Pool installation?

zovall

Well-known member
Has anyone installed a pool in their backyard in the past few years? Any recommendations on what to look out for?
 
We did 5 years ago with Swan Pools. It was a good experience.

Structure your agreement to break the payment into 4/5 installments. Only pay after each phase is completed and passed inspection. This is your biggest leverage to get your construction done without delay. Don't be afraid to withhold payment.

Pay a little extra for salt water pool, it definitely worth the money.

And highly recommend going with Jandy. They are the iphones of pool equipment.

Be on the look out if you have an overzealous HOA board, especially if you have a more complex / non conventional build layout

 
I installed a pool in my Las Vegas home for my dad.  We started in Jan and were supposed to finish by April but then covid hit and many of the supply manufacturers closed and supplies were not available.  The pool ended up getting completed by the end of July.  I ended up going with Pentair pool equipment after doing research online.  I also went with the salt water pool option as well as the pebbletec paster and the SunTrek pool solar system.  As Kenkoko mentioned, the payments should be separated into distinct milestones.  I also had to get HOA approval which required getting 3 of the neighbors to sign the request.  My dad, who is a total perfectionist, was there making sure that sloppy/shotty work was corrected.  We also ended up redoing the rear landscaping at the same time.  One BIG piece of advice with landscaping, don't let the landscaper pick your plants, trees, and other greenery because my company tried to install some crappy stuff and my dad refused to let them.  He ended up going to the local nursery and picking out everything by himself and had the landscaping company pick everything up and installing it.
 
+1 Following. Installing a pool as well.  Questions if anybody knows:

We're getting Pentair equipment through the contractor. Good/bad? 

Thoughts on oversizing/double the pool heater for quicker heating?  I heard it's usually a day to heat it up (depending on pool size). Ours will be about 30k gallons.

Is it worth installing a slot drain around the pool perimeter?

Main drain versus skimmer or both?

Considering infinity edge spa (not pool) sitting inside the pool. Does this need a separate heater?
 
I don't know if Pentair cover both parts and labor.

We bought Jandy equipment through the pool builder. We have both the manufacturer warranty with Jandy and the pool builder offered extended warranty including a 10 year free labor to fix any issue.

Are you planning to heat your pool year round? Heating the pool in the winter takes a TON. Spring and Fall much less.

I think the energy cost will be the bigger factor vs the cost of putting in a second heater.

Your pool contractor should be able to advise you on pool heating time almost down to an exact science.

I have slot drain around my pool because I have a large shallow reef. It'd depend on your pool design.

Not familiar with Pentair but with Jandy we can control everything from iphone/ipad app. We have no need for a designated spa heater because we can remote start everything and set schedule etc.
 
This is some great info, thank you all for sharing! It seems like salt-water is the way to go for a new pool. What about an existing pool - do people convert those to salt-water? Is that feasible?
 
zovall said:
This is some great info, thank you all for sharing! It seems like salt-water is the way to go for a new pool. What about an existing pool - do people convert those to salt-water? Is that feasible?

Yes it's very feasible to convert. The main addition needed is the salt chlorinator. It's not very costly probably around $1500.
 
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