Patio/Fiberglass Pool Project on Grade

[schalliol]

Hi Everyone! This is my first real post. We're located in Central Indiana and are building a pool and patio space for our home. We've had a design made that includes a fire pit area and hot tub area, but we are going to hold on adding those two components for the future. Some basic details:

• Pool: Latham/Viking Fiji 15x34 Fiberglass Pool (link)
• Filter: Pentair Clean & Clear Plus 320 cartridge filter (link)
• Pump: Pentair IntelliFlow VS 011028 3.0hp variable speed pump (link)
• Heater: Pentair UltraTemp 90 Heat Pump (link)
• Automation: Not including automation for the pool equipment because we didn't want deck jets and such, will use a variable speed pump and auto set the heater. However, the pool lights and landscape lighting will be operated by Lutron RadioRA 2. We will probably include a button as we exit the home to add water to the pool for a few minutes if needed.
• Walls: Retaining walls as Alan Black AB Ashlar Blend in "Granite" (link)
• Concrete: Stamped concrete deck around the pool and a few other landings
• Pavers: Paver patio and landing by house door as Unilock Town Hall in "Basalt" (link)
• Cover: Coverstar gray automatic cover with WiFi keypad (positioned next to house door only operated in view of pool)
• Power: Upgrading to 600A service with a 200A panel outside to give us plenty of opportunity for other outside projects, including conduit set to prep for future hot tub. Adding two weather rated receptacles with USB-C and USB-A outlets
• Water: Adding a water fill line we're going to connect into the Rachio irrigation controller
• Data: Running a pair of CAT 7 out to a ventilated box by the pool equipment with a Wi-Fi access point and other connectivity
• Irrigation: Drip irrigation in each mulch section
• Lighting: Coastal Source solid brass 18" riser path lights and step "nose lights" (link) and two white Pentair Pool Lights
• Audio & Gas: Running conduit for possible future Coastal Source audio and perhaps a gas grill

I've included the design and photos. I'd especially be interested in any comments about any things we ought to during construction (and before that's too late). Thanks!

Image of space for project:

Full Design:

Wiring and Conduit Plan:

Pictures from Today:

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Looks great.
Very small filter. Never get a small cartridge filter. Means you will be cleaning it alot.
How do you plan to chlorinate the pool water? See How to Chlorinate Your Pool - Trouble Free Pool
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[schalliol]

Welcome to the forum!
Looks great.
Very small filter. Never get a small cartridge filter. Means you will be cleaning it alot.
How do you plan to chlorinate the pool water? See How to Chlorinate Your Pool - Trouble Free Pool
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

Thanks for the reply! Do you have another recommendation on filters? I could likely change order to something else within the Pentair catalog because they haven't brought it out yet. Do you have a recommendation? My hope is that with the automatic cover it won't get that dirty but I'd rather do it right with something low maintenance and offering good quality.

I'll read these items. My pool dealer said we're going to be using something called a Pool Frog, and I was thinking about getting one of those WaterGuru Sense units to help me understand what's needed.

 

[mknauss]

First, run from the Pool Frog thing. Adds metals to your water, which stain the pool surface and turn blonde hair green.
Read the link I posted on Chlorinating your Pool. Many of us here have SaltWater Chlorine Generators.

I missed the auto cover. It might allow you to have a smaller filter. See my signature, I have a CCP240 cartridge filter for a 6K pool. I would suggest a CCP320 at least for you.

 

[mknauss]

WaterGuru works for monitoring. But a proper test kit is still needed and testing needs to be done prior to any significant chemical additions.

 

[schalliol]

I missed the auto cover. It might allow you to have a smaller filter. See my signature, I have a CCP240 cartridge filter for a 6K pool. I would suggest a CCP320 at least for you.

Thanks for the recommendation. I really appreciate it. I'm trying to read the Pentair charts. Would a CCP320 run less filtration based on the charts below than the CC200, and accordingly would a CCP420 filter the same volume as the CC200?

 

[mknauss]

It is sq feet of filtration area that matters. Ignore all the through put and turnover stuff. That is bogus.

