Need help with Equipment list for new pool

[GusGus]

Hello ya'll, I need some help.
I'm in process starting a new pool build next week. Its my first. I was hoping I could get eyes on my equipment list to make sure I have every thing or that i'm not wasting money on things I don't need. I'm contracting this out myself and the equipment sales rep that was helping me has not been to helpful with equipment. I may just go with another vendor.
It's a in ground gunite pool with PebbleTech/ sheen size 15'5" x 31' x 18, pool area 580 sqft Spa size 6'-10" X 7'8" area is 38 sq ft. depth 4' X 5'.4" X 4'Approximate 16,500 gallons.
going with saltwater system. Here is my equipment list. I add some items and remove other but not sure if this is a complete system. I want to try and get all required item for the installer all at once. I could have mess this up royal I'm afraid. This is in Houston /Galveston area

Pentair 011018 Intelliflo Vs 3 hp 230V--- 2ea
Pentair 160332 Clean & clear® Plus Ccp520 Cartridge filter; 520Sq-ft, 150 Gpm…
Pentair 460736 Mastertemp low Nox Heater- natural gas 400k BTU…
Pentair Intellichlor ICXX Salt water generator
Pentair Intellicenter..
Pentair 520588 pass-through cell for winter or start up…
Pentair 602055 Globrite Color LED 12V 100' cord pool light--- 4ea…
Pentair 619963 300W transformer--- 2ea…
Pentair 620040 Globrite gunite niche--- 2ea…
Pentair Pa220gf 2 pole Circuit Breaker 20a Intelliflo ---2ea…
Pentair 08650-2403 Sta-rite swimquip Abs U-3 Skimmer--- 2ea…
Waterway 640-1320 V Concrete unblockable Ultra strip Drain 32" channel --- 2ea…
Wikins .75" pressure vacuum breaker…
Lasco fitting,473210 Pool spa Venturi Tee Slip(sp) X Slip X Slip (sp) 1.50” X 1.50”. Color white Material PVC
Super-pro 25555-001-000 Flush Mount Return Fitting-
Pentair 263027 Cpvc 2-way Valve, 2-2.5”
Pentair 2630260Cpvc 3-way Valve ,2-2.5”
Pentair 522104 Screenlogic wireless interface Bundle…
Cmp 25577-330-000 Natural wonders waterfall 36" Sheer 6" Lip--- 3ea…
Super-pro 25800-150-000 1.5” PVC ball Valve
Pentair 263056 Cpvc Fullfloxf 3 way Valve, 2.5-3”
Super-pro, 25504-009-000 Water leveler (1”,1-1/2”,2” hole)
Pentair Magicstream Laminar ---4ea
Dolphin Active 20…

 

[Jimrahbe]

Gus,

It appears to me the only real 'mistake', is with the IntelliCenter. It comes with a built in control application, better than ScreenLogic. You need to scratch the ScreenLogic.. You should talk with @Arizonarob for excellent feedback on the IntelliCenter. Oops... Make that @MyAZPool...

"I" think you are spending a lot of money on water features that seem like a great idea now, but after the fun wears off will not be used too often. Both shears and laminars are very loud and tend to not be used after the initial "this is cool period".. Another problem with water features is too much aeration which will make your pH be much harder to control as aeration is what we use to increase the pH. But, it is your pool and you need to get what you think you want..

Other than that, it appears to be a pretty good list to me.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[GusGus]

Thank you Jim So Much, you put my mine at easy about the equipment I thought I really had messed it up. I will scratch the screen logic from the list As far as the the aeration from the water features I was thinking this would help cool down the pool since we are in Houston area. This pool is going to be hot I think with the deepest part just 5'4" and pebble blue surf. Know about the PH and aeration . do you go for looks of functionality.

 

[PoolGate]

Thank you Jim So Much, you put my mine at easy about the equipment I thought I really had messed it up. I will scratch the screen logic from the list As far as the the aeration from the water features I was thinking this would help cool down the pool since we are in Houston area. This pool is going to be hot I think with the deepest part just 5'4" and pebble blue surf. Know about the PH and aeration . do you go for looks of functionality.

Aeration doesn't cool the water are you thinking evaporation? I have 2 waterfalls 1 sheer and one rock. We do use the rock one a lot but rarely use the sheer. I would probably not put one in if I build a pool again. They are cool though! You can get lighted sheers I wish we had gotten them. Also there are all sorts of different sheers from rain simulation to solid water. Check out what is out there I think if we had gotten more than the basic sheer we would use it more. Lights at night are very cool.

