Under construction in Tampabay Florida

[Skiddy]

The cost for the heater is not dependent on the size of your pool. $5K is probably about right if the heater is a 140K unit. The Hayward 144K unit is near $4,000 on it's own, so the extra $1K would be for electrical and installation. You can save a few hundred dollars on a smaller heater... but long term, the heater will be less efficient, and will work harder and take longer to get the pool up to temp. I always recommend getting the biggest heat pump you can get.

You can add automation later, but it will cost you more. It's much easier to wire everything for automation at the start. If you add later, they have to wire for manual use now, then will have to rewire everything later for automation.

After 3 pools, I would never put in another one without automation - it just makes everything much easier to run and schedule.

I would definitely add the heater now - if you don't, you probably won't be using the pool in January - March.

Can you tell me the potential of a heat pump? How warm can I get the water temp? I was told a heat pump on;y gets the water so warm, and that you still wont be able to swim for a few months?

 

[poolnoobgrandma]

Can you tell me the potential of a heat pump? How warm can I get the water temp? I was told a heat pump on;y gets the water so warm, and that you still wont be able to swim for a few months?

I don't think heat pumps will heat ice cold water up north in the winter, but we're in Florida. Ours heated our spa when we used it last winter. The pool would just take a lot longer to get to the desired temperature. And I mean days,, not hours. But if you keep it covered when not in use, and don't mind the electric bill, you should be able to keep the pool at a nice swim temp.

 

[PoolBrews]

I'm in Central Florida. My pool is 7K gallons, and I have a 144K Hayward HP21404T heater. I keep my pool at 88 degrees. Last winter, my heater would run anywhere from 1 1/2 - 3 hours each day to maintain the heat. I used a solar blanket for January and February. No issues keeping it at temp. The heater cost me about $30/month to run.

Your pool is not quite 2x the size of mine, so I would guess the heat pump would need to run closer to 3-4 hours a day for you. It shouldn't be 2x the length mine runs - your larger body of water should retain heat a little longer than mine does.

 

[gingrbredman]

I'll go back to the cost of the automation you mentioned, and if its only $1,200 for the automation, then doing it now, just for the warranty would make the decision for me now. Yes, you could add it later, and it will cost you more, but doing it yourself would not get you the same warranty as a PB doing it. Pentair has a very short warranty for owner installations, where they give the full warranty when the qualified PB does it.

Also, if your PB installs three Pentair products, you get an extended warranty on all the items in the bundle (Think it is 3 years).

Pool Product Warranty Information

Pentair delivers smart, sustainable solutions that empower our customers to make the most of life's essential resource. At Pentair, we believe the health of our world depends on reliable access to clean water.

www.pentair.com

 

[gingrbredman]

One more thing, Pentair usually has rebates on their equipment, so you can get a little bit of that price back right from Pentair.

Right now, the electric company here in Illinois (ComEd) has a $275 rebate on energy efficient pumps like Intelliflo, which are on top of the Pentair rebates. You can look through the list at the bottom of this page to see if you could get this rebate as well.

Pentair Pool Product Rebates

Whether you are planning a pool party for friends and family or prefer the serene sensation of a calm pool, Pentair has the pool and spa solutions just for you.

www.pentair.com

 

[Skiddy]

We are nearing that stage where we have to decide on the finish of the pool. Our pool builder told us the Hydrazzo and Pebble Tec carry about the same lifespan or up to 20yrs. or more. This is our first pool and we have no experience with either surface, we simply want a surface that will look and last the longest, as well as a low maint surface. The builder personally liked the Hydrazzo better. Can anyone share their experience with these finishes?

 

[HermanTX]

I looked at Hydrazzo and really liked it but decided to go with Wet Edge Technologies Primera Stone. In my research I called the companies to determine who were the authorized installers of each product. While there are only so many plaster sub-contractors in any given area, not every plaster company is the authorized installer for every plaster. It is not just a warranty issue but you want the plaster sub-contractor to be experienced and know how to install whichever plaster you install - that will give you the longevity of the product.

 

[usfbull]

Are you wanting a super smooth polished finish? Hydrazzo offers that super smooth finish. Pebble tec might have their own version? Or some people want the look and feel of the pebbles. I think it’s personal preference. My family prefers a smooth finish.

