Some basic troubleshooting. I slid the rotational limit stop out of the way so I could open the valve fully. Even when fully open, not obstructed by the limit, I got no hot water. The inlet pipe coming in from the right side of the valve feels cold, so now I'm back to the opinion that the cartridge was installed upside down. So is that a reason why no hot water could be getting mixed into the valve?

Unless the builder is giving you a longer than three year warranty, I am confused as to why the Goldline salt cell and not a Pentair Intellichlor. A 1.5 HP pump is more than you need. I suggest dropping to a 1 HP or even a 3/4 HP. Is 75' of electrical enough? Is 30' from the skimmer and the 75' of electrical going to let you put the equipment pad where you want it? You didn't mention the gas for the heater. Will it be natural gas or propane? How far is that from the meter if it's natural gas? More details are needed about the pool light. What's described is very generic. The major manufacturers all give an extended warranty when a filter and pump and any other major devices are purchased at the same time, usually three years versus 1 year. Putting in a Pentair branded light just makes sense. How thick is the gunite on the floor and walls? How thick is the bond beam? What size rebar is to be used? Normally, this expressed in eighths of an inch and quoted as #3 or #4 rebar. It's also good to know how many inches, on square, the rebar is laid out in. The pattern used to reinforce the bond beam (the top foot or so of the shell) should be stated. The beam adds substantial and needed stiffness to the shell. Have you decided what finish to use? Is it white plaster, colored plaster, Diamond Brite, a high aggregate like Pebble Tec, etc... Scott

"An honest licensed contractor who is worker's compensation exempt can comply with the law by hiring his help through a temp agency." I guess that's true, but I can honestly say that I have never ever heard of anyone doing this. Probably because they would have to pay the agency fees above the hourly wage that the worker gets and the whole reason people are claiming they are exempt when they aren't is because they are trying to avoid spending money. I don't think complying with the law is their main objective. Besides, the last place I'd look for experienced construction workers is a temp agency. "I can't believe the state only makes this requirement [liability insureance] of LLC's." I'm surprised, too, because California loves to regulate the heck out of everything. However, for every law there's a dozen ways to skirt it. Cali has workers comp laws and licensing laws, but people still find a way around them. The reason that there are so many unlicensed contractors out there is because there is a market for them. They wouldn't be in business if people weren't hiring them.

We have mostly vintage, antique, and seventies reproduction (Kindel, Henkel Harris) furniture with some new Lee Industries chairs and sofa (I would love to find a place to reupholster and slipcover my 25-year old Altman's sofa), but we do have a number of things from Ikea, and will be getting more for our new house -- the kitchen, and also bathroom vanities (decently made and hard to beat the storage and design for the price point) and Aina 100 percent linen curtains ($69/pair); curtain rods and hardware are decent too. Industrial-style pendant lamps for the pantry and laundry room. We live in Canada far from the U.S. border and not too close to any of the bigger cities, and are stuck with a lot of crummy chain stores. I prefer to avoid HomeSense, Winners, etc. and the furniture at Sears, Ashley, as noted above, isn't even worth talking about. Because of our location, winter is long and dark, so I also like Ikea's unscented votives and tea lights -- we go through a lot, and the price is right. Oh, and the solar Chinese-style round lanterns, going strong in my greenhouse for five years. The Oftast tempered glass dishes (dinner plates, bowls, salad plates etc.) for 79 to 99 cents each are great for entertaining. Considering the cost of paper and plastic, they paid for themselves after a few years of larger summer and holiday gatherings. We'll need some more occasional chairs in the new house and I've been thinking of Ikea for that. I would love a chaise longue somewhere, and Ikea might be the only way to justify it. I find Ikea in general works well if you do it like the best Ikea kitchens here on GW -- mix it up a bit so it's not entirely Ikea. It works well/looks best when it's in a mix of low and high (cost/quality).