Opinion/assessment of soon to be built pool

Mrb · Postby **Mrb** » Mon 01 Jun, 2009 23:45

Hi All - After lurking for a week or so, I thought I'd ask for opinions or suggestions. While we have signed our contract, non-design changes can be made. We're a week or two from having permits in hand. So please, fire away.

Free form 30x18 (at longest/widest point)
approx 18,000 gal (salesman initially guestimated 17 back at early design stage. My calcs show 18)
Pebble Fina Grigio finish
48inch sheer descent (on 18inch RBB wall)
IntelliPro 4x160 pump
1 skimmer
3-4 returns (to be determined)
2.5 inch pipes
EasyTouch control sys w/remote
single LED light
Polaris ATV or Pool Shark (TBD)

In the last 6 weeks or so since we began this, I have learned just enough to be dangerous. I can see that I should have nailed them down on precisely the number of returns to be used. Does 3 or 4 seem reasonable? I paid up for the 4x160 but am wondering if I should have gone with IntelliFlo. Though not much if any difference, other than dialing in based on gpm and not rpm. Any opinion as to whether or not this pump will provide the sight/sound we hope to get from the sheer? Any feeling about one cleaner over the other? Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Postby **Me...** » Tue 02 Jun, 2009 10:29

Pump will probably be fine, you don't mention a filter.

Sheer decent will have a drop and projection measurement. Need to know that. Last one I saw after the fact was an 8 footer with a 3' drop requiring a 2' minimum projection. It was plumbed in 2" and therefore had no hope whatsoever of obtaining the 160gpm required to do that. CHeck the data on yours to be sure it will do what is required. 2.5" pipe should be more than enough though for a 4' sheer and the pump should be adequate too.

4 returns are better than 3 and hopefully they are in the floor.

At 1 skimmer for every 400 sq.ft. you could use 2, but your design may compensate for that. You just don't want any dead surface areas to collect junk.

Mrb · Postby **Mrb** » Tue 02 Jun, 2009 11:02

The filter is a Sta Rite System III (cartridge).

I'll request the drop and projection information from my PB. I had thought about the possibilty of it just dribbling over. Not exactly sure how the descents are designed, but seems a lot of water has got be pushed over it to get a nice effect.

I'm going to push for 4 returns. They are going to be in the wall. Assuming they can't/won't be placed in teh floor having then as low as possible would be the next best thing, correct? My PB claims they leave those things up to the plumbing crew onsite so as to make the best decision given equip/distance/shape, etc. Not sure if I believe them, but it sounds nice. They also say if they get onsite and decide I need two skimmers, they'll give me two. I honestly think one will be fine (again, knowing enough to be dangerous). The pool is about 420 sq ft.

Mrb · Postby **Mrb** » Tue 02 Jun, 2009 15:25

The information I found regarding the sheer descent says 5gpm/ft and 6' max head loss. So that would be 20gpm based on the 4ft length of the descent. I don't know enough about TDH to know if that loss is excessive.

Postby **czechmate** » Tue 02 Jun, 2009 20:47

2 skimmers should be a minimum for any pool that cost more than 5000 bucks. You use the one that works best with the prevailing wind direction in a given season. Winter / summer. The other one you can than plug up. Makes a world of difference. Debris pushed by wind in one end of a pool is always collected by strategically placed skimmer. And also, returns are never in the floor, as someone here suggested. You do not need to filter already filtered water. Cleaned water is distributed ALWAYS to the top creating flushing effect for the main drain. As the last input, it escapes me why anyone would use a cartridge filter for this size of pool.

Mrb · Postby **Mrb** » Wed 03 Jun, 2009 00:01

[/quote] As the last input, it escapes me why anyone would use a cartridge filter for this size of pool.[/quote]

Please explain why you wouldn't use a cartridge filter. I agree with your two skimmer assessment for the most part.

Postby **Me...** » Wed 03 Jun, 2009 08:50

Here is a link to a chart for the sheer decent.

http://www.bestbuypoolsupply.com/media/ ... nttech.pdf

As for filters, I cant see why I would ever use anything but a sand filter except for a small body of water that simply can't handle the water loss from a backwash. This comes from the info, which is correct, that a DE filter will filter finest, Cartridge next and last a sand filter. The reverse order is ease of use. However a properly sized sand filter works extremely well and I would fins it next to impossible to look at the water and tell the difference. It will get very long runs and waste nothing. Green? How green is manufacturing cartridges to throw out in a couple of years, or even months on all those crappy little aboveground pool ones. Sand can be raked into your garden in 10 years or so when you are done with it.

Mrb · Postby **Mrb** » Thu 18 Jun, 2009 01:19

A belated thanks for the info on sheer descents. Much appreciated. They confirmed that my pump is plenty strong enough, especially since we'll probably run the descent alone.

I disagree on the sand filter, though I admit I haven't asked if one would cost me less. Cartridge is "better" from a filtering perspective and easy to clean. Not sure what the life of the cartridges is, but I suspect it is longer than two years.

Postby **Me...** » Thu 18 Jun, 2009 10:18

Make sure you get a big Cartridge Filter then. They do filter finer if ALL the water goes through them. They have a bypass in the bottom to allow water to bypass the cartridge itself if it gets dirty. So as the filter loads dirty water simply passes straight through the canister. Keep the filter clean and check that bypass occasionally to make sure it is closed. Sometimes you may find them blocked off.

And as I said, you will be hard pressed to see a difference in the water in most pools.

Mrb · Postby **Mrb** » Thu 18 Jun, 2009 12:16

Thanks for the tip on the valve. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it. My pool is ~420 sq ft (~17k gal) and we're getting a Sta-Rite system III 300 sq ft filter. Think that is "big enough?"

Postby **Me...** » Thu 18 Jun, 2009 16:52

Sounds like it will be plenty. Now just make sure your plumbing can handle all that flow. No use having big pumps and filters if you only use 1.5" line. In fact with that equipment I would think 2" is too small.

Realisticly .........

1.5" good to 50gpm on the outside.

2" good to around 80gpm

2.5" pushing it at 125gpm

3" is maybe for 200gpm tops.

I think your system is capable of more than 125gpm. Which is overkill for 17k gallons. Commercial Leisure pools are built to maybe 2 hour turnover and so will your be. Even then its only maybe .5gpm per sq.ft. of cartridge area which is great.