The Great Slapulator Pool Saga

[Slapulator]

A quick question or 2
I see you have a channel main drain set, but what are the 2 vertical PVC pipes coming up from the bottom of the pool? They look to be partial in deep end and the other in shallow end. Thanks.

Also, I was looking back at your very beginning of the thread and you had a proposed payment model. Where you able to obtain that or something close to it?

Those are 2 floor returns. Seems it is the new trend in pool builders in my area, all but one of the ones I talked with put them in in addition to the wall returns now. I was able to get close to what my ideal was. I had to put more than I liked at the shell stage but less at the deck. It ended up like this:
10% Contract Signing, 55% at shell stage, 20% at Deck and equipment, 10% After passing of Electrical final and plumbing final, and 5% After water is in it and it and does not leak. Lien releases with each payment if using subcontractors

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

Gunite is the coolest part of the whole process. Be sure to be there to watch.

 

[JELPoolEngineer]

Slapulator... please, no offense... 2" piping is basically skimmer piping... powerful pumps like those you have specified should have dual main drains and 3" suction piping... return piping at 2.5"
with return branches being 1.5". I would select channel drain which could eliminate the dual drain aspect and add a sun shelf (with a possible umbrella sleeve) and color LED bubbler(s)... for more usability and enjoyment...
Make your shell nearly 8" thick and use #4 bars at 8 to 10 inches for strong long lasting pool... hope this helps... enjoy your new pool ! These are specs I use for my commercial pools here in Texas. The code actually requires the large piping... and it protects the equipment from cavitation and hammering itself apart...

 

[TampaKathy]

Did you get gunite?

 

[Slapulator]

What we got here is one of those cement ponds!

Well, the day finally came weeks after framing, a rainstorm causing some cave ins. The shoot is done!

Time Lapse

 

[TampaKathy]

Yea! I got gunite today too! They aren't done yet but looks like they are close.

 

[uvavi8r]

@Slapulator - awesome write up...and I just noticed that you are in Riverview...I used to live in Lake St Charles.

 

[kimkats]

SWEET!!! That looks great! Have you started bonding with it yet? aka watering it to help slow down the curing.

It is time for your set of links! The first set is all about what to do and ask about to get a great plaster job. The second set is all about how to care for your pool after you get the plaster.

Plaster links:
Ten Guidelines for Quality Pool Plaster Best one of all
All Plaster Finishes Should Last 20 Years
Not All Color Pigments are Good for Pools How to pick a good color for plaster.
A Plastering 'Watch List' | Professional Watershaping | Watershapes
Trouble Free Pool
Trouble Free Pool

Pool care links:
Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule
Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Trouble Free Pool
Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Now is also a good time to ask what test kit your PB will be providing so we can fill in any holes.

Kim

 

[Slapulator]

@kimkats I have started bonding. Three times today! Woot links, it feels so good to get to this stage finally.

 

[MyAZPool]

@Slapulator
Been following along with your build. You're getting close now...
Since I assume that you are still installing the FlowVis Digital, I thought you might be interested in this, since there is very little on here so far regarding the FlowVis Digital.
I was looking for some sort of flow meter that I could convert to digits for another project that I'm still working on, so this seemed like the right way to go for me since it also provides for a 4-20mA transmitter output and I already had the FV-C.
I just completed adding the digital sender component to my existing FV-C.
Got the latest firmware and advanced panel display software online and uploaded and that all went well. Super easy and straight forward.
All went great except for the fact that I didn't read the manual closely enough and initially didn't put that first dip switch into the up position. Oh well, it's all good now.

I ripped (well, more like gently removed), the display out of it's NEMA 4 enclosure and mounted it in my automation/sensor control enclosure instead. Powering it with a 12VDC PSU instead of the provided wall wort.
It appears that the accuracy is better than the Pentair GPM calculations but I have more testing to do.
Following the TFP Pool Care guidelines, I ignore that whole pool "Turnover" myth, but it's there on the screen, so whatever.



Curious to know what you think about it when you get to that stage soon...
Bet you are looking forward to being done...
r.

 

[Slapulator]

So for todays update on the rollercoaster of non logic and all things inefficient. We for some plumbing and pad set up after one complete redo and 2 tweaks and still waiting on some things but they just pressured it for inspection and will finish the other stuff after inspection they told me this morning. So, I know this will surprise no one reading how the people in the different parts of the company (these are in house crews) just don't talk to each other or read it seems. It blows my mind the waste of labor and resources that could be saved if people just talked outside of their siloed area. So they had crew come out and install a completely wrong set of pad equipment. Then had a crew come out to remove the wrong equipment only to decide to stop mid removal and wait until the right stuff came to do it all. Most of the correct equipment arrives and when I go check they didn't install the SWG vertically like I had wanted or a by pass for the heater nor the line for the auto fill. So back to digging up some already covered dirt for the 3rd time to run more pipes and get the pad area reconfigured again. This is after they discovered they didn't have a pipe in the shell for the auto fill and wanted to drill a new hole in my shell. I didn't like that idea so I just had them repurpose the suction line pipe that I never wanted but they put in anyways "just incase" for the autofill line. So anyways i now have a pad of correct equipment minus the Blower pump, sacrificial anode and the Flow Vis analog and digital value. Take a look and let me know if I need to get some more tweaks done when they come back for the next round of "how many trips does it take to install an equipment pad correctly".

