Pool just plastered, but builder is silent - HELP!!

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capybaras

0
Jul 26, 2017
19
Boston
My builder has gone silent, so we are trying to figure this out on our own.

Our gunnite pool was just plastered today (contracted out I guess), and our hose is filling the pool. I was at work.

Here is where I am freaking out.

None of the electrical is hooked up (no wires run, no outlet, etc), and none of the nozzles are on the jets.

Is it ok to fill the pool (the hose is running right now)? We have two trucks on the way.

Dumb question: if the light fixture is not complete, is it still watertight? Ok to fill the pool past it? Ok to fill past the jets?

The light fixture just has a hole, nothing you could screw a bulb into.

Also, they were supposed to give us the brush but again they disappeared. I bought the bundle (Tf-100 kit, Speedstir, Wall Whale Brush, Skimmer Angel, AND XL OPTION) but won't arrive for a day or two. So suggestion on what I need now? (can go to store now)

jet
jets.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/62lK2Us.jpg

outlet
outlet.jpg
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
 
This sounds like a mess. I thought he plaster guys usually put the jets in.
Also, the pool is not usually filled if the electrical is not functional.
Things are happening way out of order.
How much have you paid the builder?

Assuming the the conduit is run for the light up to the junction box, it should be water tight.
 
Have you passed final safety inspection? If you haven't passed final safety (i'm basing this of Florida Rules) you'll have some issue with watering being in there.

Is there conduit run to the pool light niches? As long as the conduit is run you can put the light in later. Ideally the light goes in BEFORE the water, but not a deal breaker. There should be a tabs and soemwhere to screw the bulb into. Can you get a better picture of the light niche? Pulling the lights should be done as part of the final electrical before fill, are you doing this with permitting? What's labeled done on your permit card?

The pool return jets aren't important, as long as the plaster crew set the fitting on the pipes (including any spacer on the main drain).
 
You have the light niche installed. The light fixture has the wiring all attached to it. The wires are then pulled from the pool to the junction box (with some slack left in the niche) and the fixture is then set in the niche and usually attached with 1 screw. The conduit should be water tight so as long as the junction box is above the pool level, you could fill.
 
borjis said:
whoa! I'd stop the water filling.

did they tell you to fill it?
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I'm sorta in agreement. If you haven't passed final safety, you'll have to pump it out and still pay for the water.

Check your permit card in your box, you should have one and it should show which inspections you have passed.

If you DO NOT have a junction box above ground for your lights.... the chances you can have water in your pool is very very low. That's a fundamental electrical safety requirement probably everywhere.
 
Hey_Zeus said:
Is there conduit run to the pool light niches? As long as the conduit is run you can put the light in later. Ideally the light goes in BEFORE the water, but not a deal breaker. There should be a tabs and soemwhere to screw the bulb into.
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There are tabs, but no where to screw a bulb into

Hey_Zeus said:
Can you get a better picture of the light niche? Pulling the lights should be done as part of the final electrical before fill, are you doing this with permitting? What's labeled done on your permit card?
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Can't driving to another job site I know they work to hopefully find someone

Hey_Zeus said:
The pool return jets aren't important, as long as the plaster crew set the fitting on the pipes (including any spacer on the main drain).
Click to expand...
Thanks

- - - Updated - - -

We are doing permits, I'll try to get a picture of the latest.

If we stop the water won't we get lines on the plaster?

I just got a hold of someone (sales guy but who cares) he claims someone is going to come over now to "temp wire" it until the electrician can come monday.........
 
The light can be run with water in the pool. It's possible, just a silly way to do it on a new build.

A "sales guy", sounds like it's a legitimate company. I would demand someone to the house immediately. Try to get into contact with a manger of the company or the owner. This isn't the way things should be done.

You probably fine if you have passed inspections, but it's not most professional approach I've seen.
 

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So the way communication works in this company (found out too late) is there is a generic email that they are really slow to respond on (sometimes weeks) and the only phone number is their brick and mortar that sells pools supplies, so they only write down a note if they ever come into the office. No cell numbers, no way to contact them. Been doing pools for decades, but somehow can't handle simple communication.

Ok trucks are here to fill, and they swear we are good now and the rest will be finished under water.

Looks to me like the pump runs off 220V ish, so no way to run an extension cord. Ok to not run the pump for a few days?