 

[schalliol]

It is sq feet of filtration area that matters. Ignore all the through put and turnover stuff. That is bogus.

Thanks for this! It looks like it might be only ~$200 to move up to a CCP320 from the CC200 if the pool company can modify. I see you have an Intelliflow. I think the pool company specified a SuperFlow 1.5 342001. Should I consider a different pump too?

 

[mknauss]

The Intelliflo VS is the gold standard of variable speed pool pumps. The Superflo VS is OK, but if you ever decided to install automation, it does not work with that. It will take a higher rpm to run the same flow, primarily for skimming, as the Intelliflo would. For a new pool, I would get the Intelliflo. Just be sure it is model 011028. You do not need the VSF and you do not want the SVRS.

However, if you plan to use trichlor to chlorinate, which TFP does not advocate as it is not sustainable as a daily maintenance method, realize you have to run the pump flow rate much higher to achieve the needed erosion of the tablets in a standard tablet chlorinator device.

 

[schalliol]

Thanks! So this is a 3 HP vs 1.5 HP pump. Any issue with that? We're about to run electrical (perhaps tomorrow!) and we should have no issue given that we have a 200A panel just for outside.

 

[mknauss]

A variable speed pump is actually a variable hp pump. The beauty is you run it at low rpm, and that takes very little electricity. My pump runs each day long enough to generate the chlorine I need from the SWCG and provide skimming. It uses right at 200 watts per hour. It costs me about $7 a month in electricity to run the pool pump.

Again, depends somewhat how you plan to chlorinate.

 

[schalliol]

I'm so very new to this and trying to get up to speed fast. I think the Pool Frog thing is just standard for all these pools and we haven't really gone through chemical management questions. Your help is amazing!

 

[mknauss]

I suspect the pool builder gets the Pool Frog thing for free. The manufacturer banks on you buying the high priced mineral and trichlor packets for it. That is pretty standard in the industry.

 

[schalliol]

That's probably right. So I guess I can ignore that and learn what I should do instead here! I just sent a request on the pump and filter to the pool company to see if we can switch out those guys.

 

[schalliol]

Filter & Pump Recommendations

Marty, I've updated my post above, as I was able to do the change order for the 011028 IntelliFlow and the CCP320! I'll have to look into the chlorine and other items later. Thanks again.

Any other thoughts?

 

[mknauss]

Sounds good. Next step is to add a SWCG and your pool life will be good!

 

[schalliol]

And we're in!

Coverstar cover comes tomorrow, pavers in upper areas go in Monday. The more powerful pump recommended by mknauss seems great, and I trust the filter will be as well. Landscaping will definitely take time, but I'm glad we're started. We have what was provided by the pool company for now but expect we'll go with SWCG as recommended here.

 

[schalliol]

We had a great 1/2 season, and here it is all done below. If you look at my posted Pool Math chemicals, it was a nightmare at times going from no chlorine to super high. Per @mknauss we really need to get a SWCG and ditch the frog. I’d really love recommendations on what you think is the best way to go for our pool with the equipment and size included here. We don’t have an automation system that controls the pump or heater, but if there’s some kind of digital way to see the amount of chlorine or control that, we do have Ethernet and Wi-Fi next to the pool equipment. You’ve been so helpful, and I appreciate any further help making this a TPP!

 

[mknauss]

As you do not have nor plan to have automation, a good brand of SWCG to look at is Circupool. For your pool size, a unit sized for 30K+ gallons is best. A number to choose from. Members have reported on all the different ones with no large issues with any.
You will need a timer of some kind to put the SWCG on so you can be sure it is not powered on when the pump is off.
There is no reliable method to measure FC in pool water in an outdoor, residential setting. Your TF100 and regular testing is what you do for that!
Good job.

 

[schalliol]

Thank you! The pump is always scheduled to run once the pool is open for the season, though at varying speeds. I was under the impression that SWCGs are able to detect through electrodes how much chlorine is needed and apply it. Is that incorrect? With a variable speed pump, I am trying to make sure we can keep the level stable, and while we'll certainly check the chemicals, the hope is that FC won't often be off.