What are some things you didn't do, that you wish you would have when building?

[pigskintd]

We are going to our final design appointment tonight (we can change things after this appointment as well) and I just want to be sure I am not missing some features or equipment that I am going to regret not getting. What are some things you wish you would added or done differently? I appreciate the help!

 

[DorsalSpine]

More seating space, more shaded areas. In your climate a SWG would be nice.

 

[jark87]

I would have added a chiller as part of the original build. I finally added one several years later, but before I added it, our water temp would hit mid-90s by mid-summer and no one was enjoying the pool.

 

[HermanTX]

Oversize your equipment pad and have the plumbing space out for easier maintenance. Also, in 10 years there will be possibly be new equipment designs and nice to have space on the equipment pad to accommodate it.

Consider a sun shade on your equipment pad if it is exposed to open sunlight throughout the day.

Take photos of your underground plumbing layout and file it in an album or on a disk to refer to later. If you ever want to make adjustments to landscaping in the future, it is good to know where your plumbing pipes.

 

[HeyEng]

Since the OP is in Florida, so this may not apply...but for others where it might get VERY COLD (several days below freezing) and you are considering *not* winterizing your pool...a shelter for your equipment pad.

 

[Tres Gatos]

A handrail.

 

[pigskintd]

I would have added a chiller as part of the original build. I finally added one several years later, but before I added it, our water temp would hit mid-90s by mid-summer and no one was enjoying the pool.

I have thought about this. Our pool will not have a screen enclosure so it will be even hotter in the summer. Is it expensive to run?

 

[pigskintd]

Oversize your equipment pad and have the plumbing space out for easier maintenance. Also, in 10 years there will be possibly be new equipment designs and nice to have space on the equipment pad to accommodate it.

Consider a sun shade on your equipment pad if it is exposed to open sunlight throughout the day.

Take photos of your underground plumbing layout and file it in an album or on a disk to refer to later. If you ever want to make adjustments to landscaping in the future, it is good to know where your plumbing pipes.

Great idea regarding the plumbing!

 

[the_sphynx]

When the trenches are open be sure to run at least 1" conduit (I would personally go ahead with 2") to all kinds of places for things like landscape lights, speaker wire, irrigation wire, etc. Regret not putting in some schedule 40 PVC to various spots around the pool. Also, make sure it's not hard 90deg elbows for that PVC, get the nice curved ones so you can pull wire through properly.

 

[jesper]

I wish I had not listened to the pool builder that suggested a bench in the pool, we never use it and it just takes away swimming space.

I echo the comments, about adding empty conduits while you got things open, you can never get enough ...

 

[Bvacchiano]

I would NIX any abalone shells that were added to the plaster and in its place added more glass beads. Abalone is a complete waste and causes stains when they leach.

 

[pigskintd]

When the trenches are open be sure to run at least 1" conduit (I would personally go ahead with 2") to all kinds of places for things like landscape lights, speaker wire, irrigation wire, etc. Regret not putting in some schedule 40 PVC to various spots around the pool. Also, make sure it's not hard 90deg elbows for that PVC, get the nice curved ones so you can pull wire through properly.

This may sound dumb, but how do you pull the wire through the PVC?

 

[Texas Splash]

- Larger equipment pad
- Larger filter
- Overfill drain

 

[Texas Splash]

This may sound dumb, but how do you pull the wire through the PVC?

Depends on the length of PVC, wire gauge, etc. But in general, push the new wire through the conduit directly, or use a smaller wire or in some cases pressure-blow a string to one end, then tie it off to the new wire and pull. There are various products on the market (i.e. wire lube) to help get the wire through any potential sticking points.

 

[jark87]

Is it expensive to run?

The chiller itself isn’t expensive to run because the only power draw is a fan motor. However, the pool pump also must be running when running the chiller. I run my pump 17 hours a day during the summer to keep the water cool. If you let the water heat up, it can take a couple of days or more to get the temp down, so I just run it every day. I was already running the pump trying to cool the pool with misters, which didn’t work very well, so the pump run time wasn’t considered an additional expense for me. I keep water temp right around 80°. I’ve seen posts from others who don’t keep their water quite as cool and they don’t run their chillers as much, so their expense is less.

 

[otter86753]

Here is their website about cost of running a Glacier

 

[B.lu]

My biggest regret is not being better educated going into it. It would have been less frustrating to all parties if I had known exactly what I wanted before signing the contract. I made many changes and had to do addendums (added propane heater, upgraded coping, upgraded pavers, upgraded pebble finish, upgraded to VSP). Etc... At least some of those decisions would have been less expensive had they been originally in the contract. You have the companies attention and patience when they are courting your business. After that, good luck

 

[YippeeSkippy]

A deeper pool that I could dive into safely. Ohhhhh how I miss diving <pout>

Maddie

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I wish I had put shutoff valves on every suction and return pipe for maintenance & troubleshooting. My pad is lower than my pool, so I have to plug the skimmers to avoid losing water whenever I need to empty the pump basket. Turning valves would be faster & easier.