PoolGuyNJ

Different parts of the country have different pricing based on market demand. Expect Pebble to cost a bit more than Wet Edge but not by much. Scott

Never heard of them. They may be a locally distributed product. Scott

Both Pebble Tec and Wet Edge will outlast Diamond Brite by a very large large margin. I have yet to hear a Pebble that has worn out. Pebble Tec came about 25 years ago. Wet Edge came on the market fairly recently but is very similar and much of the aggregate comes for the same mines. The people running the company, as I understand it are former PT people. Diamond Brite still has plaster in it and will last about 12 years, sometimes 15 if it's well cared for. Scott

Standard strength gunite needs about two weeks for coping and tiling. Plastering should wait for four weeks in the vast majority of gunite shot pools. Scott

12 inches is the maximum step height allowed. They may be less but not more. It's that simple. Example: If the top of the bond beam to the 1st step is 11-1/2", adding 2-1/2" for coping and it's mortar bed brings up to 14". Subtract 1/2" for the plaster finish's thickness and you have a 13-1/2" step, 1-1/2" too high. Scott

Steps should never be more than 12" from one level to the next. Let the PB fix it. Adding extra thick plaster is not a "proper" fix. The next plaster team might not notice and the problem becomes theirs because they were the last ones there. That isn't right. The step should be roughed up, a bond coat applied and a layer of cement added to correct the height. Short steps are ok. Scott

They are also well know brand names. The single biggest variable for a shell is the installation. If the installer cuts corners, you will pay for it later. Next is if it isn't written, it wasn't said. Scott

The procedures used by a dealer to set the shell and back fill are as important as the shell. Both are brand name shells. The Vikings have some pretty stringent requirements as to how their shells are set the dealer must follow or he won't be a Viking dealer for long. I used to work of a Viking dealer so I will admit to being somewhat jaded in that direction. He was good, darn good. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from him. Scott

Delta UV doesn't impress me much. OTOH, Aqua Ultra Violet has had some very high praises from people I respect. See http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/industries/swimmingpools for info. UV in an outdoor, residential pool doesn't do a lot but is far more useful on an indoor pool where lower FC and CYA levels are needed. Scott

Right in the middle of my coverage area. PM me for contact info if needed. Scott

Been there, Done that. Too bad you are so far from me. I will offer some help though so you can understand what needs to be done. Don't expect a factory finish. This is being done outdoors and, from what you have described, quite a bit of shell work will be needed. Don't expect it to be done over night either. The pool must be in an area where the water table will not rise above the bottom drain or, if your pool is so equipped, have a pump connected to a sump/dry well. An empty shell is extremely buoyant. The vertical lifting stress created when water is under the shell is enormous. The last thing you need is for the shell to pop up. Some drains have a hydrostatic relief port in the drain that can be opened but this may let water in the shell. That may not be enough if a clay deposit prevents water from draining down th the deep end, fairly unusual for LI but not unheard of. The entire exposed surface will need to be sanded off down to bare fiberglass and smooth. All blisters must be fully removed and filled with an epoxy based filler. A lot of blisters may require a couple layers of fiberglass cloth and epoxy based resin to be applied. Deep blisters will need it also to maintain strength in the shell. Any rain will delay everything as all surfaces must be bone dry. The sanding will make a mess! Get the furniture and stuff away and cover it and anything else the wind blown dust can carry it to. A 7" and a 4-1/2" grinder are the commonly used tools for this. That means no wet sanding to keep down the dust unless your service has a truck mounted compressors and air tools that can deal with getting wet (not a likely event but possible). With all the sanding and grinding, don't expect it to be quite as flat and smooth. Some things will show, esp[especially larger fill spots and patched areas. The end result will be a pool that is cosmetically better but not factory new. The factory is a much more controlled environment and uses forms for fabrication. Your yard is a totally different environment. When it comes time to painting, I use a high quality epoxy based pool primer and paint. It takes time for it to dry and still more time to cure. Depending on the temperature, it may take a week before filling with water. Skim over time will be several hours. Do not schedule landscapers that day, and if it's cool out, for a couple days. A quality epoxy pool paint should not require, nor do I recommend, a gel coat. The epoxy paint is pretty shiny and very strong. But, being paint, will require a new coat periodically. Applying a gel coat outdoors can lead to dust and bubbles. Many gel coats use a vinyl-ester formulation that doesn't like pool water chemistry and breaks down, yellows, and looks crappy after a couple years. You can't just re-coat it either. At least with epoxy paint, a new finish coat can go over the old coat. PM me if you would like to see some pictures at various stages. Scott

