkle the liner not being able to repair without serious work. Would need more info to decide plimbing size and layout. You dont need maindrains in a pool many built without I dont have them and prefer to build without.

 

[Mobius5]

Thanks for the reply. I guess what I liked about the AG is that they (in theory) will lift debris under the surface up to the top for skimming, especially as there won't be a main drain to draw from the bottom. I not set on them either way. How many skimmers typically for a pool this size? Currently there is one at the deep end (upwind) and the return at the shallow end (downwind) so the prevailing wind would drive debris away from the skimmer. I was thinking to put it on the long edge, closer to the shallow end?

Couple of pictures below of the concrete/fibreglass. All the coping would be replaced anyway, plus would need to cut out of the sidewall for both the liner track and safety cover track.

 

[Newdude]

I have a dark navy blue liner with the random white streaks all over to simulate moving water even if it’s still. In the mid afternoon once the sun is no longer directly above it reflects the sky and appears like cloudy water. The kids jump in and disappear under the reflections. Cloudy days give it a grey l mood. In the springtime it’s a perfect green reflection of all the trees nearby. From the paito it’s about as moody as can be. It’s fooled me 100 times at a distance and when I get close the mirror image disappears and the mirage is gone.

 

[jimmythegreek]

1 skimmer and 4 returns will work fine, a second skimmer is always a good idea. main drains dont do much at all as far as sucking dirt and debris, if you can valve them off to run solo you can brush to them and get some of the stuff that way. the best way is a robotic cleaner, that solves all the problems and a decent one cleans amazing. you dont need drains at all in that pool, if you are worried about waterflow you can do wall equalizers or even wall main drains up higher for a second suction point.

I would look to install the autotrack on top of existing bond beam and work out from there. I imagine the deck is in poor shape and you will replace that as well, so you only need a large trench for the roll box and depending on the cover it can be behind the bond beam a ways. cutting concrete isnt fun or easy to get it where you need it, alot easier to form and pour where you want it

 

[Mobius5]

This is great information - thanks for your responses.

The deck is all going to get replaced. It's old concrete slabs which haven't been properly laid (dot and dab) and so pretty easy to dig new trenches where required. However, I hadn't imaged 4 returns. Where would you place skimmers (2 if needed) & returns in the layout below?

To build the steps, I'd imagine I'd need to drill the existing fibreglass to insert new rebar into the pool wall to tie into the existing structure and the build shuttering & pour concrete to form the steps?

Any thoughts on SWG and water hardness?

 

[jimmythegreek]

A skimmer across from the stairs on long wall and another on that wall close to other end. 1 returns on short wall to left 2 on long wall of stairs and one close to stairs on short wall there that will help keep stairs clean too. Hard water can scale the cell faster you may have to ru k water in for initial fill if its horrible

 

[Mobius5]

Thanks, probably something like this then?