New fiberglass pool build in OBX- Current stage Fence and Landscape.

[kimkats]

Now that is a puzzle for sure! Okay so pick out ONE grout line by the skimmer. Take a pic of that area to help you remember what you are looking for. Follow that line all the way around the pool. Is the water at the same place on THAT grout line all around the pool? Or you can get one of those fancy transits (I think that is what they are called) and use it to see if the pool is level.

 

[Wolfepack88]

its night time but figured id snap some pics. IF the water were any fuller it would come out of the skimmer basket. The more I look at it the more I feel like the whole thing isn't level. Especially looking at the spa now. But I do see PB's point on the skimmer, Its a good inch and a half lower than the bottom of the tile. Using the waterline tile as a gauge it changes every time I look at it.View attachment 447182View attachment 447183View attachment 447184View attachment 447185View attachment 447186

They must assume it's not level, but if not I can't imagine what the fix would be? I know its a pic and could just be the angle but it looks like the pool is lower on the far left (i.e. left of the skimmer) but its likely the picture.

 

[FlapjackMcCoy]

Your skimmer looks correct. They leave space above it for the coping trim. Your PB should know this. As per it being level, the water is level, so measure from the top of the water to the top of the beam. Mine is just shy of 1 inch, so I didnt make a fuss.

 

[TX2OBX]

So went around and measured all around the pool. With the pump off Left to right its dead on. Front to back its lower in the deep end than the shallow end. Brought it up to PB he agreed once he got his level out. I realized something that was throwing me off was the water moving. So they are going to lower the water and re do the shallow end next week, he makes it out like its not a huge deal so I guess its not. Once thats taken care of they will install the flowable fill concrete below the spa and tanning ledge, pack everything in and then prep for concrete decking. they are *hoping* in 2-3 weeks to have it 100%. Then I can bring in landscapers and fence company.

They started laying out and somewhat installing equipment today, and going really fast on the steps. The platform extends out 8 feet and is 4.5 feet wide. This will be enclosed and be the new outdoor shower/changing room. If we didn't use the outdoor shower literally every day in the summertime I would leave it open like this but I think its something we have really grown used to having so going ahead with closing it up once concrete is poured. I also will probably within the next 6 months have all the railings on the house redone. Im really liking the stainless wire railing thats become pretty popular out here. But for now the standard painted wood railing will do fine, so they are building railings to match existing.

 

[kimkats]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh so with pump off is the ticket and makes sense when I think about it. Here is hoping it does work out!

 

[TX2OBX]

So I think im going to ask them to re plumb the spa setup, thankfully it doesn't look like they have done a lot. Reading the manual for the pump I noticed that it blatantly states not to use a 90* right before the pump and its recommended to have 10-15" of straight pipe before the suction inlet depending on pipe size, and when I see how they have the spa pump plumbed thats exactly what they did (90* right at the suction inlet) IM sure he wont be happy, but this pump is also driving the spa jets so the less restrictions the better. The current setup seems like it undermine's the point of using 3" pipe. Am I correct in asking for this change?

 

[kimkats]

Your pool, your rules ESPECIALLY when the equipment set up says to do it this way!!!!! I would take a shot of what you found and tell them it needs to be changed to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE MANUFACTURE!!

 

[TX2OBX]

So not much to report, things have slowed down, people are here but only 1 or 2 vs the usual 5-6 people crews and seem to be just getting odds and ends done. They're doing mainly finish work on the steps and shower. Siding, trim, electrical, plumbing, etc. Also working on the drainage.

My polite yet firm suggestion of the spa pump 90* fell on deaf ears. The response was "the guy that is plumbing this system in is the only "certified" Hayward rep so if you have an issue its him coming out to fix it whether you call me or Hayward, he installs and services every Hayward system on the island". I may force this issue still depending on the answer to the next question.

Right now both pumps are currently wired into 110V via spliced up extension cords. The spa performance is really really disappointing. But is the pump "detuned' when running on 110V? So when they eventually get it wired into 220V will the HP go up? I have the Rpm set to 3450 according to the screen (omni not wired in yet) But from my ear at least it seems like the rpms stop going up at around 2700, even If the screen is reporting 3450.

When its wired up to 220V if the performance is still lacking would a bypass plumbed in help this? and should I have them bypass everything or just the heater? I think I read on here with a bypass you can have still water flowing through the filter/heater but can divert some of it to avoid as large of performance reduction.

Third thing im sure would help would be not having the 90* fitting right at the suction inlet of the pump. I figure we go by order of least difficult to do. First obvious get it wired to 220V which is going to happen anyway. Second would be a bypass if the experts on here thing that would help. Third would be re plum the spa setup to not have a 90* again if the experts think this would help with flow.


Thanks all. No pics today. Nothing looks different lol.

