The Great Slapulator Pool Saga

[HermanTX]

@Slapulator - something you may want to investigate as I see you have a functional window right above your equipment pad. When I replaced my heater, the code was that the exhaust had to be min. 4ft from a window that could be opened or a door. I was fortunate in that the only window nearby (right under 4ft from the exhaust) was a permanent window (one that could not be opened) so that was approved.

 

[bbqjosh]

For the bypass on the Heater here are my thoughts as I have a bypass. For the initial start up, you don't want sediment and junk flowing through the heater (or the SWG, I got a straight tube for the first month), so I bypassed the heater for the first month and a half. We also did a hot startup on the pool, so the interior finish company said it was good to have the bypass because you don't want the high acid going through the heater coils. Now when I finally got the heater up and going I noticed it dropped my GPM by 10-15. I talked to the start up crew about it and they said it was probably from all the turns (elbows). After a couple months of use I noticed the check valve has a spring loaded door and the door doesn't open fully when the water is flowing through. So I doubt it was the turns slowing down my GPM and it was the check valve. One of these days I will probably open it up and take a look at the spring or see if I can disable the spring and see if that gets the GPM up to normal when using the heater. Another benefit of the bypass is finding leaks if you can separate portions of the plumbing.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

It's more expensive to have a SWCG, and there are issues you might have with it than you don't without. The only time it has saved me is hauling bleach. I have to be much more diligent about acid dosing with it, and because of that I am going to say time wise it's a wash too.

Overall, I'd do it again, but it's not set and forget. Far from it.

 

[bbqjosh]

Draw Schedule as close to this preferred model as possible:
10% Contract Signing
30% After passing of rough in inspections (layout/dig/reinforcement/plumbing/electrical)
25% after completion of Deck and equipment
25% After passing of Electrical final and plumbing final
10% After passing Pool final inspection and punch List
I want to be fair but protect my interests as well, when is a good time to make sure lien releases are done? Is that something that should be done after each phase?
[/QUOTE]

I would check your permit office locally for the types of inspections needed and base your draw schedule/negotiating based off that.
A couple tweaks:
5% Contract Signing (Here you have biggest negotiation, engineering and permits are <$500)
25% After passing of rough in inspections (layout/dig/steel/gunite) (Biggest cost)
20% after completion of plumbing/equipment
20% after completion of tile/coping/electrical/termite spray (deck)
20% after completion of deck
10% after interior finish/startup/passing of Electrical final and plumbing final
0% punch List (besides the punch list, the final inspection is really on you to fix any irrigation damage and grass. In my city the final inspection is fixing the grass in the right of way and really has nothing to do with the pool.

 

[TampaKathy]

0% punch List (besides the punch list, the final inspection is really on you to fix any irrigation damage and grass. In my city the final inspection is fixing the grass in the right of way and really has nothing to do with the pool.

This is a good point. This is one of the reasons why my PB didn't want to say final payment after final inspection b/c they have had instances where homeowners drag out fixing the grass and they can't call for a final inspection. So the wording would just have to be tweaked if this is a problem to a PB.

 

[kimkats]

That yard is yelling for a pool!

What room is the window by?

 

[Slapulator]

@kimkats Kitchen. All bedrooms are on the 2nd floor.

 

[kimkats]

Well you are good to go to put the equipment there. Make sure to check what @HermanTX said about the window and heater rules in your area.

 

[TampaKathy]

For the lien releases, my PB said they will give them after each payment.

 

[dschlic1]

I live in the Tampa bay area, and our pool is about 13 years old.
We do not have an anode. No problems with metal corrision.

We also have pavers one thing to consider is that dirt (sand in our area) settles. And poured concrete will crack.

We have a solar heater, no gas heater. The pool water temperature is swimmable long after the air temperature is too cold. So I would recommend going to a solar heater rather than a gas fired heater.

I have also been told that shotcrete is stronger and better than gunite.

I question whether a variable speed pump is worth the extra money over a two speed pump. Electrical rates are rather low in our area. We have a two speed pump.

