Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake [FINAL PICS ADDED]

[NomDePlume]

Hello,
Been reading this topic a lot since I joined recently and we made the jump.. Our PB started yesterday. I'm sill new on this forum and completely green on posting pictures... so go easy on me.
It is a 21x41 "Mountain Lake" type of pool (goes to 8').

Here are the basic specs:
Filter Pentair TA60D
Pump Pentair SuperFlo 1.5 hp
Chlorinator Hayward CL-220
light IntelliBrite 5g LED
Liner 27 mil Dynastie/Blue Granite
2 main drains
2 multidirectional hydrostream return inlets
2 wall skimmers
2 in-floor cleaning heads

Heating: 500sf Solar panel install

Here are some of the progress we got since yesterday and today.

We found out that the yard is slanted more than expected so that leveling will be needed.
Few pictures of the construction, this is after all "Under Construction"
Yesterday:
Digging started.. easy enough

Yard starting to look like a mess

A couple of hours later we hit water! Was expecting it based on our area, but still... that was more $$$

Excavation co went and got gravels and started pumping.

Today:
Wall went up really quicly:

Followed by cement/Vermiculite

And the filter/pump. Now do we have a problem here?? The PB did not use any primer on any of the PVC. I asked him, told me not needed! What do you guys think? Inspector is coming tomorrow, but from reading some of the posts, no sure he'll say anything. I don't know what to do on this one...

So here we go for my first post... More to follow

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Our first pool...

There are some PVC solvents that do not need primer ... although I still prefer it. Can you see a container of what they used? The inspector may or may not have anything to say about this ... are you going to be there where you could point it out and ask?

Being that a few of the PVC joints done by the previous owner of my house have actually come apart with not sign of primer (although who knows what solvent was used) ... hopefully your pool builder did a better job.

 

[linen]

Re: Our first pool...

Welcome to tfp, Nomdeplume

I know primerless pvc solvents exist, but I have not used them.

 

[NomDePlume]

Re: Our first pool...

I went to look, the glue can is there, instruction do say to prime first...
I guess all the piping will be encased for a good part in concrete so probably can't move much... but still. Got me worried now.

 

[rhumbaclave]

Our first pool...

I know "Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue says it does not require primer unless required by local code" on the can. I use it anyway.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Just for an opposing opinion (and an opinion is all it is) I never use primer and have never had a joint leak in the 15 years since I stopped using it.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

To add my own experience: I've never had a joint leak because of no primer (I've done it both ways), but I have had some really infuriating joints leak because of using old glue. If it isn't runny anymore, toss it!

 

[NomDePlume]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Great, thanks to all for sharing your experience on the PVC glue. I feel a lot better! Plumbing Inspector just came by, I asked him, he thought it was a non issue as well.
We have now passed both plumbing and construction and waiting for the weather to clear for the liner.
On a different note the temporary pump taking water from the gravel under the pool (we hit water) quit overnight. Water started rising in the pool (8" or so) I tried to reprime it for an hour... no good. The PB came to try and it seized on him. They installed a new one and all the water is gone.

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Yeah, I saw that pump in the pics and I think he was using an old pool pump he had around rather than a trash pump. Absolutely nothing wrong with that on your part......just that a pool pump usually cannot take too much dirty water without siezing up.

Just from your pics (good ones, too) your PB's work looks nice and neat and clean to me. I think you have a good one.

 

[SteveK]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Not to be a naysayer or to cause undue worry -- just speaking to local conditions (weather and ground water) and raising a question.

Central NJ has been extremely dry for several months and ground water levels are quite low for this time of year. So to see you hit ground water -- and that much of it -- raises a little bit of concern.

Did your PB suggest an external drain from under the gravel to outside the pool boundaries (i.e., a dry well/sump) or did he at least discuss/advise on that possibility? That red Brunswick shale in your pictures is known to have banding/cracking through which water can flow at surprising rates. Some PB's in Central NJ, when they hit water, will wait a few days to see the level to which the water rises, then address via gravel/dry well if necessary.

