Tucsonazpool Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 I am getting a 50 x 12 lap pool. The designer wants to go 3.9 on each end and 4.17 in the middle (weird but we've been negotiating costs so maybe that's saving some $$). Originally he was going to go 3.5 on one end, 4.6 in the middle and 4 on the other end. It will be used to swim laps only really (no kids) but it just seems a little shallow in the middle. Not that 6 more inches makes a huge difference but wanted to know what you all thought - expecially those with experience with varying depths. THANK YOU!. I am trying to decide by this weekend so ANY thought would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks! If you'd rather email me directly I am at bell@arizona.edu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codebrown Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 I am getting a 50 x 12 lap pool. The designer wants to go 3.9 on each end and 4.17 in the middle (weird but we've been negotiating costs so maybe that's saving some $$). Originally he was going to go 3.5 on one end, 4.6 in the middle and 4 on the other end. It will be used to swim laps only really (no kids) but it just seems a little shallow in the middle. Not that 6 more inches makes a huge difference but wanted to know what you all thought - expecially those with experience with varying depths. THANK YOU!. I am trying to decide by this weekend so ANY thought would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks! If you'd rather email me directly I am at bell@arizona.edu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codebrown Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 My pool is 16x40 and is 3.5 feet at the shallow end. I can't do a flip turn when I swim laps, but since I don't normally it isn't an issue. If I were lap swimming, I think I would make the ends 4-4'6" minimum ( account for variations in gunite, surface material, etc.). The midsection is not something I can comment on. Maybe there are hydrodynamic issues? You may want to make sure you get an autofill feature. They are cheap. And if it is for laps only, you might ask about having baffles along the sides to reduce the backwash and turbulence you will create in a narrow pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucsonazpool Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 It's so funny - some peole CAN do a flip turn and some can't. It's probably not a huge deal on one end even if I can't as long as I can maybe do it on the other end. I'm only 5' 3" so I probably can I will have autofill. Even though I won't sell my house for a long time do you have any opinion on resale value? Do you see any "cons" for only having it 4.2 feet in the middle? Or anything else I'm not thinking about? Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codebrown Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 It's so funny - some peole CAN do a flip turn and some can't. It's probably not a huge deal on one end even if I can't as long as I can maybe do it on the other end. I'm only 5' 3" so I probably can I will have autofill. Even though I won't sell my house for a long time do you have any opinion on resale value? Do you see any "cons" for only having it 4.2 feet in the middle? Or anything else I'm not thinking about? Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codebrown Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 It's so funny - some peole CAN do a flip turn and some can't. It's probably not a huge deal on one end even if I can't as long as I can maybe do it on the other end. I'm only 5' 3" so I probably can I will have autofill. Even though I won't sell my house for a long time do you have any opinion on resale value? Do you see any "cons" for only having it 4.2 feet in the middle? Or anything else I'm not thinking about? Thank you!!! Personally I like the shallow end for kids and it is nice to be able to stand and talk to people. But I have a 6'6" deep end and it houses the autocover. I find myself really enjoying the ability to dive in at the deeper end and I like going deeper for the hell of it. We put swim-out radius benches about a foot deep in both corners. The cost of the extra depth and the benches wasn't very much at all. My kids love both ends. Resale? No idea. I will say the 7K we spent on the autocover is the smartest thing we did. The amount of time I waste cleaning it and adding chemicals is practically nil, if it matters. And if you are putting in a simple rectangle it makes a lot of sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucsonazpool Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Good to know that it won't be much more if I want to add depth....I am getting an autocover too which should be great. Solar as well but only 92% coverage to save on costs for now.....cover should help with heat. do you have salt? They tried to talk me out of that but I really wanted it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codebrown Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Good to know that it won't be much more if I want to add depth....I am getting an autocover too which should be great. Solar as well but only 92% coverage to save on costs for now.....cover should help with heat. do you have salt? They tried to talk me out of that but I really wanted it! I don't have salt. I think it is oversold. My PB, in the business forty years, strongly advised against it even though they put them in for a lot of customers. I can see why. When friends come over the first thing they ask is whether it is a salt pool, as if that's the only thing that distinguishes a high-end from a low-end build. So if you have a fragile ego or know a lot of snobs it might be an issue. The thing is, adding a salt-cell is easy down the road. Just tell them to plumb as if you might add one at some point. I add a little store-bought