 

[ajw22]

Look at the dashed lines to see the drop in performance when running full speed on 120V.

 

[TX2OBX]

We are literally crawling at this rate. Very long drawn out story short. The drainage became PB latest place to have heart burn, we had a plan, and all of a sudden I got a long email how he isn't comfortable tackling drainage and I should have my landscapers deal with it. Fine. Then I told him we need to pump he brakes on moving forward as I dont want to rip up anything to run drainage and he started complaining about how this job needs to get done so he can move on hes "out of money" and "over Hours" on labor. I can appreciate that, but drainage is huge issue for me and takes extreme precedent to anything else at the moment. So I have landscapers coming out Tuesday to tell me what to do and can hopefully get them going on the drainage at least next week and then two weeks from now we can concrete the pool deck and I can send the PB on his way.

Pump is still running on 120v. its fried an outlet and I have since set its maximum RPM to 1750 as any higher for long durations pulls too much and the extension cord gets super hot and eventually pops the breaker. Before that it was scheduled (just the pump schedule automation isn't up yet) to go to "clean mode" twice a day for an hour each and thats to much for the 20 amp breaker. I keep getting told the electrician will be there any day. Haven't seen him.

Pool is fully backfilled and "flowable fill" has been pumped in around the spa and tanning lounge. We actually took our first swim today which was great and renewed my motivation to this endeavor.

Steps are 95% except for painting and electrical, but since its pressure treated I want to give it a few months before they paint anyway. Should be about the same time im ready to redo the railing from wood to stainless wire. Were also going to enclose under the steps but want to wait until concrete is in as we might make a storage room out of it.

Ive been ripping out bushes myself as im just sick of them being in the way lol. Tie a rope to the bottom. 4 Lo with my truck and out they go, this has been fun lol. Generator for the house gets installed September 16th and will be installed about where the blue wheel barrel is next to the pool equipment , and the platform it sits on (same platform like the equipment is on) can't have any shrubs within 10 feet of it so want to make sure clearance is good for that. Also has to be 18" off the wall so want to leave some walking room through there anyway. And 36" from the pool equipment so I think it will just squeeze into this area. Piedmont NG came out and their estimate came in at almost half as much as the other company to run the NG lines, never said yes so fast to get something going lol.

To add to the drama im about to have to sue my pier guy for my deposit back (almost 20k so I'm sweating this a little, but they have gone completely MIA) and hire another company. Signed with them back in May and it said 4-12 weeks for permitting. Emails sent every couple weeks have been ignored. Called today and discovered they havent even made a single request for permits. So thats fun. I must be hard to work with, idk why I always get these contractors that have issues lol.

All and all while were taking some steps back it still feels like were moving ahead. IM hoping by October the pool is 100% and by November the yard is back to rights and other than the pier we can cross the outside of this house as done. Then move to the inside. Bathrooms, home theater, new kitchenette downstairs and replacing all the exterior doors are up. Also going to convert a wall in the kitchen and a wall in the downstairs master from windows to 4 panel sliders. Really excited about this. The doors kept coming in way higher than I figured and finally learned they have to be rated to "dp 65" or higher and that upgrade adds about 50% to the cost. But it means they can withstand hurricanes so its worth it to me.

 

[kimkats]

What a bumpy ride you have been on!!! GuRRRRRRRRRR on some much of it

 

[TX2OBX]

What a bumpy ride you have been on!!! GuRRRRRRRRRR on some much of it

I wouldn't mind so much except everything just comes out of left field. I think all is well and then boom I get a long winded email at 11 pm from PB about his latest problem that needs my attention. Then also wants to direct how I go about fixing it. At this point its an owner build as im the one calling people to come fix problems that are arising and I just listen to the PB's "suggestions" then ignore it lol. Im also growing very tired of his "my way or highway" attitude especially when he has expressed his lack of knowledge towards some of the things were doing, I asked about bypasses for the heaters and was told thats not how its done if you dont have enough water going through the heaters they blow up and cause WWIII (im surmising of course but this is how he comes across to me lol). I really only care about a bypass on the spa side. But I want one on the pool side as well just incase that heater needs to be taken out of service, we could still use the filtration.

He Flat out refuses to redo the spa plumbing even though its completely wrong because "my plumber services every pool in the OBX and has for 30 years he knows best" I've found those guys tend to do it the same way they have done it since the 80s and dont want to change, even if the way they did it in the 80s is wrong by today standards. Once winter sets in i've decided im going to re plumb the equipment pad myself. So that way if it takes me 6 weeks of trial and error (and with the help of TFP experts) its not a big deal since we're most likely not using it when its cold and I have a much lower risk of water chemistry getting away from me. I doubt any of the warranty im getting is going to be worth any more than the paper its written on. Other than the shell warranty. So i'm ok "voiding" it.