 

[Arizonarob]

PG, aeration does cool the pool if you have the proper aerator. A waterfall or sheers won’t do much, but if you have a broadcasting one across the surface, it can drop the temp by 5 degrees or so.
I run mine at night when it’s cooler during the summer heat, and it works pretty good at dropping the water temp of my pool. You can see it in the photo on the left of my pool.

 

[mknauss]

The humidity level in Houston does not allow for much evaporation cooling.

 

[mknauss]

Is your backyard surrounded by fencing? How close will the pool be to the house and fence? I ask as those water features create alot of noise. And if you are contained in a smaller backyard, it will be hard to stand the noise.

 

[GusGus]

Aeration doesn't cool the water are you thinking evaporation? I have 2 waterfalls 1 sheer and one rock. We do use the rock one a lot but rarely use the sheer. I would probably not put one in if I build a pool again. They are cool though! You can get lighted sheers I wish we had gotten them. Also there are all sorts of different sheers from rain simulation to solid water. Check out what is out there I think if we had gotten more than the basic sheer we would use it more. Lights at night are very cool.

Hey PG,
That is what we are wanting to get, the pentair magicstream, even if we don"t use them all the time they will be great in the evening when pool is all lighted up. If they fit into the budget I will probably get the magicstream, if they don't I will probably do away with them all together.I will find out tomorrow when I go to this new vendor for price quote

PG, aeration does cool the pool if you have the proper aerator. A waterfall or sheers won’t do much, but if you have a broadcasting one across the surface, it can drop the temp by 5 degrees or so.
I run mine at night when it’s cooler during the summer heat, and it works pretty good at dropping the water temp of my pool. You can see it in the photo on the left of my pool.

Hi Arizonarob,
Nice pool by the way so inviting!
I seen quite a few different water braodcasting one people have made and plan on doing a DIY one once this project is completed. I was told you the man for Pentair Intellicenter. I'm think about going with this system but on the fence, how complicated is it? are you happy with it?

 

[PoolGate]

PG, aeration does cool the pool if you have the proper aerator. A waterfall or sheers won’t do much, but if you have a broadcasting one across the surface, it can drop the temp by 5 degrees or so.
I run mine at night when it’s cooler during the summer heat, and it works pretty good at dropping the water temp of my pool. You can see it in the photo on the left of my pool.
View attachment 93295

Sweet learn something new every day! Thanks!

 

[PoolGate]

Hey PG,
That is what we are wanting to get, the pentair magicstream, even if we don"t use them all the time they will be great in the evening when pool is all lighted up. If they fit into the budget I will probably get the magicstream, if they don't I will probably do away with them all together.I will find out tomorrow when I go to this new vendor for price quote

Holy mackerel, $650 for 1?

 

[Arizonarob]

The humidity level in Houston does not allow for much evaporation cooling.

Ahhh, Marty you are correct in that matter. I forgot to take into consideration geographical location.
P.S What’s humidity?

Hey PG,
That is what we are wanting to get, the pentair magicstream, even if we don"t use them all the time they will be great in the evening when pool is all lighted up. If they fit into the budget I will probably get the magicstream, if they don't I will probably do away with them all together.I will find out tomorrow when I go to this new vendor for price quote



Hi Arizonarob,
Nice pool by the way so inviting!
I seen quite a few different water braodcasting one people have made and plan on doing a DIY one once this project is completed. I was told you the man for Pentair Intellicenter. I'm think about going with this system but on the fence, how complicated is it? are you happy with it?

Hi Gus, unfortunately Jim tagged me for answering your questions on intelliCenter. (He was probably thinking of someone else) I don’t have any automation on my pool, other then me getting off my lazy butt and turning a valve manually.

No worries though, others that have knowledge of that system will chime in and give ya a hand.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Gus,

I had the right State but the wrong guy... Brain Failure... It should have been @MyAZPool...

Sorry about that..

Jim R.

 

[MyAZPool]

@GusGus
Like @Jimrahbe said, he got the right state (and even the right city) but just the wrong guy . I give it up to @Arizonarob for not being too lazy to turn a valve (unlike myself).

Okay, to address your question ("I'm think about going with this system but on the fence, how complicated is it? are you happy with it?") I am super-happy with the IntelliCenter automation up to this point. Not only for what it does for me now, but even more so, for what it will do for me in the future, once Pentair releases the OTA update for RS-485 connectivity to Pentair's IntelliValve actuators and the IntellipH. This is scheduled to happen early this year.
The IntelliCenter was not that complicated to install or setup for me. But that's all "relative". I'm pretty handy with such things but others would probably require a professional. It's just based on your level of expertise in such matters.