bleach every few days (about 20-30 oz. for a 22K gallon pool). Cheap and easy. I keep the FC at around 1 ppm, have not had to shock once all season, and the kids can swim without goggles just like in a salt pool. I researched the heck out of it, and finally concluded that no one is sure yet whether or not the salt will corrode critical parts of pumps, motors, etc. It just seemed like something I did not want to hassle with until I was sure it was going to add a lot to the pool. After one season, I can say unequivocally I will never add one. Not only that, but I swim in my neighbor's salt pool and get rashes around my eyes and have to rinse the salt residue off. With mine, at a 1ppm free Cl level, I can't even tell I've been near chlorine and just feel super clean. So that is my 2cents. I know lots of other people that love their salt system. Don't sweat it either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbridges Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 We went with 4' on the shallow end for the area intended to support laps and I am glad we did. The pool itself is sort of a modified "L" and in the lower part of the L we have stairs and 3-1/2' depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucsonazpool Posted October 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 Thanks. So 3 1/2 was too shallow for flip turns or why do you like 4 better? How deep is yours in the middle and what should I consider about that? Thanks again! Is 4.2 4.6 or 5 better or does it matter that much. If I go 5 it will add a few hundred dollars. Don't know if it's worth it or if it's TOTALLY worth it. Again, it's basically for laps but it's fun sometimes just to dip down! Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem geek Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 I add a little store-bought bleach every few days (about 20-30 oz. for a 22K gallon pool). Cheap and easy. I keep the FC at around 1 ppm, have not had to shock once all season, and the kids can swim without goggles just like in a salt pool. 20-30 ounces of 6% bleach in 22,000 gallons would be 0.4 to 0.7 ppm FC. Is your pool indoors or not exposed to sunlight? That is a very low daily chlorine usage. What is the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level in your pool? Do you use any supplemental products to prevent algae growth such as 50 ppm Borates, weekly PolyQuat algaecide, phosphate removers, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbridges Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 Thanks. So 3 1/2 was too shallow for flip turns or why do you like 4 better? ... I can barely swim. It's for my daughter, and she had previous experience in 3-1/2' deep pools and trying to do turns (she's 5'6" BTW). It runs to 6' in depth, but we use if for more than just laps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codebrown Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 I add a little store-bought bleach every few days (about 20-30 oz. for a 22K gallon pool). Cheap and easy. I keep the FC at around 1 ppm, have not had to shock once all season, and the kids can swim without goggles just like in a salt pool. 20-30 ounces of 6% bleach in 22,000 gallons would be 0.4 to 0.7 ppm FC. Is your pool indoors or not exposed to sunlight? That is a very low daily chlorine usage. What is the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level in your pool? Do you use any supplemental products to prevent algae growth such as 50 ppm Borates, weekly PolyQuat algaecide, phosphate removers, etc.? Chemgeek- I'm probably averaging down a bit, but the only chemicals we use are the CYA from our initial open in June and calcium. I use the PoolCalc app for the iPhone and usually checked the pH and Cl levels daily, and probably every other day added chlorine (6% bleach). Given that it was covered, and that we generally used it after the worst of the sun was gone, or early am, I think helped, as well as the fact that it was just three relatively clean persons using it. So I do know that if the kids had friends over on a hot day I probably dumped 60-90 oz in on occasion but for the most part maintaining the free Cl at 1-1.5 was pretty simple. I have not needed any algaecide or other additives. Certainly, things could change. Oh, also, muriatic acid, of course, for pH lowering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem geek Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 Thanks for the info. I do think you are lucky since that low an FC with some CYA in the water, even if just a little amount like 30 ppm, is below the minimum needed to prevent algae growth in a pool that is rich in nutrients. Your pool is probably not only relatively poor in nutrients, but doesn't get much sun either if the cover is relatively opaque (if it's a blue or clear bubble-type, then sun gets through). I suspect that the water temp is probably cooler, closer to 80ºF than to 88ºF and that probably helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucsonazpool Posted October 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 When they give you a depth (i.e 3.5) is that the amount of WATER or the SIZE OF THE WALL? Or does it vary by builder? What exactly is the 3.5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codebrown Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 When they give you a depth (i.e 3.5) is that the amount of WATER or the SIZE OF THE WALL? Or does it vary by builder? What exactly is the 3.5? You should assume that is total wall height unless otherwise clarified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucsonazpool Posted October 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 As a follow up my PB told me it's the water depth so that's good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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