 

[TampaKathy]

I question whether a variable speed pump is worth the extra money over a two speed pump.

I think starting in July 2021, VSP's are required and Slap's pool most likely won't be done before then.

 

[Slapulator]

Well for this chapter we can start with I sent my list of requirements to 17 perspective pool builders. I got six we are booked through 2021, five we are not interested in my project, one “I never had anyone tell me how to build a pool in 35 years and we build everyman pools and yours is not a type of pool we build”. Two that said they would have their salespeople schedule something but never did. And three that set up appointments for consultations.

The current builder I am feeling really comfortable with has spent 3 hours at my home, 10 hours over a week on the phone talking details and a call from the owner this morning to go over for a third time to make sure everything I wanted with the build process and components and equipment was in the estimate I had gotten from them.

Will you all please take a look at where I am leaning at this point and give me any feedback or areas I have missed?

This is what has been agreed to and listed in the contract:

Pool Size and Shape (Pictures attached)

17X25 73LF Roughly 13,000 Gallons

Lazy L design with a conversation cove bench

4 feet to 6 feet depth

Beach entry on the short L

Umbrella sleeve

Pentair Equipment Package

IntelliFlo VSF 011056

Clean & Clear Plus CCP420 160301

IntelliCenter System (Load Center with i8PS Personality Kit) 521903 includes IC40 and 2 Intellivalves

Blower Pump for massage jets

Jandy blower ultra quiet PSB110

Heater

Raypak 016033 R8450ti-E Digital Heat Pump 140,000 BTU

Lighting

2 MicroBrite Color 12V 620425

Pool Shell

No rebound used

Plumbing

2” SCH 40 Rigid PVC, including returns and all sweep elbows, using 2" Spigot x 1-1/2" Socket reducers at the end of the pipe if 1.5” as needed.

12 inch plumbing trench with clean sand backfill

Dual suction channel drain

6 returns.

4 Waterway - Poly Gunite Deluxe Series Massage Scalloped Spa Jet Internal 25591-240-000 Jets in the “conversation cove bench”

2 Paramount ParaSkimV Venturi Skimmer W/Gray Deck Lid #004-702-1001-08

All home run plumbing to the pad.

Automatic Water Filler and Overflow. Owner to make final autofill connection.

Jandy Never Lube Valves

Inline Zinc Anode

Flow Meter FV-C as an analog backup

Flowvis Digital FV-D Talk with Jordan

18” straight run before vertical install of SWG

12” straight run before pump

Unions for all equipment

Water Line Tile

NGCZ 1237 – Provence Ce’zanne Glass – Noble Tile Supply

Plaster

Eco Finish AquaBright Mediterranean Blue

Deck

630 sqft Titanium Granna Thick Paver and Bullnose Coping (Picture Attached)

Pool Cage

Mansard 38X34 Black frame double doors, Super Screen 17X20 Mesh to chair rail, 18X30 chair rail up, Super Gutter with 2- 6 foot side tie ins

Alarms

Going to go with the window and sliding door alarms owner to take care of

Prep Work

Will cap my irrigation system. Remove part my fence for equipment access and replace the removed fence after the project is done.

 

[zea3]

Pool sounds nice. How much experience do they have with the eco finish aqua bright and what kind of waranty do they offer?

 

[Slapulator]

They are the only installer in my part of the state. I did talk to 3 of their past customers that got the finish with this builder and they all where very happy with the finished product of both the eco finish and the builder. They offer a 10 year warranty on it.

 

[TampaKathy]

Wow, you have certainly done your homework! When can they start? Can't wait to see it!

 

[kimkats]

Beach entry on the short L

Interesting idea. That does mean there is no flat area any where in your pool BUT it also lessens the grade of the slope so it should balance out.

Dual suction channel drain

Making sure you have seen these: Channel Pebble Top Drain Covers — Color Match Pool Fittings

NGCZ 1237 – Provence

One of my favs!!! SO pretty!

Any idea of start window?