1. Please read my thread Pentair IntelliCenter Review. You can skip over "the bad" and "the ugly" sections in post #1 (unless you just want some "entertainment" ). I have moved the items that I feel are "out-of-the-gate discrepancies" down to post #29/30. I keep that list updated as I continue to work with Pentair on some of the minor issues, glitches and bugs with IntelliCenter that I feel can be or should be corrected by Pentair.

2. After reading through that thread, you will probably have some more detailed or specific questions. Please tag me then with your questions and I will be more than happy to see if I can answer them for you.

I really like many of the selections that you noted in your equipment list. I have just a few comments however.
1. I would have chosen the comparable Jandy valves instead of the Pentair valves, but hey, that's just me and my personal preference ONLY.
2. The Pentair circuit breakers are over-priced. They are nothing more than Siemens breakers with the Pentair name on them. The correct Siemens breakers can be had on Amazon for substantially less. If you need specifics, tag me and I will send you those model #'s/links.
3. And of course, @Jimrahbe is correctamundo. No need for ScreenLogic, if you choose to go with the IntelliCenter (yes, that functionality is "built in" so to speak).

I have a question for you. If you select the IntelliCenter for automation (which is what I would recommend, given you are starting fresh and with lot's of new Pentair equipment), will you have the ability to run a conduit from a location at your house out to your equipment pad? If so, I would highly recommend doing so. Then you could "hardwire" your IntelliCenter directly to your router (or a switch that is connected to your router) using Cat5E or Cat 6 ethernet cabling. You can run the conduit right up into the low voltage raceway on the load center. I did the same and it works great. Doing so will save you from having to purchase the IntelliCenter wireless kit and will give you fast and reliable comms with your IntelliCenter.

Hope this helps a bit initially and please feel free to tag me on any questions that you might have regarding the IntelliCenter automation or related questions.
Take care...
r.

 

[Arizonarob]

Gus,

I had the right State but the wrong guy... Brain Failure... It should have been @MyAZPool...

Sorry about that..

Jim R.

I was pretty sure that’s who you ment to ping, but in the unlikely event it wasn’t, I didn’t want to have us both just pinging away like a couple of crazy people.

@GusGus
Like @Jimrahbe said, he got the right state but just the wrong guy . I give it up to @Arizonarob for not being too lazy to turn a valve (unlike myself).

R,
If I had full automation, then I’d never have a reason to remove the intravenous keg from my arm during the summer swim season.
(The keg’s to big to fit on the current wheelie dealie that they have now for mobility)

 

[MyAZPool]

I was pretty sure that’s who you ment to ping, but in the unlikely event it wasn’t, I didn’t want to have us both just pinging away like a couple of crazy people.



R,
If I had full automation, then I’d never have a reason to remove the intravenous keg from my arm during the summer swim season.
(The keg’s to big to fit on the current wheelie dealie they have now for mobility)

Rob, I like it!! Thanks!
r.

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

I am not sure I agree on the circuit breakers. My pool builder is the cheapest guy on earth and he installed one in my panel... I know Siemens makes the breaker, but suspect that they cull out the ones that trip at the upper end of the range to ship to Pentair.. I can't prove it, but I know from years in electronic manufacturing, that is what we did on hundreds of parts.. It was a lot cheaper than having a part built just for us...

The original problem was that the breaker would trip intermittently just due to the noise produced by the pump being electronically controlled. Some people had the problem and some did not, so Pentair started selling the "special" breaker to stop the false trips.. Most people never had the problem to begin in with, so it is likely that any breaker will work, most of the time.

Oh!!.. it was that darn 'r.' that got me confused to begin with..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[MyAZPool]

R,

I am not sure I agree on the circuit breakers. My pool builder is the cheapest guy on earth and he installed one in my panel... I know Siemens makes the breaker, but suspect that they cull out the ones that trip at the upper end of the range to ship to Pentair.. I can't prove it, but I know from years in electronic manufacturing, that is what we did on hundreds of parts.. It was a lot cheaper than having a part built just for us...

The original problem was that the breaker would trip intermittently just due to the noise produced by the pump being electronically controlled. Some people had the problem and some did not, so Pentair started selling the "special" breaker to stop the false trips.. Most people never had the problem to begin in with, so it is likely that any breaker will work, most of the time.

