Norm

Glad to see you guys are enjoying this stuff. I thought I'd wait until Monday or Tuesday to comment in order to allow others to chime in. NORM SAGE

What did the homeowner attempt to do here? Download Attachment: 019IMPROPEREARTHRETURN.JPG 189.77 KB What are these three PVC pipes? Download Attachment: 1.5 inch capped pvc.jpg 203.04 KB Download Attachment: 2 inch capped pvc.jpg 202.82 KB Download Attachment: 2 inch open pvc.jpg 138.17 KB What's the difference between these two things? Why is one better than the other? Download Attachment: Drain Cover 2.jpg 119.25 KB Download Attachment: Drain Cover.jpg 179.31 KB What do you recommend when you see this? Download Attachment: Pump Motor.jpg 146.5 KB This is real fun at night! Download Attachment: Time Clock.jpg 207.22 KB NORM SAGE

Donald, If the contractor removes the steps and then reconstructs them there's a good chance for trouble down the line. Even if the rebar for the new steps is doweled into the existing gunnite shell with epoxy you will have a cold joint. I have yet to see a cold joint that didn't exhibit cracking following the curing process. The crack in the shell will eventually transfer through to the plaster surface. Not only is the crack un-sightly but it could allow leakage. On the other hand if the contractor leaves the original steps in place and reconfigures them using a bonding agent a satisfactory result can be obtained NORM SAGE

Donald, When you say "can the steps be redone" exactly what are you referring to? Do you want to remove the steps in their entirety and re-build them or just modify them? NORM SAGE

First photo. The one with the air bubbles. This usually indicates one of the following: 1. a leak in the suction side of the recirculation system. Could be piping or valves. If there is a pool vacuum in use the hoses may be drawing in air. It could also be the "O" ring at the pump hair trap. 2. a leak in the return side of the system. Could be at the filter "O" ring, return piping, or valves. Very seldom is this due to a leak in the underground piping but it's not impossible. If the cause isn't obvious the various components of the system must be isolated and put under pressure in order to locate the source of the leak. If the water level drops below the skimmer this will occur followed by loss of pump prime. Second and third photos. Wet niche lights. The NEC requires the top of the light lens to be at least 18" below the normal water level unless, as in the third photo, the light is listed for installation at lesser depths. In no case can the light be less than 4" from the normal water level. Fourth photo. Dry niche light. This is usually seen in older pools and consists of a compartment seperated from the pool by a sheet of plexiglass or other shatterproof material. There is an access cover located on the deck for servicing the light. The liight assembly must be listed for the intended use. I report these as potentially unsafe and recommend upgrading to a low voltage system or fiber optic lighting. No way is this photographers clamp-on light listed for use as a swimming pool light. Fifth photo. Stain. This inground pool is about two years old. The homeowner recently installed a 118,000BTU heat pump heater at a cost of +/_ $4,200.00. He sent his teen-age to the pool supply store to have the water analyzed. He was told he needed to add 1 1/2 cups of muriatic acid and 2 1/2 gallons of liquid chlorine. The teenager returned home and proceeded to add 1 1/2 cups of liquid chlorine and 2 1/2 gallons of muriatic acid. The highly acidic water leached the copper out of the heat pump coil and deposited it on the floor of the pool. Thus the blue stain. They were able to clean up the stain but had to sacrifice what was left of the heat pump. NORM SAGE

This is a gunnite shell pool with a plaster surface. No vinyl liner present. NORM SAGE

What would you suspect if you saw this? Download Attachment: BUBBLES.jpg 159.46 KB Do you know the requirements for placement of underwater swimming pool lights? Download Attachment: 064POOLLIGHTDEPTH.JPG 183.21 KB Download Attachment: LIGHT CLOSE TO SURFACE.jpg 174.32 KB This is my favorite pool light. Download Attachment: dry niche 2.jpg 167.73 KB What kind of stain is this? What caused it? Download Attachment: Stain.jpg 229.65 KB NORM SAGE

Yep. NORM

Scott, You win. This is the cracked gunnite shell they were going to fix. That would have been a $500.00 to $650.00 job. It ended up costing +/- $10,000.00 to demolish the pool and deck, haul away the debris, and fill the hole. NORM SAGE Download Attachment: ooops.jpg 238.17 KB

I don't know if the lack of response to the previously posted installments is due to the content or lack of, photo quality, choice of subjects, or just a temporary down trend in forum participation. If any of you have a particular topic regarding swimming pools you want me to touch on please let me know. I'm sure I have photos which will complement most topics. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. And above all "keep the pool filled with water". NORM SAGE Download Attachment: Oh Sh-t.jpg 217.43 KB

As Paul Harvey said "here's the rest of the story". Many of you don't know that between his 1st career in the military and his 2nd as a home inspector Mike O tried his hand, no pun intended, as a swimming pool contractor. Mike had one pet peeve which was the fact that the excavation contractor failed to back-fill the pool shell using proper compaction proceedures. This resulted in settlement of the concrete pool deck. Mike decided to show them how it was done. He climbed aboard the roller and went to work. Only problem was nobody told Mike which pedal was the brake and which was the accelerator. Actually, in the late 70s a road widening project was in progress a few blocks from where I lived. At the end of the day the workers would turn of the equipment and remove the ignition key. Those of you who are old enough may remember when the ignition key for a car was inserted into a slot located in the lower portion of the dashboard. You could also start the car,we called it hotwiring, by placing the foil side of a chewing gum wrapper behind the dashboard accross the ignition contacts. I never did such a thing I only heard about it. At any rate a teenager knew of this concept and started the abandoned roller. He was so surprised when it started he jumped off. In his haste to flee he triped on the gear shift and it started to move forward. The darn thing rolled right through a concrete fence and into the pool. Scary part was that this happened about 6:00PM and the homeowner and his family were having dinner. Can you imagine sitting at the table, hearing a loud rumble, and looking out of the dining room sliding glass door only to see the orange monster heading for you? True story. I've also got a photo of the crane removing the roller from the property. NORM SAGE

