New pool build in Austin

[burjoes]

Trying to finalize the design of our pool and wanted to get comments/suggestions. Lots of questions, will try to keep it brief:

1. Any comments on the design attached?

2. Trees: There is a live oak tree at one corner that i am most likely having removed. It's killing me, but it seems like the right thing to do or else be inundated with leaves. However, it is possibly protected by having a trunk roughly 19" in diameter. I need to measure it more precisely to find out if it's over the limit, and if I will have to go to city council for a variance. There are also 4 crepe myrtles on the other side of the fence that are tall enough to have lots of flowers hanging over. And I'm already getting rid of an oak tree right in the middle of the yard, although it's smaller. Talk me out of removing that live oak??

3. Pool size - roughly 28' long and 10' wide, plus the spa and the 6" sun shelf with bubbler. sport bottom with 4' on one end, 3.5' on other end, and 5' in the middle.

4. No big patio around it. We are pushing the limits for ratio of impervious cover and can't do a lot. We are thinking to wait until after the pool is built (permitted) and then possibly put in some pavers that could be removed if push comes to shove.

5. Location and proximity to house - are we pushing it by being so close to the house? Not easy to walk from front yard to back. BTW - we have a power line going across the yard in the back, so we have to stay 10' away. That pushes us to where it is planned for. That being said, my realtor says people don't like to buy houses with a pool but no yard, so she thinks it's a good idea to leave the 30x25' yard alone back there anyway.

6. Equipment:
Pentair Whispair 1.5 HP
Pentair Intelliflow VSF
Pentair Quad DE 80
Pentair FullFlow XF Valve
Pentair UltraTemp 1200 125k BTU Heat Pump (actually this has been changed to a 400k gas heater)
Paramount PV3 with MDX and Leaf Canister (14 heads)
Aquastar Skimmers
Paramount Ventur Skimmers
Equipment pad on far side of detached garage
Pebble Sheen - Cody White ( really thinking about changing this to something darker, but a little afraid of being too dark with lights at night - lots of night swimming planned!)
Pentair Easytouch P-4 and Screen Logic Bundle (adapter and wireless kit)

Pricing not yet final but approaching $70k plus i need a new fence and irrigation work and the trees removed.

Any and all feedback welcome!

 

[MyAZPool]

burjoes
Welcome to TFP
I just have a question and a couple of comments. I'll just keep mine related to your automation selection listed above. However, there are some highly knowledgeable folks here that hopefully will provide you with some detailed insight and recommendations regarding the selection of the Paramount Floor Cleaning System as well as the Venturi-style skimmer that you have listed above.

1. You list a "Pentair Easytouch P-4" and Screen Logic Bundle (adapter and wireless kit)"? I am no EasyTouch expert. However. there a couple of moderators and TFP Experts here who are and they can provide you with more detailed information than I, about what I am going to refer to below regarding an EasyTouch vs EasyTouch Lite.

But anyway, hopefully you meant to list the EasyTouch 4P (520703) (since you have a spa) and not the "lite" version of the EasyTouch.

But if you are referring to the EasyTouch PL4 or the PSL4 (maybe this is the one since I see a spa), that would be inadvisable in my opinion. The ""L" in both of those aforementioned models stands for "lite" and it's capabilities are limited in some significant ways compared to the standard EasyTouch 4P.

2. Even if you are planning on the standard EasyTouch (and not the Lite version), you might want to re-think the number of relays. The number "4" for instance reflects the number of relays that the system has.
You will need relays for any pumps, blowers (I think that is what you are referring to when you list the "Pentair Whispair 1.5 HP"), lights and anything else you plan to connect to the automation that uses line voltage (110 or 220 vAC). This would include landscape lighting transformers etc.

So you need one relay for the pump.
One for the spa blower.
One for a pool light (I don't see one listed but I will assume that you are planning on one since you mentioned "swimming at night".
That is three (relays) right there. Are you planning on a Spa Light? If these pool lights are 110vAC then there are your four relays. Now you are maxed out on relays. Note: But if you are planning on using low voltage lights, then at least you can double up the lights at the lighting transformer, but you will then NOT have separate controls for the lights if you do that.

If you want a little room for future expansion, you might consider looking into the EasyTouch 8P. If not at least consider the EasyTouch 4P and NOT the lite version if that is what you have listed above.

3. I don't see where you have considered a Pentair IntelliChlor for your chlorination needs. You may very well wish you had, after about a year of pool maintenance. Especially in the southern and western areas of the U.S.

4. The EasyTouch is a very capable system (maybe not the lite version so much) and will do everything that you probably want it to do regarding pool automation. But since you are building from the ground up, you might as well do yourself the favor of at least taking a look at the much newer Pentair IntelliCenter. You could get the IntelliCenter i5PS model and have one or two relays to spare. In addition, it's only a few dollars more than a EasyTouch 8P when you factor in, that you will NOT have to purchase the ScreenLogic2 interface. The connectivity capabilities that the ScreenLogic Inteface provides is completely "built-in" to the IntelliCenter. Also for consideration, the IntelliCenter comes bundled with two of the newer Pentair valve actuators (IntelliValve). Anyway, contact PolyTec Pools (I have no affiliation with this company), in order to do some price comparisons between the EasyTouch 8P and the IntelliCenter i5PS. You might be surprised.

These points are just for your consideration before you get too far down the road and get "locked in" before you have all the facts.
I'm looking forward to seeing that future new pool build here on TFP.
All the best..
r..

 

[frogabog]

Your images show just the one in the middle.

Put in skimmers, and devote yourself to daily fall skimmer cleanups.

I do all my tiny pools under trees. 1 skimmer does it for baby pools. The fall is when you close up, or clean up.

I would keep the trees. I like trees. Do more skimmers if you also like trees.

 

[burjoes]

Good point about the equipment. I failed to mention that the equipment list was created before I added the spa. I'm waiting for the next draft.

Regarding the trees - attached are more pictures. The live oak drops leaves in the spring. It also has shallow roots that go far out, rather than deeper roots that go straight down.

 

[MyAZPool]

Hi burjoes
This would be my recommendation regarding tree types that drop leaves in close proximity to a pool.


I agree, trees are awesome, but you're the one that has to maintain your pool.
Take care..
r.