Oh!!.. it was that darn 'r.' that got me confused to begin with..

Thanks,

Jim R.

Jim,
That's interesting and great information and I stand corrected. Since I had no problems initially, I just assumed (there's that "word" again ) that the "regular" Siemens breakers were just as good, especially given that it is listed as one of the "recommended breakers" in the manual.

I wish I would have known that beforehand but I had no idea. Thanks for the info. I have not had a problem yet, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. I figure now, that if I make it through the summer with the Siemens pump breaker, then I should be good to go. If I do have a problem with the pump breaker, I will now have a reference point to fall back on.
Thanks much for the clarification ....
r.

 

[tstex]

As for all of the water features, noise will definitely be a factor...go w the ones that are not loud and make sure the pump RPMS are not too high.

As for reducing water temps in Houston, where I reside too, it will not happen. I can also attest that you will be buying A LOT of BOTH M-acid AND baking soda bc all the aeration wreaks havoc on your pH. You will have to add A LOT of acid, esp the hotter it gets and after adding all that acid, you will have to offset w sodium bicarbonates to keep your TA from dropping of the face of the earth. AND, you want to keep your pH in the low [7,2-7.5] range while your plaster cures as well.

Bottom line, pick the one water feature you have to have, then start cutting back...good luck

 

[MyAZPool]

@GusGus
I don't want to seem like I am "piling on" here (not my intent), but in my honest opinion, you are getting some great advice along with very sound reasoning for that advice, by several members here who really know their "stuff". If it were me, I would heed their advice and would minimize the water features for all the reasons that have been stated on this thread. "Aeration" (mostly sprays or aerators) has been shown to reduce water temp only "slightly" where the humidity is very low (like in the desert), but it would not work in your area. I use my water feature for parties or for ambience on occasion only. Yes, the noise would certainly bug the neighbors if I over did it, but more importantly, my pH would be "trashed", if I did not use the water feature sparingly.

By the way, reading through your initial post a bit more carefully, I noticed that you may be looking for another equipment vendor. I would recommend that you at least give PolyTec Pools a chance to quote you some prices (especially on the expensive Pentair equipment). I have absolutely NO affiliation with them. I only recommend them because I have found their prices to be lower than most, super-fast FREE shipping, no taxes and great customer service. This is only MY opinion based on my actual experiences with them and looking at many other vendors before I purchased all of my new equipment.

Tag me if you have any questions regarding the IntelliCenter and best of luck with your upcoming project.
r.

 

[GusGus]

@GusGus
I don't want to seem like I am "piling on" here (not my intent), but in my honest opinion, you are getting some great advice along with very sound reasoning for that advice, by several members here who really know their "stuff". If it were me, I would heed their advice and would minimize the water features for all the reasons that have been stated on this thread. "Aeration" (mostly sprays or aerators) has been shown to reduce water temp only "slightly" where the humidity is very low (like in the desert), but it would not work in your area. I use my water feature for parties or for ambience on occasion only. Yes, the noise would certainly bug the neighbors if I over did it, but more importantly, my pH would be "trashed", if I did not use the water feature sparingly.

By the way, reading through your initial post a bit more carefully, I noticed that you may be looking for another equipment vendor. I would recommend that you at least give PolyTec Pools a chance to quote you some prices (especially on the expensive Pentair equipment). I have absolutely NO affiliation with them. I only recommend them because I have found their prices to be lower than most, super-fast FREE shipping, no taxes and great customer service. This is only MY opinion based on my actual experiences with them and looking at many other vendors before I purchased all of my new equipment.

Tag me if you have any questions regarding the IntelliCenter and best of luck with your upcoming project.
r.

Thank you all for you advise I been so busy I have not had a chance to to respond you guys. I did go with the Intellicenter with some research and after I read your write up earlier in the week MyAzpool. Being able to upgrade to fix the bugs it has now is a big plus and I will have it hard wire to a router. I'm sure Ill have plenty of question once I get closer to the install. I just have not had a chance to do much at the moment.


As far as the water features, I did go with all of them guys but plan to use the waterfall at the end of the pool most of the time and the magic jets I'm sure a lot at first especially at night! because they are so cool! and they fit in my equipment the budget. I know now I will have my battles with PH thank you for the warning.( I have a lot of reading to do on that issue) The plan will be not using them as much once the newness wares off. Mostly use them for the ambiance here an there and when entertaining as it was said. Its late I'm off t bed thanks again guys