Here's the bonding requirement chart from the NEC. The purpose of bonding is to create and maintain an equal potential electrical plane. So long as the components you simultaneously touch are of the same electrical potential you likely won't be in danger. NORM SAGE Download Attachment: 016NEC_BONDING.JPG 171.52 KB

Danny, While it's hard to see, the bottom right corner of the 11KW Spa heater has rusted away at the point of the previous connection for the bond wire. You are correct re: bonding of the metal filter case. The NEC requires bonding of all electrical equipment associated with circulation of the pool water. The filter is not electrical equipment. Very good. NORM SAGE

Great plastic blow up pool toy. Not quite. On Thursday I'll divulge the story behind this one. Download Attachment: 097POOLTOY1.JPG 219.53 KB NORM SAGE

Let's talk about "bonding". What is bonding? What is it's purpose? How is it accomplished? Which components associated with a swimming pool have to be bonded? Is the bond in photo #1 necessary? Download Attachment: BONDING 1.jpg 226.95 KB Download Attachment: BONDING 2.jpg 151.44 KB Download Attachment: BONDING 3.jpg 189.76 KB Download Attachment: BONDING 4.jpg 220.72 KB Download Attachment: BONDING 5.jpg 176.75 KB Download Attachment: BONDING 6.jpg 142.46 KB My comments Thursday 5-27-04 NORM SAGE

Installment 4 and 5 to follow tomorrow. NORM SAGE

To some of you who encounter swimming pools on a daily basis this installment may seem very basic. However, to those who are not well versed in pools it is necessary to identify the different types of filters, how they operate, and how to inspect them. Installment #4 for those experienced in swimming pool inspections will follow. Here are three types of pool filters and a photo of an attachment to one of the filters. Identify each type and list any defects noted. List the filters in terms of their ability to effectively clean the pool water, their ease of maintainence, and how to inspect them. Download Attachment: FILTER 1.jpg 185.19 KB Download Attachment: FILTER 2.jpg 180.82 KB Download Attachment: FILTER 3.jpg 191.72 KB Download Attachment: FILTER 4.jpg 172.53 KB I'll respond to the posts on Wed. 5-26-04 NORM SAGE

Thanks Mark. I keep referring to them as pedestal outlets. Tombstone was the word I was looking for. NORM SAGE

The local building code requires the edge of the swimming pool to be no closer to any portion of the building than 5 feet. There was plenty of room. They just overexcavated. The code also requires shoring if the angle of repose is violated. They ignored that requirement also. NORM SAGE

I've attempted to resize the images. Hope this helps. Here are the previous two. Download Attachment: excavation 3.jpg 150.16 KB I forgot this one. This is a 16" X 16" poured column with 4 #5 rebar supported by an isolated footer. The column is/was designed to support the imposed load of the cantilevered concrete tile roof above. I only hope the roof can support the weight of the column and footer which will soon be hanging freely. Download Attachment: excavation 2.jpg 124.6 KB Download Attachment: excavation 4.jpg 154.3 KB Is this any better? NORM SAGE

This house was almost completed when the buyer decided to have the builder add a swimming pool. Keep in mind, here in S. Florida, homes are built on slab on grade. No spread footers just a thickened edge with 2 #5 rebar. I advised the client not to put anything heavy in this portion of the home. Download Attachment: excavation 1.bmp 1553.09 KB Download Attachment: excavation 2.bmp 1535.24 KB By the time the contractor forms the pool shell, shoots it, and backfills it, this structure will go from slab on grade to cantilevered. NORM SAGE

Richard, Thanks for your efforts. This has peaked my curiosity. I will research it further and post that which I find. NORM SAGE

After nineteen years as a HI it occured to me that there's something about water heaters which confuses me. I've seen MorFlo, Rheem, and Ruud water heaters with a capacity of 119.9 gallons and AO Smith heaters with a capacity of 119 gallons. I've never seen a heater with a capacity of 120 gallons or greater. Can anyone explain this to me? The only thing I can think of is that, possibly, a water heater 120 gallons or greater is classified as a different appliance with entirely different construction and safety requirements. NORM SAGE

It's not unusual, down here, for an A/C tech to remove the evap. coil in order to take it outside to chemically wash it then re-install it in the unit. Note I said "chemically" wash. Years ago only acid solutions were used now there are also alkaline solutions available. Sometimes only plain water from a garden hose is used. As to the low TD if the coil is obstructed with dirt or animal hair you would expect a high TD due to the fact that the air hangs on the coil longer. The CFM will be reduced. I suspect the system in under charged. If an "A" coil is installed upside down does it become a "V" coil? NORM SAGE

I agree,with Mark, from a practical standpoint there's little to no chance this will result in a negative situation. From a technical standpoint, however, the listing and labeling of the panel has been negated which is a violation of the NEC. See NEC2002 articles 90.7, 100 I, 110.2, and 110.3 A&B. I report such violations only because I hold a state certificate as a residential electrical inspector and could be held to that qualification in a court of law. CYA I guess. NORM SAGE