Side note I have learned that my time lapse camera batteries do not last the full 30 days like advertised. So the last 2 days of work I didn't get. But I will get what I have edited and added for the next update.

 

[TampaKathy]

LOL...I just had a conversation with my boyfriend last night about how inefficient the process is! The tile guys spent so much time adding gunite (or whatever) to get things level before they could even start. That's good that you could repurpose the suction line.

 

[Slapulator]

So in today's update of frustration. The crew came out to pour the footers only to find out that no one seemed to notice that my AC unit has to be moved if I want the cage where it is on the approved plans. Of course the company can't touch AC units and I have to call my AC company to come tell me how much that will cost and all I am getting on who pays for it is, "I dunno, just can't do my part unless it is moved." I also found out that the half wall to hide the erumpent can't be build as there is not enough room left on the other side of the pad without making it overhang into my existing deck space. I decided I didn't want that and I thought the half wall was not a big deal from the start but they put it in for "looks". They did say I will get the credit for that cost. Let the blood pressure roll!

 

[silfa718]

So for todays update on the rollercoaster of non logic and all things inefficient. We for some plumbing and pad set up after one complete redo and 2 tweaks and still waiting on some things but they just pressured it for inspection and will finish the other stuff after inspection they told me this morning. So, I know this will surprise no one reading how the people in the different parts of the company (these are in house crews) just don't talk to each other or read it seems. It blows my mind the waste of labor and resources that could be saved if people just talked outside of their siloed area. So they had crew come out and install a completely wrong set of pad equipment. Then had a crew come out to remove the wrong equipment only to decide to stop mid removal and wait until the right stuff came to do it all. Most of the correct equipment arrives and when I go check they didn't install the SWG vertically like I had wanted or a by pass for the heater nor the line for the auto fill. So back to digging up some already covered dirt for the 3rd time to run more pipes and get the pad area reconfigured again. This is after they discovered they didn't have a pipe in the shell for the auto fill and wanted to drill a new hole in my shell. I didn't like that idea so I just had them repurpose the suction line pipe that I never wanted but they put in anyways "just incase" for the autofill line. So anyways i now have a pad of correct equipment minus the Blower pump, sacrificial anode and the Flow Vis analog and digital value. Take a look and let me know if I need to get some more tweaks done when they come back for the next round of "how many trips does it take to install an equipment pad correctly".

Side note I have learned that my time lapse camera batteries do not last the full 30 days like advertised. So the last 2 days of work I didn't get. But I will get what I have edited and added for the next update.

I understand how you feel. Sometimes I feel I'm the mediator between crews.

 

[Slapulator]

Hello my TFP friends!

Its has been a long time since my last update. This chapter shall be called “Those that like to test their patience, build a pool.”

I wish I could report my build is done but sadly I can’t. Progress is being made but slower than I thought was possible. So, what has been accomplished since my last chapter. They got the tile and coping done, failed inspections 3 times on bond wire, had to have my AC moved that no one noticed would have footer go through it in the original plans. Got my footers poured only to find out from the deck crew they are too high, and they had to chip them down to lay the deck. Had my pool drained 3 times, once into my backyard that flooded both my neighbors which didn’t make them like this project anymore. Had a pool prep guy come but only put fitting on 75% of my pipes which is still confusing to me.

What is left: Electric, blower pump for jets, cage, eco finish, safety alarms, mircobrites, intellicenter. The last to seem to be in indefinite backorder.

Contract Signed: 11/19/20
Build Started: 4/8/21
Started questioning why I ever wanted a pool: Sometime in July.

Made a time lapse to this point of the build so far. Enjoy. It is via YouTube because I ran out Dropbox space for these videos.

 

[Oswald]

Those pavers are gorgeous!

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

Yeah.. it does look nice, honestly. One of our neighbors has had a porta potty in their front yard for over six months with their pool build (and I don't know how they get away it frankly, no one else had one ever), so it seems builds everywhere are taking forever now. I told my wife if it's still there at Halloween that I am going to jump out of it and scare the little kids trick or treating!

 

[Oswald]

Yeah.. it does look nice, honestly. One of our neighbors has had a porta potty in their front yard for over six months with their pool build (and I don't know how they get away it frankly, no one else had one ever), so it seems builds everywhere are taking forever now. I told my wife if it's still there at Halloween that I am going to jump out of it and scare the little kids trick or treating!

We were told a pool that normally takes 3-4 months should be expected to take 6+ months. So, yeah, I think that's the norm right now. Material shortages, labor shortages, etc.

 

[TampaKathy]

I have been wondering about your build! I figured no news was bad news And I thought my build was taking forever (well, it is)!

 

[Newdude]

Its has been a long time since my last update. This chapter shall be called “Those that like to test their patience, build a pool.”

Have some feels and goodwill that things go smoother.