New Build, CA 95023 - From Dreaming to Pool.

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J

julian_deville

Gold Supporter
Jan 6, 2021
24
Hollister, CA
Pool Size
44000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hi All,

After dreaming about a pool for years, it's time for action. I've been lurking for a long time reading this forum and am ready to start design/construction. For the last year I've been spaying lines in the dirt thinking about size, position, orientation and features. I believe I now have the design I would like to build and have started drawing up the plans. I plan on being an owner/builder and doing as much I can - calling in trades as and when needed. I've been working with the county regarding their requirements and have started drawing up the plans myself. I have contacted an engineer who will be signing off on the design and providing any engineering details. Pool must be built to 2019 Codes (Electric, plumbing etc).

Drawing1scaled-Pool_detailsmall.pngDrawing1scaled-Pool Fixturessmall.png

I have not shown the lighting in the pool yet. I'm currently leaning to nicheless 12V lights, but I understand I will need more if I go this route, possibly 5 or so to light this pool. I need to make a decision on the equipment in tandem with the lighting as if there is going to be a controller, it would be best to handle all in the most efficient way possible. I like the idea of a single manufacturer for ease of connectivity, but am also aware different manufacturers have different strengths or weaknesses. I'll be lighting the pool from the sides as I hope to swim laps and have designed it with square ends.

Here is the equipment I have my eye on so far-

Pentair Colorvision Bubblers.
230v Pentair Intellivision VS Pump

A couple of other design considerations for this pool -

No heater - Maybe one day down the line a solar heater, but for now, no.
No Hot tub integrated, as I felt an electric hot tub in pool area was a better bet (More jets, more comfortable seating, always hot, reliance on electric and solar rather than propane). We already have the hot tub.
I'm a believer in doing it right and spending a little more upfront. A pool is a huge investment in time and money.
Pool oriented so that typical wind blows across pool to skimmers.
From what I have read, believe cartridge filters may be the way to go. I'd certainly like to oversize them if possible.
Possible diving Board. Pool is type V compliant for diving envelope.
Almost all pipe runs will be home runs to equipment pad. Valves will let me throttle any as required to adjust.

To start the conversation, I would welcome any comments about the pool design and input on the equipment.


Regards,
J
 
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Hi and welcome to TFP! What a fun yet scary time in your life!!!

Am I reading the plans right...............you will have a 10' deep end???? Wait until @YippeeSkippy sees that!!! She LOVES a diving pool!

The one thing I am seeing I would change is the main drains. Change them to these:

Channel Pebble Top Drain Covers — Color Match Pool Fittings

The Unblockable Channel Pebble Top Drain Cover
www.poolfittings.com www.poolfittings.com

Equipment pad:
-GOOD, rebuildable valves and unions on both sides of all equipment
-light close for a dark and stormy night you have to go out there
-hose bib close so you can rinse off your filter and add water as needed

I would love to see where these beauty is going!

Kim:kim:
 
Hey Julian !!! I absolutely LOVE that you are thinking about the equipment first. It is the backbone of your operation and far too many folks skimp on the boring stuff. It’s true that any old pump/filter combo will work, but a larger pump can run much slower to move the same water. It will save both electricity and lifespan if it’s just chugging away slowly.

Bigger filters need to be cleaned less. This is paying yourself in future maintenance season after season. For $300(?) more, get 500+ sq ft cartridges and you’ll never even see the cost buried in the dozens and dozens of $1000s at build time. Or get the biggest DE/Sand filter they make if you decide to go that route for the same reasons.

The plumbing is equally as boring and equally as important. Individual runs with quality valves / unions will make things so much easier when problems arise. You simply disconnect the unions to service the equipment or rebuild the valves in place without having to replace them. It turns a pro job into an easier DIY job, easily paying for those fancy lounge chairs that seem like a better investment at this stage.
 
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Thanks all for the replies. Yes, It's going to be deep 10'6", with a 1 meter diving board. For the plumbing, almost everything will be individual runs. Since I last posted, I've made the following changes to the pool design -

Added a second set of returns and pump for the water features - bubblers and deck jets.
Added a third skimmer on the other side of the pool.
Also, looked more into the individual equipment I will be putting into service.

