New member new build

[Bigc2710]

New to this forum, along with the pool world and looking for some advice. We are starting a new gunnite pool build in the coming weeks and I’m am struggling to pick out equipment.
The pool is gauged to be around the 13,500-15,000 gallon mark of water volume. 400 square feet, with no spa.

After reading many posts and threads on this forum it seems as though salt it the recommend sanitation method vs the ozone route. It also seems as though circupool is the most recommended brand here.

My contractor supplies a 2hp pump (unknown if it’s VS and what brand) and sand filter (also unknown). He is offering both a salt or ozone upgrade for a whopping 1600$, this seems high to me.

At the current moment in time it seems that I can buy the following on my own for about 2500$:

Circupool 2.5 smartflo VS pump
Circupool rj-45 plus
Circupool tj-16 typhoon

Going this route I would obviously get money back for his provided pump as well as the salt upgrade price of 1600$. Heck I may end up breaking even, that has yet TBD. My question is, is this the appropriate size pump? What sand filter would you recommend for this package?

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to the forum. There is a tremendous amount of help on the forum. So you have found a great resource.

The PB should provide you names and models of the equipment so you can make informed decisions on cost vs. value.
A $1600 upgrade for a Pentair saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG) is reasonable. If it is a value brand, then maybe not. You have found that CircuPool is well respected by many. The top 3 brands are Pentair, Jandy and Hayward for all types of pool equipment.

If you plan to use automation, many have found that it is best to use the same manufacturer of the automation system to the SWCG because of the interface. With CircuPool you will need to use its own control box. And if you do not plan to have automation then going with CircuPool is a good fit.

I would suggest a cartridge filter over a sand filter. It is just easier to maintain and does a great job.

The new law that went into effect mid-2021 is that all filtration pumps should be a variable speed pump. Due to equipment shortages, some PB are trying to use up existing inventory, so push for a VSP.

Be sure to get 3 bids so you can see the differences between PB's and try to provide them the same specs so you can do comparisons. Whether it is Jandy or Pentair, etc, shouldn't matter as they all have comparable equipment, it is more important to focus on VS pump, cartridge filter and SWCG with specific model numbers.

Good Luck. Are you in South or North Louisiana? Just thinking about weather and future considerations.

 

[Bigc2710]

Welcome to the forum. There is a tremendous amount of help on the forum. So you have found a great resource.

The PB should provide you names and models of the equipment so you can make informed decisions on cost vs. value.
A $1600 upgrade for a Pentair saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG) is reasonable. If it is a value brand, then maybe not. You have found that CircuPool is well respected by many. The top 3 brands are Pentair, Jandy and Hayward for all types of pool equipment.

If you plan to use automation, many have found that it is best to use the same manufacturer of the automation system to the SWCG because of the interface. With CircuPool you will need to use its own control box. And if you do not plan to have automation then going with CircuPool is a good fit.

I would suggest a cartridge filter over a sand filter. It is just easier to maintain and does a great job.

The new law that went into effect mid-2021 is that all filtration pumps should be a variable speed pump. Due to equipment shortages, some PB are trying to use up existing inventory, so push for a VSP.

Be sure to get 3 bids so you can see the differences between PB's and try to provide them the same specs so you can do comparisons. Whether it is Jandy or Pentair, etc, shouldn't matter as they all have comparable equipment, it is more important to focus on VS pump, cartridge filter and SWCG with specific model numbers.

Good Luck. Are you in South or North Louisiana? Just thinking about weather and future considerations.

Thank you for the detailed reply. I am in south Louisiana. We have been quoted by three different companies that our local to my area. One is significantly higher than the PB we have chosen to go with. After talking to people who have used the higher priced PB, seems as many weren’t satisfied with his product, so we passed. The other PB came in around the same price of the selected PB but has a sketchy reputation. The PB we selected is neither the “best” nor the “worst”, I guess every builder has pros and cons, but this builders customer service has been great so far.

 

[HermanTX]

Thank you for the detailed reply. I am in south Louisiana. We have been quoted by three different companies that our local to my area. One is significantly higher than the PB we have chosen to go with. After talking to people who have used the higher priced PB, seems as many weren’t satisfied with his product, so we passed. The other PB came in around the same price of the selected PB but has a sketchy reputation. The PB we selected is neither the “best” nor the “worst”, I guess every builder has pros and cons, but this builders customer service has been great so far.

At the bottom of every page is a link to TFP Wiki. There are numerous articles to review.
One that helps a lot for new construction is below.

Construction Best Practices - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com