Floating liners do occur in this area (it happened to my neighbor). You might want to ask the PB before dropping-in the liner.

Good Luck!

 

[moyer02]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Pool pics look great, always fun to see work in progress...just curious why you didn't choose a variable speed pump, since it looks like you're doing this pool so nicely.

 

[NomDePlume]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Not to be a naysayer or to cause undue worry -- just speaking to local conditions (weather and ground water) and raising a question.

Central NJ has been extremely dry for several months and ground water levels are quite low for this time of year. So to see you hit ground water -- and that much of it -- raises a little bit of concern.

Did your PB suggest an external drain from under the gravel to outside the pool boundaries (i.e., a dry well/sump) or did he at least discuss/advise on that possibility? That red Brunswick shale in your pictures is known to have banding/cracking through which water can flow at surprising rates. Some PB's in Central NJ, when they hit water, will wait a few days to see the level to which the water rises, then address via gravel/dry well if necessary.

Floating liners do occur in this area (it happened to my neighbor). You might want to ask the PB before dropping-in the liner.

Good Luck!

Thanks SteveK, not sure if this is what you meant or you suggest something else. Basically what they have done is poured tons of gravel with a flexible pipe embedded in in an overdig in the deep end part of the pool, as well as put gravel along the slope of the deep end. That flexible pipe coming from the gravel will be connected to the pump of the pool using a valve marked as emergency so that it can be used to pump if need be through the filter bypass (in case of issues with liner,...).
Problem we are facing now with pumping under the gravel is that first temporary pump went (seized) and second pump which looked much newer overheated. They basically run fine for a while, then I guess water level goes down, they loose prime and start overheating. PB is coming back tomorrow to investigage.

 

[NomDePlume]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Pool pics look great, always fun to see work in progress...just curious why you didn't choose a variable speed pump, since it looks like you're doing this pool so nicely.

Thanks and good point if I had to redo it I would ask for that. My solar installer tried to warn me, but between the planning of the pool, solar, landscaping, shed, deck, yard regrading... head was spinning.

 

[SteveK]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

Yep -- exactly what I was talking about....sounds like you have your ground water problem in check & are good to go!

To alleviate any concerns of pumping dirty ground water with your pump -- if the 'emergency valve' also could simply be opened like a water faucet, chances are that any large amount of ground water would be forced-out simply by hydrostatic pressure. That option would be useful in late winter/early spring when ground water levels are highest. Your pump would not be in service at that time of the year. Just something to consider.

Ground water levels and any related issues can be extremely localized -- its just the nature of the Brunswick shale.
:-D

Good luck with the pool -- it does look terrific.

 

[Stilly]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

I just had the same shape installed, also with 1 Intellibrite LED light, but a smaller pool at 16 x 32. PB assured me it would be bright enough, and that I did not need a second light (it was suggested to me on this forum that I consider adding a smaller spa light on the steps). When we turn the light on, it fills the deep end with color but the shallow end remains on the dark side and does not fill with color.

I found out afterwards while reading the owner's manual that the Intellibrite comes preset in the "Wide" angle position, but it also can be turned around into the "Narrow" angle position during installation. When installed on the longer side walls, the Wide angle should be used. When installed on the shorter end walls, the Narrow angle should be used (as per the owner's manual). My PB crew installed in on the preset Wide angle, and that is why I think our shallow end does not fill with light. We will have to remove our light to switch the angle, so I am just bringing it to your attention that you might want to ask you PB about it.

 

[NomDePlume]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

I just had the same shape installed, also with 1 Intellibrite LED light, but a smaller pool at 16 x 32. PB assured me it would be bright enough, and that I did not need a second light (it was suggested to me on this forum that I consider adding a smaller spa light on the steps). When we turn the light on, it fills the deep end with color but the shallow end remains on the dark side and does not fill with color.