What do I need to do for brushing?
 
capybaras said:
So the way communication works in this company (found out too late) is there is a generic email that they are really slow to respond on (sometimes weeks) and the only phone number is their brick and mortar that sells pools supplies, so they only write down a note if they ever come into the office. No cell numbers, no way to contact them. Been doing pools for decades, but somehow can't handle simple communication.

Ok trucks are here to fill, and they swear we are good now and the rest will be finished under water.

Looks to me like the pump runs off 220V ish, so no way to run an extension cord. Ok to not run the pump for a few days?

What do I need to do for brushing?
Click to expand...

Ideally you would want to start pumping immediately, water chem will be difficult with sitting water. It's probably 220, and you won't be using an extension cord for that.

What's the finish for your pool? Most require brushing multiple times a day for the first few weeks.
 
Wow!!! I am SO sorry for all of this. All I know is that if you stop the hoses, you risk leaving a permanent waterline mark where the water was stopped. Of course, I realize there may be overriding concerns. Just wanted to let you know that.

I'm going to go see if anyone else has some ideas.

Hang in there,

Suz
 
I would go get a cheap submersible pump from Harbor Freight or such. You can use it to help move the water around until the real pump gets hooked up. You can also got a cheap brush and pole from Lowes or Walmart. Just a plain brush.

What a backwards way of doing things BUT you have TFP in your corner so your pool will be fine! :hug:

Kim:kim:
 
Oh my...how about contacting the city or whomever does the inspections as those folks can certainly get hold of the builder. This does not seem right even to a novice like myself.

Did you get multiple bids? Did you see the PB's work? Does PB have a local office? How did you hire PB? Sooooo many questions and you have to go backwards in order to move forward....
 
Just wanted to clarify one thing about the light that still seems to be confused, that is a niche, it's just a holder for the light fixture. So technically the bulb does not get screwed into that niche, but the entire light fixture goes into that hole. You are going to have a fixture with a glass lens on the front with the bulb inside with a metal cone on the back that has a big long wire coming out of it, the glass around the front is going to have a metal trim piece around it with 2 screw holes, they are going to feed that big wire from the niche hole to the power supply at your equipment and the fixture is going to sit in the niche and be held on by the trim on the front. It can all be done underwater, same procedure is done for replacing a broken light in an existing pool that has water in it....just dumb that they are making it harder for themselves by not installing the light fixture before water.
The return fittings can be put on underwater also, they just pop in or screw in, it's just dumb again that the plaster crew didn't put them on.
Yes, your equipment should have also been ready to start before they were done plastering...but just brush it and circulate it as much as possible, because you are going to have plaster dust that is not going to get filtered out and you don't want it to settle around the pool and harden, so brush a lot. Definitely go get a brush and a pole from Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot some place like that, cheaper than pool stores.

I'm assuming they didn't give you any startup information for the chemicals and they aren't going to be doing anything with chemicals over the weekend, so you may want to take it upon yourself, but not easy without a test kit...Pool School - Start-up New Plaster
 
ctrav said:
Did you get multiple bids? Did you see the PB's work? Does PB have a local office? How did you hire PB? Sooooo many questions and you have to go backwards in order to move forward....
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Yes, multiple bids. Several of my neighbors have pools build by the same, so I saw the work in advance. PB has a local office but they hide behind their service business. If you go there they "don't know about that side".

- - - Updated - - -

Marlahoutex said:
In the pics above, is that the plaster or the gunite?
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Plaster after a few hours I guess

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Foxy said:
...It can all be done underwater, same procedure is done for replacing a broken light in an existing pool that has water in it....just dumb that they are making it harder for themselves by not installing the light fixture before water.
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Thanks, I was hoping this would be the case

Foxy said:
...just brush it and circulate it as much as possible, because you are going to have plaster dust that is not going to get filtered out and you don't want it to settle around the pool and harden
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Will get on the brushing this morning

Foxy said:
I'm assuming they didn't give you any startup information for the chemicals and they aren't going to be doing anything with chemicals over the weekend, so you may want to take it upon yourself, but not easy without a test kit...Pool School - Start-up New Plaster
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I've found someone to start it up. I'll be keeping a close eye on it

- - - Updated - - -

Update on the pump. Finally got someone out, and they replaced the plug with a 110, so with my variable speed pump it basically runs slowly off 110. Seems sketchy to me but at least it's moving the water around
 

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