But regardless. Keep moving ahead. Made good progress today on removing all the Crud landscaping around the house in the back yard at least. Its bare now but I will take bare over an overgrown weedy mess of thorny bushes that the nope ropes and wasps like to hide in. I went through 5 cans of Raid wasp killer today, but thankfully got out without being stung. Also put my truck to work pulling out stumps from the ground and I think I have the land graded in a way that it wont flood the downstairs if it rains before we get the drainage dealt with. Im sure PB will be annoyed I messed with stuff but im over caring. IM ready for him to just finish up and be done.

 

[kimkats]

and has for 30 years

Why? Why is always "30 years"? If you keep doing the SAME thing over and over again that does not make it the RIGHT thing to do

Im sure PB will be annoyed I messed with stuff but im over caring.

We are here to help and support all of it with you! I bet you are glad you found TFP! Think about the poor people who are doing this mess without TFP!

 

[TX2OBX]

Why? Why is always "30 years"? If you keep doing the SAME thing over and over again that does not make it the RIGHT thing to do

We are here to help and support all of it with you! I bet you are glad you found TFP! Think about the poor people who are doing this mess without TFP!

Some people are stuck in their ways. When I took over the company in Dallas 5 years ago we had to let people go who were just too stubborn to do anything different. Nice people and felt bad. But if you flat out refuse to see how technology or just simply ways of doing things has improved since you started. We can't work together.

And yes absolutely! Even if it just reminds me I do have my head on strait to be annoyed at some of the things PB are doing. Im surprised there are soooo many builders out there like this too. It seems to be one of the worst industries for this type of personality. Must be something that attracts them. Or they're just hoping most people are extremely uninformed and dont know any better.

 

[TX2OBX]

Not much to report. We have been on vacation and drainage people have been out all week leveling, grading and trenching for drainage pipe. Not very exciting picture wise, but very exciting for me to (hopefully) solve the biggest issue with the house. Hopefully in another week they start forming for the concrete deck. Also pb did a fun one this weekend. A separate salt wall unit was installed for the spa. Apprantly omni can't run two cells so the one built into omni is running the pool and the separate box is for the spa cell. Kind of interesting.

The whole separate body of water thing is his idea and ive gone along with it, but more and more I wish I had gone the traditional way and just did a separate pump for the jets. This is getting really overkill lol. The only draw to two separate systems was the ability to close the pool but keep the spa open year round. But its here so were rolling with it, and he ate the cost of the separate power unit.

Sadly after a week of not tending to the pool I came back to it turning green. So today I threw in two gallons of bleach. Cleaned off the cartridge filters (full of sand) and even though concrete isn't poured yet will vacuum tomorrow to get the dead algae out and also the sand. Even though wind will blow sand right back in. My OCD is going nuts seeing it all over the bottom of the pool lol.

 

[kimkats]

A separate salt wall unit was installed for the spa.

Well that is an interesting turn of events. Not hear of that. Will fun to figure out how much to run the pump and where to run the salt cell at.

he ate the cost of the separate power unit.

SAY WHAT??? SWEET!

I came back to it turning green.

So the salt cell was not working while you were gone? At least you know what to do!

 

[TX2OBX]

Well that is an interesting turn of events. Not hear of that. Will fun to figure out how much to run the pump and where to run the salt cell at.

SAY WHAT??? SWEET!

So the salt cell was not working while you were gone? At least you know what to do!

with a 15k cell trying to chlorinate (my best guess) 750 gallons I imagine next to none lol, unless 8 people are in there then it would need a boost. But Salt isn't up yet. They are moving painfully slow on getting the equipment pad fully running. Right now all thats hooked up are the pumps (at least to 240v and circuits installed on the omni panel), everything else to do electrical wise is still a mess and omni isn't up yet. So right now using a combo of tablets in a floater and liquid chlorine. I dont mind the tablets right now as my CYA is still ultra low. But def dont want to use them long term, and keep a close eye on it to make sure the tablets dont screw up the chemistry before we even really started.

Spent today cleaning the filters and vacuuming. Which was interesting. For the life of me I couldn't get the vacuum to efficiently "suck". then I realized it had picked up a puck of fiberglass where they drilled out a return hole lol.

 

[TX2OBX]

I was unfortunately not home today and didn't know anybody was working. I wish people took pride in their work and didn't just do it the easy way all the time.

This is a hollow wall with open access behind it left open to run wiring........

 

[kimkats]

sigh.................REALLY?? GURRRRRRRRRRRRR on them!

 

[TX2OBX]

Pool builder has replied saying thats how it is at his house and they are "proud" of the way it turned out and show the electrical work to potential customers. LOL really? Hes due his next draw tomorrow (last one before final draw, after this check would only owe him about 20k or so) so im withholding that until he talks to me about this with some more motivation to fix it.