I found out afterwards while reading the owner's manual that the Intellibrite comes preset in the "Wide" angle position, but it also can be turned around into the "Narrow" angle position during installation. When installed on the longer side walls, the Wide angle should be used. When installed on the shorter end walls, the Narrow angle should be used (as per the owner's manual). My PB crew installed in on the preset Wide angle, and that is why I think our shallow end does not fill with light. We will have to remove our light to switch the angle, so I am just bringing it to your attention that you might want to ask you PB about it.

Thanks very much Stilly for bringing this up! Appreciated. I'll make sure to check it's set on "Narrow". This is one of the great thing about this forum I find, so much experience can be shared and learn from each other.

 

[Stilly]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

I just had the same shape installed, also with 1 Intellibrite LED light, but a smaller pool at 16 x 32. PB assured me it would be bright enough, and that I did not need a second light (it was suggested to me on this forum that I consider adding a smaller spa light on the steps). When we turn the light on, it fills the deep end with color but the shallow end remains on the dark side and does not fill with color.

I found out afterwards while reading the owner's manual that the Intellibrite comes preset in the "Wide" angle position, but it also can be turned around into the "Narrow" angle position during installation. When installed on the longer side walls, the Wide angle should be used. When installed on the shorter end walls, the Narrow angle should be used (as per the owner's manual). My PB crew installed in on the preset Wide angle, and that is why I think our shallow end does not fill with light. We will have to remove our light to switch the angle, so I am just bringing it to your attention that you might want to ask you PB about it.

Thanks very much Stilly for bringing this up! Appreciated. I'll make sure to check it's set on "Narrow". This is one of the great thing about this forum I find, so much experience can be shared and learn from each other.

You're welcome. I realized that I have a photo of the colored light on my construction thread. You can see on page 2 how dark the shallow end is. 16-x-32-vinyl-installation-t42194-20.html

 

[NomDePlume]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake. Backfill question?

Hello,
[Sorry the pictures seem to be on the bigger side, I will try next time to shrink them even more] We have had really bad weather here in the North East, loads of rain, so we got delayed. PB came back and a few things happened. I wasn't there for the actual construction. So this is what I found when I came home: Liner got put in, concrete footing poured, and posts to support deck near pool. Also bonding for pool structure and accessories (ladders, diving board). LED light got rough wired as well and thanks to Stilly PB is changing the lens to Narrow!

Pool is starting to get filled. This is done from a well, so PB asked me to do 3 hours on/1 hour off during the day and off during the night.

Here are the 2 pumps setup for the liner.

Loads of posts to support the future concrete deck!

For a short while.. we almost had an infinity pool! :lol:

Pump/filter are now pretty much all connected, in the background you can see the temporary pump connected to the gravel below the pool.

We really have a lot of shale... This is one of the worst spot of all the piles though, but still I'm a bit concerned on using this to backfill after reading the threads on this forum on the subject. Any opinion on this? Should I ask to get some gravel put in?

Next step I is backfill and finishing to fill the pool, but weather is suppose to be real bad next week, so I'm not sure when it will happen! So much sill to do! :grrrr:

 

[Alynn]

Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

I found out afterwards while reading the owner's manual that the Intellibrite comes preset in the "Wide" angle position, but it also can be turned around into the "Narrow" angle position during installation. When installed on the longer side walls, the Wide angle should be used. When installed on the shorter end walls, the Narrow angle should be used (as per the owner's manual). My PB crew installed in on the preset Wide angle, and that is why I think our shallow end does not fill with light. We will have to remove our light to switch the angle, so I am just bringing it to your attention that you might want to ask you PB about it.

Not to hijack your thread, but Stilly, can this be changed after installation? Ours needs to be changed, as well.

And if can be done now, what is the procedure, please?

Any and all help is appreciated!

Alynn

 

[Casey]

Re: Our first pool... 41' Mountain Lake, Solar panels

You have a gorgeous pool! I'm really inlove with this shape too!