I'm struggling on the lighting. Original plan, was 3 pentair Colorvision Bubblers in the shelf, and 5 Pentair MicroBrite nicheless lights around the pool. I'm backing away from the Colorvision Bubblers, after reading about reliability problems, and questioning how much I would really use them (replace with standard bubblers instead). The pool is away to the side of the house, so for lighting, you can only see the lights if you walk out the back. and look over to the pool. This may make it easier for placement. I've attached the latest design. I want to swim laps sometimes, so am being careful not to place lights at either end of pool.

Questions -

Stick with the 5 microbrites I have shown on the plan? Or, put in two standard light niches, both on the sun shelf side? In there, place 12V color intellibritepool lights. I'd put one in the deep and facing across, and one in the side of the sunshelf, facing a little towards the shallow end. I'm hoping that these would light most of the pool. Then add a Microbrite on sun shelf to light that, and maybe one opposite the steps to light that.

Also here is the current equipment list I'm thinking of -

Pentair Microbrite lights.
Pentair Intelliflow Pump 3HP x2 (1 xfilter system, 1x for bubblers and deck jets.)
Pentair 160332 Cartridge Filter 520 Sq Ft
Pentair Skimmers
Pentair Magicstream Deck Jet II
Pentair IntelliCenter System.



Thanks in advance for any advice.

Regards,
J
 

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Well, After some back and forth on the details on the plans, I now have approval for the pool and a building permit in hand. I'm going to get started, but it will be a long process as I plan on doing a fair bit myself. If anyone has any comments on my previous post, I would appreciate them, but please only minor changes now as the plans are set. Now the fun begins.
 
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I would suggest you consider a Salt Water Chlorine Generator. Order the Intellicenter with the SWCG power unit integrated into it. Make sure the generator is rated for at least two times the volume of the pool.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I had investigated that possibility but had decided against it. I'll take a second look to see if my decision changes.

I'm currently working on trying to source the plumbing. It's a bad time for this, but as long as I get the parts for inside the shell, I'll have a good number of months to acquire the rest. The Skimmers arrived today, so that's a start. It did make me realize how far I have to go. Next steps are to prep the site - Move a fence, reroute some water and electric and remove some asphalt. I'll lay a feeder for the electrical at the equipment pad location and get things ready. There's a couple of weeks work right there.
 

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If you decide to not install a SWCG, you must plan to add liquid chlorine every day from April to October.
 
Things are now underway.

While waiting to connect with a construction company, I've performed the following -

Rerouted water and electric that was running through the location of the pool.
Added a 100 amp electrical panel at the equipment pad location and connected a few outlets for use while working.
Run conduit for outlets, light switch at entrance gate to pool. A number of spare conduits to enable other upgrades later if needed.
Run water lines around the pool area ready for faucets, including ones to equipment pad location.
Installed 3" drainage line to pick up downspouts from house and to connect to edge of pool patio when complete.
Backfilled all of this with sand and covered with dirt.
Had a first inspection of the site layout and trenches.
Bought, 2" pipe and fittings for plumbing. Also most of the white goods required in the pool - skimmers, return fittings, main drain etc.
Removed all excess dirt from trenching and cleaned up site.

Next, I'm going to layout the form boards, finalize my elevation and start digging.

I now have a company on board to rebar, shoot gunite and plaster. I will be excavating and plumbing the pool.




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cowboycasey said:
Here is what I am going with for lighting.. Best lights in life, way better than Pentair.. You pick any color of light not just the 6 or 7 that Pentair chooses for you... :)

pallighting.com

Evenglow Nicheless Light - PAL Lighting

pallighting.com pallighting.com

Click to expand...
Thanks for the link. One concern I would have is that these look they protrude, and I would be worried about damage by kids.
 
Well, that was more work than I expected. Passed inspection and pool is ready for gunite and scheduled for Monday.

It took 10 weeks since I started the dig. I did all work except for the rebar. Upgraded the rebar with extra #4. Ended up with 9 returns, including one in the bottom of the deep end. One standard pool light. 7 Niche-less. Vacuum port. Fill Port. 3 Bubblers and about to run the lines for 8 deck jets.

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