ventinc- Sounds like a great pool and you've put a lot of thought into the design and equipment. Related to hydraulics, the 2" returns and 2.5" suction sounds light for high flow needs, such as cleaning and waterfalls. Most high efficiency plumbing circuits have 2.5" returns and 3" suction if your runs are 50 feet or more. Also, I see you mentioned you're on a budget and yet I see 2 variable speed pumps. Have you considered 2 speed pumps instead. This will save you about $1K and will still offer tremedous energy savings over single speed pumps. If you're comfortable with the exta cost of two variable speed pumps, I would recommend placing one of the variable speed pumps on the spa and use a 2 speed or a 1 speed for the waterfall instead. The 2 speed will allow a light trickle or a roaring waterfall depending on your mood. This is what I've done with our waterfall and would not do it any other way. Variable speed on a waterfall is a bit overkill in my opinion and at higher flow rates, they are no more efficient than a 1 speed or a 2 speed. Hope this helps!

Mike, sorry I don't have a answer to your question, but noticed that your pool set up is similar to my pool design that we plan to start construction on this year. I've have a couple of questions that hopefully you could help me on. 1) Is your pool coping precast concrete? We would like to do a poured concrete coping but our pool consultant told me that they would not be able to glue the forms to any wall that had a stone surface. If you did a poured coping how did you do it. 2) What is the radius of the fire pit in the corner, we have two raised planters just like it and I was concerned that my radius was too tight for stone application (2' radius) 3) How do you control your fire pit by the pool, I'm thinking that I may want to switch my raised planter to a fire pit instead Thanks.

aquaman!! Did you make logs or blogs of your pool build? That looks awesome!! I have 50k budgeted but I wanted to get a fair amount of concrete decking and a arbor style bbq for my dh...oh and did I mention a small changing/storage house at the end of it! I figure my storage house with outside shower would run me 5k and the arbor would run me close to $3500 so for the pool and enough decking to fill in an area of 50x 25 leaving room for a decent sized pool would put me at 40k...I do speak Spanish, but I am lucky to live in an area that has local workers who all "know" each other and get great referrals..you wouldn't believe the awesome subs I had for my house remodel...people would really faint with what they charged me..I live in a rural enough area that folks still work hard for the money and their word means more than their profits...a rare find indeed and I treat my subs very well, I also wanted to build it after the 'rush' of summer when I could get the better crews as they slow down. Thinking of starting in September and finishing in December, if it takes that long, I'm really considering composite pools..there's a manufacturer just 20 miles away in Tennessee and I hope they'll work with me doing it myself...even though I speak Spanish, the Latin American crews actually had higher bids than my local guys...I need to create a spreadsheet to figure all costs up front and see if my acting as contractor will be worth the effort...my kids learned a lot helping with the remodel of the house, I'm sure we could create some science projects like raising tadpoles in the pool while it's being completed! :) Thanks everyone! I will get my worksheet out and bring it back to this thread to see if you think I'm missing something...thanks!! Tara

Here are some updated specs from the PB. Now we are $96K... Included site plan picture. Pool:à35'9"àxà16'8"à(19,609àGallonsàEstimated)àPerimeterà96âÂÂ10âÂÂàLinearàFeet,àAreaà581àSq.Ft.àDepthà4ft.àxà5.5ft.àxà4ft.à1àBenchàTotalà15àSq.àFt,à2àBeachesàTotalà56àSq.àFtààExcavationàandàformingàExcavateàandàformàpoolàshellàShellàwallsàtoàbeà8"àâÂÂà10âÂÂàthickàwithà12âÂÂàbondàbeamàRockàexcavationà-ànoàextraàchargeààSteelà&àGuniteàSteelà8âÂÂào.c.àâÂÂàrebarà-à8âÂÂào.c.àbothàwaysàSteelàinàbeamà1/2âÂÂàrebaràxà4àCaliforniaàstyleàâÂÂàupgradedàguniteàwithàfiberàmeshààPlumbingàandàEquipmentàPoolàPipesà-à2âÂÂàscheduleà40àpvcàSkimmers:à2àindependentlyàplumbedàforàoptimumàcontrolàReturns:à8àloopedàforàevenàpressureàNoàMainàDrainàPumpà-àVariableàSpeedàHaywardàandàWateràFeatureàPumpà(SP3400VSP)àCleanerà-HaywardàSharkàVacàwithàCartà(RC9742)à1àAutoàFillàValveà(PoolàMiseràPMIâÂÂMP101)àInstallàVacuumàBreaker(s)àatàHoseàBib(s)à(4)àBubblersà(à3àonàtheàGrottoàledge,à1àonàEntryàBeach)ààBubbleràandàspillàoveràpumpà(HaywardàSP2315)àSpaà7'10"âÂÂHorseshoeàshapedàwithàHaywardà400kàBTUàHeaterà(H400fd)à6àJetsàMassageàWaterwayàPulzaràjetsà(à2106170àorà2106510à)à2àflushàmountedàflooràjetsàforàfootàmassage.àà6àft.àSpilloveràBlowerâÂÂàAiràSlencerà(ASFâÂÂ1636120f),àHaywardàPumpà(SPâÂÂ3010X15AZ)ààDeckàandàMasonryàCopingà-àOklahomaàFlagstoneàOklahomaàFlagstoneàHickoryàNewàPoolàdeckà730àSqàFt.àinàOklahomaàFlagstoneàOklahomaàFlagstoneàHickoryàTurndownàasàneededàrubbedàconcreteà172àSq.àFt.àStoneàStepsà(àincludesàTreadàandàraisersà)àRunàpipesàfromàdownàspoutsàforàààTileÃÂ