 

[ajw22]

I got 17 years out of my first run of Hydrazoo and only replaced it due to a rebar rust stain that was developing. Otherwise the Hydrazoo finish could have gone a few more years. I replaced it with a new layer of Hydrazoo.

I like the smooth Hydrazoo finish and would not have been happy with pebble surfaces.

 

[Erik13]

Dude, like you said, the day of the sub-$40k pool are long gone!!

 

[Skiddy]

Dude, like you said, the day of the sub-$40k pool are long gone!!

Sub $40k? With screened enclosure, hot tub and Heater and you can nearly double that now a days.

 

[poolnoobgrandma]

Sub $40k? With screened enclosure, hot tub and Heater and you can nearly double that now a days.

Nearly? I'd say more than double...
I think we have all been through the pool quote sticker shock "phases of grief."

 

[Skiddy]

I would call your PM and ask him the following questions:

• Is my Pentair VS pump a Superflo or Intelliflo?
• Is my Pentair SWG an IntelliChlor and if so what size?
• Is there any automation or will it just be the schedule on the pump?

Are you planning on managing the pool yourself or getting pool service?

Spoke with PB today I decided to add Heat looks like the Pentair Ultratemp 120
Also went with Intelliconnect automation. He said this upgraded my Pump to the 3HP Intelliflo VS
The SWG is an ichlor IC30
Filter is a Clean & Clear RP 150sf

 

[PoolBrews]

I would switch to the Pentair Ultratemp 140. The 120 offers 127K BTU's with a COP of 5.7. The 140 has 143K BTU's with a COP of 5.8. The larger unit will heat faster, run less (...last longer), and is more efficient. It is only $200-$400 more. To me, this is a no-brainer. You'll save that amount of money in a couple of years due to the COP, and the heater will last longer. You'll also be happier with the performance.

 

[Skiddy]

I would switch to the Pentair Ultratemp 140. The 120 offers 127K BTU's with a COP of 5.7. The 140 has 143K BTU's with a COP of 5.8. The larger unit will heat faster, run less (...last longer), and is more efficient. It is only $200-$400 more. To me, this is a no-brainer. You'll save that amount of money in a couple of years due to the COP, and the heater will last longer. You'll also be happier with the performance.

I dont really know what COP and some of the other ratings on the Pentair site mean but the PB gave me statistics on how it works in colder weather and told me this model will work best with my pool size. Its not about money at this point so I will ask about going to the 140

 

[PoolBrews]

COP is coefficient of performance. The higher the number, the less it costs to heat your pool. Not sure why your PB would say this model works best for your size pool, but I'm guessing he probably has installed a lot of this size and may have some in stock. A 120K unit will heat slower than a 140K unit, and a COP of 5.8 will cost less to run than one with a 5.7. My pool is far smaller than yours, and I have a 143K unit. Heats very quickly in the colder months.

 

[Skiddy]

It’s been rough going the last few months. The project is really dragging. I’ve had the wrong equipment dropped off two separate times now and have had to call and get it switched. The Nieghbor is getting a pool from the same builder so her stuff is getting dropped at my house and vice versa. The weeks drag on with one day of work for every two weeks. When they say this will be done tomorrow I am now confident there will be nobody there tomorrow. It’s been a downer for sure. They installed the pump and heater yesterday and luckily I went out to check and saw it was the wrong pump. They did come out and replace. Still waiting on electricians now. Who knows how long that will take.

 

[Skiddy]

Update on the build. I had to vent on the PB a few weeks back due to the slow progress of the build. We signed in July and he said should be swimming in Oct. This is a few pics of where we are now. Equipment is now complete and the glass tile and coping are in process.

 

[Skiddy]

I am starting to lean more towards the Hydrazzo now. After speaking with a few who have had the pebble sheen installed, they mentioned how they didnt expect it to be so rough. I love the look of Pebble tec but I dont want the roughness. I was also told the Sheen or mini pebble isnt as durable due to the change in formula. Less pebble or smaller pebbles, leaves more concrete and apparently the concrete is what tends to deteriorate fastest. I need to see a few local pools that have these surfaces to make a educated decision.

 

[ajw22]

I Less pebble or smaller pebbles, leaves more concrete and apparently the concrete is what tends to deteriorate fastest.

FYI, it is plaster, not concrete.