New Pool in South Jersey opinions?

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ajw22 said:
Note that the Globrites and Microbrites have slightly different red LED colors and you may see the difference if you mix the lighst and are picky.
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You rock. Thanks for all of the info in the post above this one! I am hoping to use Microbrites everywhere (other than the laminars) so they all match. Would you mind giving me your input on if you think (6) microbrites are enough for my pool?
 
jkearney30 said:
. Would you mind giving me your input on if you think (6) microbrites are enough for my pool?
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Pentair guideline is to aim for 4 lumens per square foot of pool surface. For example, if the pool is 500 sq-ft then you need 500x4=2000 lumens. This would be 4 MicroBrites.

How many sq ft is the surface of your pool?

You typically want a gentle glow from your pool and not to light it up like a UFO landing site.

With the lagoon shape of your pool you need to plan out where the skimmers, returns, lights, bubblers, steps, benches, lamairs are all going to be located and see how things fit together. It is not just the number of lights but how they light up the features of the pool.
 
jkearney30 said:
I fully intend on going with all of the water and light features.
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Sounds like you went through the mental process and have made peace with your decision, that's excellent to hear! If you can do it now, and want to do it now, and are confident in the decision, that's great news!

ajw22 said:
Each group of lights you want to individually controlled needs to be wired to its own light transformer and each light transformer will require a relay in the IntelliCenter.
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With all the planned lights, and you want to control them in groups, the only way to do this is with multiple transformers. Depending on how many groups you want, that would be the number of transformers you need.

jkearney30 said:
I will have to find out how they plan to place the skimmers and returns and then try to fill in around there
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Do a little research on the "prevailing winds" in your area. Not all builders think about the ideal placement of skimmers, but if you get them in the place where the prevailing winds will blow the debris to, you will have a much better result out of your skimmers. Wind can be a big factor in blowing your debris around the pool, and if your skimmers are out of place, the stuff can just float around and never make it in.

Once you have that set, you can figure out the placement of the lights. It will be an interesting look, because normally you want the lights facing away from the house. Your pool will have the short side away from the house and can probably only get one or two lights on that end. You will have to get creative on pointing the lights so they do not shine back into the house, or into your neighbors windows, but have seen a lot of creative light placement here, so it shouldn't be all that bad.
 
jkearney30 said:
If I have 4 magic stream laminars and want to control each one separately do I need 4 transformers and then 4 relays?
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You asking about lights in the laminars? Yes if they have lights you want individually controlled.
 
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ajw22 said:
You asking about lights in the laminars? Yes if they have lights you want individually controlled.
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Right on, and thats just for the laminars. Think about it this way... For any device, or a group of devices you want to control the lights independently, you need a transformer and a relay for each of them. If you want each laminar to have a different color at any given moment, you need a relay and a transformer for each of those, so four. You could do groups and cut down the relays and transformers. Say you want all the laminars in one group, thats one transformer and relay. Then all the inside pool lights the same, another relay and transformer. Then the bubbler lights grouped, another set. You could think about how you want them all to act, then that will help you decide on how many transformers and relays you will need.
 
@ajw22 @gingrbredman thank you both!

I am still waiting on my builder but I think I have 8 relays for my lights.

(3) microbrites near deep end
(3) microbrites near shallow end
(1) bubbler
(1) bubbler
(1) magicstream laminar
(1) magicstream laminar
(1) magicstream laminar
(1) magicstream laminar
 
jkearney30 said:
@ajw22 @gingrbredman thank you both!

I am still waiting on my builder but I think I have 8 relays for my lights.

(3) microbrites near deep end
(3) microbrites near shallow end
(1) bubbler
(1) bubbler
(1) magicstream laminar
(1) magicstream laminar
(1) magicstream laminar
(1) magicstream laminar
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You are going to need some expansion boards in an Intellicenter for all the relays you need.

You also need to plan how many valve actuators you need for the individual controls for the water features.
 
ajw22 said:
You also need to plan how many valve actuators you need for the individual controls for the water features.
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If I said I wanted both bubblers to always come on together, but be able to change the colors of each one. Then the same with the laminars, when laminars are on, it's always all 4, but I want the ability to change each ones color. Is this configuration possible?
 

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jkearney30 said:
If I said I wanted both bubblers to always come on together, but be able to change the colors of each one. Then the same with the laminars, when laminars are on, it's always all 4, but I want the ability to change each ones color. Is this configuration possible?
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Yes, make sure your plumber and electrican understand what you want.

And someone needs to configure your IntelliCenter and understand how to hookup the valve actuators and lights.
 
jkearney30 said:
Can I continue to pick your brain and ask how many valve actuators are needed for this config?

THANK YOU!!
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Sounds like one for the bubblers ON/OFF and one for the Laminars ON/OFF.

But I think you want diverter valves in the lines of each bubbler and laminar if you want the ability to adjust and even out the flow.

Have you calculated how much GPM flow you need for the arc height and throw of the laminars?

Design points in https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...allationandUsersGuideEnglishSpanishFrench.pdf say:

  • The MagicStream laminar arc can reach a maximum height of seven feet and a distance of eight feet.
  • To achieve the maximum laminar arc height, a water supply of 10 GPM with 16 ft of head (measured at the laminar) is required.
Will you have a dedicated water features pump?
 
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ajw22 said:
But I think you want diverter valves in the lines of each bubbler and laminar if you want the ability to adjust and even out the flow.
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That is a good point. I have one valve actuator that turns on or off the stream to my bubblers through Intellicenter. After that, I have two separate Jandy valves that go to each of the bubblers so I can adjust the flow to each one. I don't tweak them all that often, but have done so more than I would have thought.
 
@ajw22 @gingrbredman well, unfortunately the automation isn't going to happen with this builder at this time. The automation part with them is frustrating, they have never done anything other than intelliconnect and very basic stuff. I am going to work on a diagram, do (2) bubblers with them, pool lights, and make them wire everything simple and leave me what I need to do Intellicenter on my own. I am going to draw a diagram for the laminars as well and have them run the pipes/wire and I will do those myself as well.

Hopefully this works out.
 
The Intellicenter include the Load Center with all your circuit breakers and is an electrical subpanel. You will end up redoing your electrical work or a sub optimal IntelliCenter install if you have them do "something simple".

If you have to work with that builder you take control of the electrical subcontracting and have the IC installed as the subpanel.
 
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Attached is a final diagram showing the pools dimensions with the external sun shelf. The builder has asked me to mark where I want the lights and laminars. I assume I need to figure out where I want the skimmers first and then go from there?

Thanks!
 

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jkearney30 said:
Attached is a final diagram showing the pools dimensions with the external sun shelf. The builder has asked me to mark where I want the lights and laminars. I assume I need to figure out where I want the skimmers first and then go from there?

Thanks!
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Which way is North on the drawing?

Which direction do you think your prevailing winds are?
 

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