Nightmare Install - Help/Advice needed on plumbing configuration

[Coz]

My Leisure Pool Ultimate 35 fiberglass pool install began 2 1/2 months ago. It has been a very unpleasant experience. IMO, Leisure Pools USA is a highly unethical company due to the way they market and detach themselves from any purchase of their product. That said, I still have a half installed pool to complete. The plumbing for my pool has been installed twice. The first time was by a new employee who totally botched everything. It was redone and in the configuration shown in the pictures below. It is set up so one pump runs the filter and another is for the spa jets. I would like to disconnect everything and do some of it over. Here are my thoughts:

• replace current un-level equipment pads with concrete pad
• Pump controls are currently facing a retaining wall, this makes them very difficult to get to for operation, especially when needing to use only the spa
• I would like to add some automation and not sure if I need new valves to accomplish a fully automated system. One which would allow me to turn the spa and heat on and off without going in and manually adjusting everything
• the pumps are not fastened down, is this normal?
• It would be preferable to have the pipes coming out of the ground closer to the pad, which condenses the space.
• Bonding wire seems to just be haphazardly ran to each piece, never seen anything like that before.
• Any other thoughts or impressions? Are my standards out of synch with reality?

 

[ajw22]

It is set up so one pump runs the filter and another is for the spa jets. I would like to disconnect everything and do some of it over.

It does not look that bad.

Having a 2 pump system with a dedicated spa jet pump will give you more pressure from the spa jets then a one pump system.

• replace current un-level equipment pads with concrete pad

Yeah, your builder cheaped out on that.

The good news is it looks like they used pump unions so you can easily disconnect your pumps. So you have unions to disconnect the pumps, filter, SWG, and heater. Wrestle away the equipment and pour a new pad.

You do need to get the new pad exactly level with the existing pad or you will have a bunch of PVC pipes to adjust.

• Pump controls are currently facing a retaining wall, this makes them very difficult to get to for operation, especially when needing to use only the spa

Install an IntelliCenter automation system and you will rarely need to touch the pump controls.

• I would like to add some automation and not sure if I need new valves to accomplish a fully automated system. One which would allow me to turn the spa and heat on and off without going in and manually adjusting everything

Good news is they used diverter valves. So you screw actuators on your RETURN and SUCTION valves and the IntelliCenter can switch it between POOL and SPA modes.

• the pumps are not fastened down, is this normal?

Yes, some areas require pumps to be fastened down. Primarily in hurricane and earthquake areas. Most areas the pump is fine sitting unsecured.

• It would be preferable to have the pipes coming out of the ground closer to the pad, which condenses the space.

The flip side is you have room to work around the pipes and equipment and you have meat on the pipes to makes cuts and adjustments as needed.

• Bonding wire seems to just be haphazardly ran to each piece, never seen anything like that before.

I can't really follow all where the bonding wire runs.

• Any other thoughts or impressions? Are my standards out of synch with reality?

Doesn't look that bad to me. You just need IntelliCenter automation and then you will not be around the equipment so much for it top annoy you.

 

[Jaffles]

Could you bring the pumps forward closer to where the lines come out of the earth. Put the filter behind the pumps and put the heater where the filter currently is. Levelling, bolting and condensing all at the same time. I recon that vertical heater line could be straightened eliminating that unnecessary bend also.

Not all that bad but I wonder if the PB would be happy with that at his house.

 

[Coz]

It does not look that bad.

Ok, thanks for your input. This is after the pool was installed off level by a bunch, so I am looking at everything.