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I am in the process of building my own pool. It is a 20′ x 40′ Neo-Classical design.
My problems include: 1) I do not know the nuances of the plumbing and I need a resource for information.
The pool builders in my area are so busy that they don’t want to talk to me and as a business owner I understand that, but if someone can point me toward a “Pool Building for Dummies” I would appreciate it.
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Hi Michael. Sounds like a cool pool.
I went to Ask Jeeves (www.ask.com) and typed in "plumbing a swimming pool". Check out the search results. Try your library also and talk to pool and spa suppliers.
good luck
*Pool plumbing is apparently best done with cutoffs found in the back of the truck. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES is it allowed to go to the supply house and buy a virgin length of anything. I'm not sure if this applies to what's hidden underground, but in the area surrounding the pump/filter/heater 3" is the maximum length allowed by the Pool Guys Union. Joe H
*My experience is limited to pretty much exactly what Steve Hansen said in another thread that is current here at Breaktime. (We recently had a in ground vinyl liner pool installed)One observation about the plumbing and electric is: you better get it right because it's going to be (mostly) all covered up with concrete so later repairs will be costly. Also, our pool installer ran flex lines from the bottom of the skimmers to the hard 2" PVC pipe. His statement regarding that was that it allows for play for the concrete pool decking to settle a bit since the skimmers are cast into the concrete.One thing that concerns me about the whole process is that since the sides of the pool must be overdug to build the pool walls and install the plumbing, in the end you must pour concrete on the fill dirt. The fill dirt cannot be compacted because it will cave in the pool walls - even if the pool is full of water. PS: Are you sure your name is not "Tom Flaglor"?
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See, I'm not the only guy wondering what's going on! I have been working on the backfill settling issue, also. My solution, for what its worth, is to do the basic excavation and backfill this fall, then let it settle all winter, returning to pour the apron in the spring. That may not be the whole answer, but it can't hurt. Along with plenty of rebar in the apron.
I have a backhoe and can finish concrete, so the project appeals to me as a way to save some $. From my research, a contractor installed 18x36 will cost me about $16K complete. On the web I can buy the pool kit for around $6,500. I am estimating that another $4-5,000 will get me the same end product. We will see......
Could anyone who has done this recommend a dealer for pool kits, or perhaps a name brand (Signature, Regatta, Esther Williams???)
Tom
*Tom,look at Foxx pools, they have a great soultion for the backfill isuue. the concrete deck aroung the pool is poured on the loose backfill but it is supported with rebar tied into their X-bracing system. when the fill settles down it creates an air space under the concrete so that ice can not push it up and cause damage. I had my pool for 11 years and ther was not one crack in the concrete around the pool. also their coping around the pool is made out of pvc and will not dent. the coping also has an extra track in it for the winter cover so that you don't need water bags or springs to hold it on. the covers has a nice tight seal so that no dirt can get in over the winter months. I think the company is in York, PA.Ed
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I am in the process of building my own pool. It is a 20' x 40' Neo-Classical design.
My problems include: 1) I do not know the nuances of the plumbing and I need a resource for information.
The pool builders in my area are so busy that they don't want to talk to me and as a business owner I understand that, but if someone can point me toward a "Pool Building for Dummies" I would appreciate it.