New fiberglass pool in Richmond Hill, ON Canada

Small one depth 12'x26'x4'6" rectangular fiberglass pool from Dolphin Fiberglass Pools - Stingray III Caribbean Blue
Being built by York Region Hot Tub and Pools - planned completion date before Canada Day July 1st

Here's my 2018 Design to start with:

Main patio - 36'x15'
Natural stone coping 1'x6'
Surround pool deck - 4'
Planned equipment - Everything Pentair
- Variable 3HP pump
- IC20
- Cartridge filter - 320 inch
- Heater - 250k
- 2 pentair led glowbrite
- automation with wireless


2018 - Design Phase 1.jpg

I'll post some pictures of progress as soon as I get them off my gopro - stay tuned

Videos:

Here's a run down of the days when crew was working - mostly a few hours per day:
Day 1 - The Dig
Day 3/4 - Set up
Day 5 - Pool install
Day 6 - Backfill - Lost footage, doh!
Day 7 - Slight uh-oh
Day 8 - Level steps section
Day 9 - Cement Collar, Equipment Pad and Lighting
Day 10 - Coping & Pavers delivery - nothing exciting to capture
Day 11 - Prepping area for paver work - nothing exciting to capture
Day 12 - Coping
Day 13 - Setting the pavers base - nothing exciting to capture
Day 14 - Electrical work
Day 15 - Main patio and pool wash
Day 16 - Finish laying all pavers
Day 17 - Finishing pavers with Polymeric sand
Day 18 - Pea Gravel and Preparing base for sod





At some point in time - I'd like to end up with something like this - 2019 or 2020
201x - Design Phase x.jpg

Enjoy
David
 
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Looking good David. Couple things caught my eye in your equipment description, maybe you can clarify ….
- 3 HP VSP? Wow. That's a lot of HP for a smaller sized pool with no unusual features. Any particular reason why?
- Do you know what size cartridge filter?
 
Looking good David. Couple things caught my eye in your equipment description, maybe you can clarify ….
- 3 HP VSP? Wow. That's a lot of HP for a smaller sized pool with no unusual features. Any particular reason why?
- Do you know what size cartridge filter?

No reason other than what as proposed to me from the pool builder.
Filter is 320

Are these too much?
 
The pump is a little bigger than you need.

Filter-you can never go too big on it!

-SWG-I would go up in size on this. Going big on this helps you in the long run-shorter pump run time saves electric money and the cell will last longer.

LOVED the videos! They seemed to do a really good job!

When will the pool get there? CRANE time is so fun but also scary!!!

Kim:kim:
 
The pump is a little bigger than you need.

Filter-you can never go too big on it!

-SWG-I would go up in size on this. Going big on this helps you in the long run-shorter pump run time saves electric money and the cell will last longer.

LOVED the videos! They seemed to do a really good job!

When will the pool get there? CRANE time is so fun but also scary!!!

Kim:kim:

Because it is a variable pump, I was planning to actually let it run 24x7 for the summer months - is that a bad idea?
I like the idea of upgrading the IC20 to IC40 if the cell will last longer - I'll check it out

Compiling the video for the pool drop - stay tuned - we're actually just completed the collar ( I'm running behind in my videos ) - coping and pavers are planned for Monday - material came in this afternoon

- - - Updated - - -

i'm definitely gonna be following here! love to see the process of pools being built and the finished results!

Btw I'm In Aurora not to far away from you!

Thanks - My experience so far with my pool builder has been great - their store is not too far from you - Yonge Street - Just north of Sunset Blvd I think - He probably would say that I've been a PIA, but the owner has been very supportive of my "OCD"
 
I was planning to actually let it run 24x7 for the summer months - is that a bad idea?
Not bad. By their very nature, VSPs are typically used for their programmable features. That, along with 3 HP is why we asked about the size of that pump, but you can always program it for an RPM that meets your needs. Congrats on the install. Getting closer.
 

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I just put in the same size pool. After head calculations I figured I needed a 1/2hp pump but went 1 size up to 3/4. That pump pushes me around the pool like I am a ping pong ball. lol 3hp is crazy insane imo. Bigger is not better when it comes to pumps. FYI, I circulate 4 or 5 hours a day. With a 25k swg.

Good size on heater. You will get 4-5 degrees F per hour recovery with a cover on.
 
I just put in the same size pool. After head calculations I figured I needed a 1/2hp pump but went 1 size up to 3/4. That pump pushes me around the pool like I am a ping pong ball. lol 3hp is crazy insane imo. Bigger is not better when it comes to pumps. FYI, I circulate 4 or 5 hours a day. With a 25k swg.

Good size on heater. You will get 4-5 degrees F per hour recovery with a cover on.

Thanks - I will bring both the salt and pump with my pool contractor and see if there would be much difference from the pool package he quoted me.
I watched your pool build - made the wait for mine tolerable -- thanks :)

We had similar weather ( maybe not as bad as you had it ) during the early spring which caused some delays in starting our pool project. Our pool contractor however was fantastic - we only incurred a 4 days delayed start. He typically has a few on the go at the same time, so we were appreciative that he did not drag out start date.
 
Listen, the people on the forum will drive you nuts with advise. They will drive your PB nuts too. lol. But....1000 minds are better than 1 and it's ultimately up to you to decide what road to go down. I guess in my mind, the objective is to have a healthy pool with the lowest possible running cost. That's why you are having people question pump size.
 
Listen, the people on the forum will drive you nuts with advise. They will drive your PB nuts too. lol. But....1000 minds are better than 1 and it's ultimately up to you to decide what road to go down. I guess in my mind, the objective is to have a healthy pool with the lowest possible running cost. That's why you are having people question pump size.

Don't forget questions!!!! :slidehalo:
 
So, no Day 6 - lost all my photo lapse - deleted all files by mistake - thought I had already downloaded them onto my pc - doh!

Water tank came, filled the pool half way
Team came back and backfilled, put the sono tubes ( I think that's what they are called ), the "green tube" - lol, don't know how it's called - the tube to allow drainage of water that might have accumulated at the bottom before emptying the pool

Can't post more pix - you'll see what I mean once I load video for Day 7

d.
 
Here's a question to the board - is it normal that crew comes in for a few hours a day only? I think they are working on a few at a time. This drip drip drip style of work is killing me

On one hand, I can see different folks come in, almost like an assembly line, so I'm thinking if they all came at once, they'll be tripping over each other; and on the other hand, I'm thinking why not have one crew from start to finish and be done in 10 days :)

Thoughts?
 
did they try to lift steps with skid steer forks? lol. Ya. steps sink if they weren't properly packed tight with gravel. I used a short 2x4 and hammer to pack the heck out of each step one by one.

Fiberglass pools from my research are never perfectly level to start with. Mine was absolutely terrible to the point were we drained the water, lifted out again and reset.

I like that they use sono tubes to support the deck however I dont think they have the desired effect in the winter that people think. Frost will still get under the concrete and lift it. IMO, drainage is the key. No moisture under the concrete = no frost heaving.

looking good
 

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