New construction in Houston, Tx ** Trying to complete punch list**

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I may have worded that wrong, it's not too dark. Several of our earlier choices were the darker shades and we were warned about the heat and lighting and started looking at the lighter shades. Pacific was one of the lighter colors that we were considering
 
spd500 said:
I didnt want any automation and now my wife says that if we are paying that much for lights she should be able to use her phone for controls and do light shows etc. But from what i understand it is all or nothing, we can't have just a light controller from what i have seen.
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spd,

As Pat says I have all kinds of "thoughts", but most of them can't be added to this site... :mrgreen:

I know it is easy for me to spend your money, but I personally think it is pretty foolish to have a pool and spa combination and not have an automation system.. An automation system means that you just tell the system and it will change from the Pool mode to the Spa mode.. It will automatically change the pump speed to match the mode you are in.. If you have a saltwater pool it will automatically change the amount of chlorine it is making when in the spa mode.

If you have color changing lights, you can flip a manual switch a dozen times or you can just tell the automation what color you want.

If you want to do all this by using your PC, Phone, or Tablet, you will need a real automation system.

If you want to schedule your system to do different thinks at different times during the day, you need an automation system

You can adjust your saltwater cell's output using automation..

I could go on and on.. But.. When you look at the cost of an automation system in comparison to the cost of the pool itself, it is really not a big deal. You can enjoy your pool every time you go out for a swim, or you can wish you had done it right, every time you go for a swim.

The key to a well operating automation system is to make sure the VS Pump, any Saltwater cell, and the Automation are all the same brand.. The heater and filter can be any brand.. If I had to chose a brand, it would be Pentair, then Jandy, then Hayward... but that is just my personal bias showing. :)

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Agree w/ Jim's observation re: automation, you might get irritated having to move valves and adjust heater before and after you use the spa...

If you're getting Hayward equipment you could ask your PB for a quote to add OmniHub (starts around $900), the Tristar pump is compatible.
 
Ok, sounds like we need to really look at the automation system. What about the pump setup? Should the bubbler be on it's own pump? We are going with a fairly large waterfall from the spa into the pool and I am wondering if that one pump will be enough. Also, if i do automation will i need the second pump for it to control the bubbler?
 
spd,

There are pros and cons for everything.. The bigger the spillover on the spa, the faster you will have to run your pump, the faster you run the pump, the more the electricity costs...

With an automation system you could schedule your spillover to run only once or twice a day.. just enough to chlorinate the spa.. The more you run the spillover, and the bigger it is, the more you drive your pH through the roof.

I'd ask your pool builder about the flow needed to run the spillover and the bubbler. I would also make sure the bubbler is controlled by a Jandy valve so that you can automate turning it on or off.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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We were the ones that wanted the oversized waterfall. My wife was stick between an infinity edge and a water fall, so this seemed like an option where she could have some of both. I will ask about the flow requirements of both features. I doubt either will run all that much, mostly when we are in the pool.
 
spd,

This is one of those things where automation can make a difference.. Without automation, the spa spillover would have to run all the time that your pump was running.. Either that, or you would have to manually turn it on and off each day. The reason for this is that without the spillover, the spa would never get any fresh water. The spillover function is generally not set up by most pool builders, so if you want to use it, you will most likely have to ask for it to be set up..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Is the automation system something that should really be done at the time of the build, or could I add it myself later? I am starting to feel like the builder really overcharges for upgrades. He quoted me $2700 for a saltwater system that only costs about $1000, so I will be installing that myself after the plaster cures
 
spd500 said:
Is the automation system something that should really be done at the time of the build, or could I add it myself later? I am starting to feel like the builder really overcharges for upgrades. He quoted me $2700 for a saltwater system that only costs about $1000, so I will be installing that myself after the plaster cures
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I would recommend adding it with the build, as there are plumbing and electrical considerations, not to mention the programming as well. You could certainly add it afterward, but would need to be versed in electrical work and maybe plumbing (if you need to add valves, etc ..)