Fresh sand filters better. Dry sand and a shop vac is far easier. After you deswamp, I suggest changing the top couple inches again. Scott

If you are replacing the skimmer, get it out of the way. Cut the rebar on on side, leaving a stub that you can tie a new extension to later, and lift/bend the wrap around rebar that is there, out of the way. You will have more room to work then and you will find you can move a bit more quickly. Don't waste time trying to remove the skimmer body in one piece. It's garbage anyway. Plug it's open port(s) to keep debris out. Scott

What kind of pool? What kind of hardness? If it's calcium, what level in ppm is it. Scott

A Pentair EasyTouch is significantly less money, can control the pump and can be purchased with an IntelliClor salt cell and wireless remote for less than the IntelliTouch. It can also control the other things you don't have yet. If you are DIYing the install, the net is great. If you plan on hiring a pro for the installation/, buy it from the pro. This way you get the on rapid site support that goes along with it. That level of service has a cost though. Otherwise it's like trying to bring your own steak to the Outback Steak House. I don't price match or install net purchased items as a matter of policy. I have burdened costs the net doesn't have like fuel, insurances, rent and labor costs. I also have to feed and provide for my family. Scott

No, it should be nearly silent. Is there a flapper in the skimmer mouth or a floating weir that sits in the basket? What brand of skimmer do you have? Scott

1) Photobucket: 4th option for code. Copy and paste in the message box, one per line. Any white space between them is good for typing descriptions. 2) Pix of the pool and equipment pad please. 3) a: How many drains and skimmers do you have total and per pump? b: What size are the pipes? c: Is there an existing automation system or just a couple timers? d: Are you using tablets or a salt cell? e: What filters do you have? A 50K gallon pool is a bigger than average pool. It will have some higher than average expenses for operation. It doesn't help that your power rates are where they are in your area. Ideally, one should do it. As to which, your pix and answers will help us to help you more effectively. Scott

That depends on how quickly chlorine breaks it down and how much is dispensed when it gets jostled by activity in the pool. It will vary. It can gunk things up, not just the sand but the walls, a salt cell (though I wouldn't expect much of it to make it there before the chlorine zaps it), heat exchanger, etc... I can't advocate it's use and I won't Guinea Pig either my pool or any of my clients pools. Scott

Would I use it? No. I have a solar cover and heater. Scott

How supportive are the legs supporting it? If they have a gap, it's a problem. The sand is primarily providing something for the steps to resist water pressure's outward push, not the downward pressure of a person sitting or stepping. Most steps do this. Scott

The only effective ways to get rid of it are dilution and reverse osmosis. I have heard of some chems that will sequester it and some that claim they can remove some via the filter but think of the size of 25 lb bucket of calcium and your filter. Just doesn't make sense to try that, to me anyway. I can't see a 30 point rise in the fill to be that significant. Just drop the pH a tenth or so to keep the CSI close to -0.1 so you don't scale up. Scott

Mostly mineral oil, just like the solar fish. When the water is still, it forms a very thin layer that slows evaporation some. Any disturbance and layer segments. I don't know how well it breaks down but I've had to TSP soak several DE grids and cartridges because of over use. Scott

What size are the return eyeballs? What size is the plumbing? What size is the pump? What model heater do you have? How diligent have you been with your pool chems? How are you testing? Scott

When replacing a light fixture, use the same brand so it fits the niche and maintains UL certification. I have found that people that update to the LED fixtures tend to use the lights more than they did before. If you have a Hayward Astro Light, get a Color Logics 4.0 fixture. If you have an American Products (now Pentair), get an IntelliBrite fixture. Etc... Scott

If the pump is on, the cell is on. The only parameter is the percentage of On-Time. The Super Chlorinate mode gets set for the number of hours to be used. It's a one time setting and after the timer expires, is forgotten. If you need a boost, the use of bleach to boost the level is my recommendation as the Super Chlorinate mode will shorten cell life. Scott