Newbie Intro and Possible build-Cincinnati Ohio

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Alright- contract will be signed on Weds night! We settled on a design, and trimmed a few items from the list to better fit the budget. We are doing upper patio with steps to a Lower pool area.

Here is a list of the some details

1. Hayward S244 pro series filter -Maytronics Activate glass media is included with package.

2. Maxflo VSP and automation. The automation will control Led lights, pump, heater and actuator for deck jets.

MaxFlo VS 500 Omni | Hayward Residential and Commercial Pool Products

3. Rheem 115k Heat pump.

4. A Jandy type valve with an actuator controlling the deck jets.

5. SWCG - Hayward Aquarite 900 with 25k gallon capacity.

6. 3 returns, 1 skimmer, 2 main drains if I want them.
7. Inside vinyl over steps,
8. Grey std. coping.

That’s all I can think of.
 
:party: what an exciting piece of news!!!! I can't wait until you can post the design you came up with!

Okay here is my input to save you some money-I know you say the glass is included in the package. By who? I will tell you that most of the people have started with the glass end up switching after a couple/few years. If it is "included" by your builder ask him how much he will knock off to "include" the 300 lbs of sand that big boy needs. Now if you really want to try the glass go for it! Like I said it will last for quite a few years.

I am going to call in a couple of people to take a look at your other equipment to make sure it is really what you need and will do what you want. Hold on a bit until they get back with us.

Kim:kim:
 
Todd,

I had never heard of the "VS Omni control system" before today.. Not sure if this is new system, or if I have just had my head stuck in the sand... :p

I took a quick look at the operation and installation manuals and below is what I found..

The VS Omni appears to be an entry level control system that is packed with a number of features. It will be interesting to see how it works... You will have to be our guinea-pig... :D

Below are some of the limitations I see, but not sure they will make any difference in your system...

The VS Omni can only control two valves.. So, if you have a Pool and Spa, the two valves are already used and it does not appear any additional valves controls are available.. If you only have a Pool, then you have the ability to control two valves for water features...

The VS Omni can control a total of two external items that need to be run using AC power, such as a Pool light, Pad Light, Booster pumps, etc... Just two of them...

The only major issue I saw was that the VS Omni does not appear to offer any way to integrate with your SWCG system... :confused:

Otherwise, I was quite impressed with what it does...

You did not say the volume of your pool, but we always recommend a salt cell that is 2 x the pool volume. Cells smaller than 2 x will struggle to keep up in the middle of the summer.. although that might not be an issue in your location...

Thanks for posting, and once the installation is done and you are using the system, we would appreciate any feedback, good or bad...

Jim R.
 
Kim- I will ask about the sand for the filter. I am curious what the sparkle you get adding DE to a sand filter is all about!

Jim- VS Omni appears to be brand, brand new. I couldnt anything about it on the forum. The PB didn’t even have the display when we started talking.

For automation that did exactly what I need, it fit the bill. Drawbacks are it doesn’t control SWCG, so I will have the extra controller for that. 2nd is that I am maxed out from the start.

I will do a full write up/ review on it if folks are interested once I get it installed this summer.
 
todd.brock said:
Jim- VS Omni appears to be brand, brand new. I couldnt anything about it on the forum. The PB didn’t even have the display when we started talking. So for real numbers- I was quoted $750 to upgrade to a VS Maxflo pump. He said the pump and automation controls are sold together @ 2k and then a 300 rebate from PoCo.

For automation that did exactly what I need, it fit the bill. Drawbacks are it doesn’t control SWCG, so I will have the extra controller for that. 2nd is that I am maxed out from the start.

I will do a full right up/ review on it if folks are interested once I get it installed this summer.
Click to expand...



Todd,

We love reviews... I suggest you give it a few months after the install so that we get the good and any bad that might happen... Initial reviews always seem really biased...

Things that I initially thought were important, turned out to not matter at all, and things I thought would not matter, turned out to be more important than I realized..

Now we just need to find an emoji of a guinea-pig for you to use... :cool:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Todd, the sparkle :sun: is an extra polish to already clear water following the guidelines set out here on TFP. It is easy and cheap to add DE to the sand.

I was just looking at your yard again. I do have one concern about a sand filter in your yard. I want you to go out and think about where you will be able to send several gallons of water from your filter when you do a back wash of the sand. It will be a pretty good (strong), big (1 1/2" hose or bigger) stream of water. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my sand filter but I have a wide open yard with no one behind me where I can send me water. No neighbors to flood their yard. Just something else to think about :roll: like you need anything else.....

THANKS Jim for looking over the equipment! :hug:

Kim:kim:
 
I have thought about a cartridge filter, but there is actually a storm drain on the low side of our property. I really don’t want to be back washing a lot as water /sewer rates are absurd in Cincinnati area.
I’ll talk to PB about a cartridge filter.
 