Kim

 

[cowboycasey]

17 pool builders, nice.. We have 1 within 50 miles from us There are 5 or 6 in Oklahoma City

 

[Slapulator]

@kimkats " Making sure you have seen these: Channel Pebble Top Drain Covers — Color Match Pool Fittings "
That is what i wanted originally but found out that the EcoFinish installers said the process would melt that cover so I couldn't use it. They have color matched ones they use.

 

[poolnoobgrandma]

The Preface

Well for this chapter we can start with I sent my list of requirements to 17 perspective pool builders. I got six we are booked through 2021, five we are not interested in my project, one “I never had anyone tell me how to build a pool in 35 years and we build everyman pools and yours is not a type of pool we build”. Two that said they would have their salespeople schedule something but never did. And three that set up appointments for consultations.

The current builder I am feeling really comfortable with has spent 3 hours at my home, 10 hours over a week on the phone talking details and a call from the owner this morning to go over for a third time to make sure everything I wanted with the build process and components and equipment was in the estimate I had gotten from them.

Will you all please take a look at where I am leaning at this point and give me any feedback or areas I have missed?

This is what has been agreed to and listed in the contract:

Pool Size and Shape (Pictures attached)

17X25 73LF Roughly 13,000 Gallons

Lazy L design with a conversation cove bench

4 feet to 6 feet depth

Beach entry on the short L

Umbrella sleeve

Pentair Equipment Package

IntelliFlo VSF 011056

Clean & Clear Plus CCP420 160301

IntelliCenter System (Load Center with i8PS Personality Kit) 521903 includes IC40 and 2 Intellivalves

Blower Pump for massage jets

Jandy blower ultra quiet PSB110

Heater

Raypak 016033 R8450ti-E Digital Heat Pump 140,000 BTU

Lighting

2 MicroBrite Color 12V 620425

Pool Shell

No rebound used

Plumbing

2” SCH 40 Rigid PVC, including returns and all sweep elbows, using 2" Spigot x 1-1/2" Socket reducers at the end of the pipe if 1.5” as needed.

12 inch plumbing trench with clean sand backfill

Dual suction channel drain

6 returns.

4 Waterway - Poly Gunite Deluxe Series Massage Scalloped Spa Jet Internal 25591-240-000 Jets in the “conversation cove bench”

2 Paramount ParaSkimV Venturi Skimmer W/Gray Deck Lid #004-702-1001-08

All home run plumbing to the pad.

Automatic Water Filler and Overflow. Owner to make final autofill connection.

Jandy Never Lube Valves

Inline Zinc Anode

Flow Meter FV-C as an analog backup

Flowvis Digital FV-D Talk with Jordan

18” straight run before vertical install of SWG

12” straight run before pump

Unions for all equipment

Water Line Tile

NGCZ 1237 – Provence Ce’zanne Glass – Noble Tile Supply

Plaster

Eco Finish AquaBright Mediterranean Blue

Deck

630 sqft Titanium Granna Thick Paver and Bullnose Coping (Picture Attached)

Pool Cage

Mansard 38X34 Black frame double doors, Super Screen 17X20 Mesh to chair rail, 18X30 chair rail up, Super Gutter with 2- 6 foot side tie ins

Alarms

Going to go with the window and sliding door alarms owner to take care of

Prep Work

Will cap my irrigation system. Remove part my fence for equipment access and replace the removed fence after the project is done.

I would make sure that the equipment from the various manufacturers will "play well" with your automation. Other than that, I think you have found your contractor, and are going to have a wonder pool for next year's swim season!

 

[Slapulator]

Chapter 2: Submissions

Today my project was submitted to the county and HOA for approvals. I also must report that I am driving my wife crazy as I have turned one of our rooms and a large part of our garage into a pool storage warehouse. As I got so excited over the holidays that this was finally happening, I bought the pool heater, outdoor future, robot, umbrella, outdoor fans. Below are some pictures of the components of my project. I have already had them correct the dig and shotcrete measurement section because they originally based it off 5 feet instead of 6 feet when I got it before Xmas but already made a jpeg of this version. I logically know the headaches that are about to start, and I will wish many times why I started this project. However, right now I am nothing but excited!