Did the $2700 include an automation system, along with the SWCG cell? If so, that's not bad. An IC40 with the transformer is $1000 alone. But getting it with an automation system is very convenient, as the automation system (EasyTouch for example) would include the IC40 transformer, as well as the automation software to control it, integrated into the automation controller.


An EasyTouch 4 Pool/Spa system with the IC40 integration and cell, is about $1800. So you'd be paying $900 for labor, install, configuration, etc ... Not to mention 3 year waranty instead of just 90 days (or maybe it's 30? I forget ... but self install carries a much shorter warranty than builder install).
 

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spd500 said:
He did not specify that it would include any automation, and when I questioned the price he did confirm that I could do it for far less myself but wouldn't budge on it at all.
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Ask him for the part numbers the $2700 includes. If I remember right, aren't we using the same builder?

If you can get them to install Pentair 520543 for $2700, that would be a decent deal. It includes the EasyTouch 4 Pool/Spa with SCG integration, the IC40 cell, and two actuators.

www.poolsupplyunlimited.com

Pentair EasyTouch | Pool and Spa System | IC40 IntelliChlor System | Filter + 3 Circuits | 520543

Pool Supply Unlimited has some of the best prices when shopping for Pentair EasyTouch | Pool and Spa System | IC40 IntelliChlor System | Filter + 3 Circuits | 520543
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All of my equipment is Hayward except for the heater. I changed the heater to the Pentair because it is a smaller footprint and I have limited space on that side, but my builder is a Hayward dealer. I am pretty sure we are not using the same builder though
 
Gotcha ... sorry, can't help with Hayward.

I'd still ask for the part numbers of what's included for the $2700 though. And let the folks here who are knowledgeable with Hayward chime on on what the PB is offering.

Is your excavation still on track for next week?
 
I'm no expert on automation, or really what is an appropriate "upcharge" for PBs to pass along, but I guess it comes down to what are you willing to spend, above what it would cost you, for certain things that may not be apparent just from a "materials cost" perspective.

If the PB puts in the automation in the beginning, in theory, all the plumbing/electrical is all setup for automation right from the start. There is some cost on the PB side to do this.
If the PB includes automaton in the beginning, the warranty should be longer than a self install. I know that is the case with Pentair, believe I read the same about Hayward.
The PB does have work to make sure the automation is all setup and running properly. If there is anything later that is an issue, the PB is on the hook to make it right.

I don't want to sound like I'm on the side of the PB here, but just thinking there is some cost on their end, so just comparing for example, $2000 to buy it myself and $3,000 for the PB to install, might not be the whole picture.

My PB wanted $600 to "upgrade" the automation, and in the end, for all the things that were included to make this happen, $600 seemed like a fair price to me to leave it in the hands of the PB. Just my perspective from someone who had to struggle with creeping costs along the way.
 
I don't want to sound like I am unwilling to pay for upgrades, that is not the case at all. But some things just make sense to do yourself instead of paying the price of having the PB do them. As an example, the PB was going to charge $500 to remove two fence sections and reinstall at the end of the project. I declined that and spent $100 and a few hours to convert that part of the fence into 2 6ft gates so our yard will not be left open during construction. I am already doing the electrical on the project because the PB was going to sub it out and I would prefer to do it myself. It seems like anything that gets subbed out ends up costing double when you factor in the markup from the PB.
 
@Jimrahbe , what system would you suggest for our setup? I plan to have the saltwater system, and if we are going with automation we will want it to do everything possible. I am looking online and it seems like I am seeing "parts" but nothing that looks like a full setup. Am I looking at the wrong places or is it usual to have to order each part separately. I saw one site where you have the automation box that goes by the equipment pad for $1600 and then you add the remote for $500-600 and then the actuators for the valves, etc etc. I am guessing that there is not a one size fits all solution, but don't know what to look for.
 
I am estimating the pool will be about 14,000 with the spa. It isn't going to be very large, but I planned to get the largest SWCG, had been thinking the RJ-60 but if I go automated I will have to go Hayward.
 

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