I am glad I thought of that then! Will save you money in the future as well. When you talk to him about ANY filter make sure you go as big as you can. The bigger the filter is the less you will have to clean it.

Kim:kim:
 
Kim- I was told the cartridge filter is a $300 upgrade. I’m sure it’s a Hayward , but I don’t know which model. Is that a worthwhile upgrade? The PB didn’t seem to think it was necessary. He thought draining rain water would create more run off than backwashing from a Sand filter.
He also mentioned something about possibly needing a submersible pump to drain the pool b/c the cartridge filters do not have drain valves.

The problem is the backwash reduces the pool level, I have to refill that water along side what water may be lost due to evaporation? I am paying to replace the evaporation AND then back wash. Maybe this isn’t enough to worry about or it’s just the cost of doing business. ...

I can see both sides of this argument....


I guess I see the need to solve for where excess pool water will be going, and back wash will go in the same place.

T
 
6 of one, half a dozen of another.................You know your area lots better than I. Write it all out and see what is what for YOUR area and wallet. I know I LOVE my sand filter and think you will to. This one is up to you. I just want you to have all of the info I can give you so you know what is what.

Kim:kim:
 

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Any equipment pad can have a water spigot added in line after the pump, which if opened with a hose attached while the pump is running, serves to drain water out, regardless of what type of filter you have. The volume water replacement you are talking about is not going to be very expensive unless your water rates are exorbitant, which I'd doubt in OH, the desert, maybe.

Honestly any filter type will do the job. The only time you notice the water quality difference is at night under the lights. You'll see a few more floaties (that's the technical term), with a cartridge vs DE and a few more still with sand vs cartridge. But none are issues, except perhaps to those with OCD considerations to deal with.

I like cartridge because that's what I have. If mine went belly up I'd get a new cartridge filter. Most people say the same about their respective filter types.
 
Thanks for the clarification. Water itself isn’t expense , it’s actually the sewer rates that are sky high due to a $3 billion EPA mandated upgrade.

Either way, I’m not too concerned about the 300 bucks. I ll sniff out with the PB tonight when we sign the contract on which direction to go.
 
Met with the PB. Signed on the line. Stuck with the Sand filter. He gave me a good deal on a Dolphin robot, upgraded to a 27mil liner, some additional retaining wall for the front yard - nothing to do with the pool-

Now the fun begins!!
 
You say this and do NOT post his design??? Meany! now where is my stomping foot, pout face emoji??

Which Dolphin robot are you getting??

So when will they start? I am hoping they file for the permit today to get things moving!

Kim:kim:
 
Ha! He is going to clean up the edges I showed you earlier and then he will send it to me. I will post it then :).

I went for the dolphin m400. He credited back the auto cleaner vacuum thing and then took some more off. It was the same or cheaper that ordering online. He mentioned the m500 has additional scheduling capabilities. I didn’t really plan on leaving the unit in the pool.


If it starts any sooner than mid to late April, I will be really surprised. weather in Ohio is spotty at best this time of year. I really want to be done with it at Memorial Day.

Question - is one LED light usually sufficient ? I didn’t plan on buying the robot, but it seemed to make more sense than a second LED light for 1300 bucks.
 
Request - Can you fill in your signature so we can see your pool details that you know of, with each post, without going back to Post 1? You can use mine or Kim's as a template.

One full size LED in an 18 x 36 pool would be darker than I would want. I have two in an 18 x 38 and it's just right, though ideally I'd have 2 1/2 for perfect lighting. Both on long wall facing away from the house/main seating area.
 
Hi! We built an 18x36 vinyl pool last summer. (Plus a big, and small, retaining walls.... by the time it was all said and done.) Now we are so excited for the weather to warm up so we can get back to swimming in it!!

My tip-- i see you have spec-ed grey coping. Be sure to ask for grey fittings for the skimmer, etc, too. They blend in so much nicer than the standard white. And it seems silly but this is something to discuss now; ours were delivered at the start of the dig.

Also, when they do the concrete ask them to place a few umbrella holes. Our concrete guy did this for free.
 
Great thinking on the matching grey covers. I am not a very patient person, so this whole process is really testing my patience. I still don’t have a copy of the drawing I have been promised for weeks.

We are going with a dark blue liner, so I decided to add the second LED light.

Big trees are coming down this week, so progress is Slow!
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18x36 vinyl liner , Hayward Sand Filter, Maxflo VS pump, Hayward VS Omni automation, Rheem 115k Heat pump, Colorlogic LED. Dolphin 400 robot. Build date: Spring 2018.
 

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