Hey. It's Brandon. And before you order your pool equipment, I wanna walk you through everything you need to know so that you get exactly what your project requires. Nothing more, nothing less. If you look at your construction plan, you'll see the equipment that we recommend listed on the right hand side under pool equipment. That is your starting point. But there are some decisions that you will need to make based on your specific setup, and I wanna make sure you understand your options before you place your order. So let's go through this piece by piece. Let's start with pumps because this is where most of the questions come up. Most pool and spa projects use a single main pump. This is typically around three horsepower, and it does double duty. When your valves are in the normal circulation position, this pump filters your pool and spa water together. When you turn the valves to spa only mode, that same pump powers your spa jets. So a single pump can handle up to six jets in your spa. And for most people, that's plenty. But if you want more than six jets, you will need what we call a booster pump. This is just a secondary pump that is dedicated to powering those additional jets. The size of that booster pump depends on how many extra jets you're adding. More jets means a larger pump. Now here's something that trips people up. If your project includes fountain features and you want those fountains running while you're in the spa, you will need a separate fountain pump. Your main pump cannot do both at the same time. So if you're picturing yourself relaxing in the spa with a waterfall going in the background, that's gonna require its own dedicated pump. The size of the fountain pump will depend on how many fountains you have and how big they are. If you have multiple large fountains, you might even need multiple fountain pumps. One more thing on fountain pumps. Each one requires its own suction inlet inside of the pool to meet code. That means either two circular main drains separated by at least three feet or a channel drain. The channel drain is typically installed on the sidewall of your pool. Your plan is going to specify what you need, but I wanted you to understand why we listed the things we did under the pool equipment section on your plan. Alright. Let's talk about lights. Pretty much everyone these days is using niche less low voltage LED lights. They're energy efficient. They last a long time, and they look great. These are the same lights that you will use for your pool, your spa, your tanning ledge, your bubbler fountains, all of it. The same type of light throughout. Your construction plan is gonna show how many lights we've determined your project needs based on the size and layout of your pool. Now here's the technical piece. These lights are going to require a transformer to operate. Each transformer can handle up to seven lights. So if your plan calls for seven or fewer lights, you need to order one transformer. If you have eight to fourteen lights, you will add two transformers on your order form and so on. One thing I really want you to catch is if you're ordering bubbler fountains and you want them to be lit up at night, which I highly recommend, you need to order those lights separately. The light is not included when you order the bubbler fountain. It's a separate line item. I have seen people mess this up and then wonder why their bubblers look awesome during the day, but they're completely disappear at night. So don't let that happen to you. If your project includes both a pool and spa, then I highly recommend that you add an automation system. This lets you control everything from your smartphone, your pump, your heater, your lights, your spa jets, all of it. You can literally turn the spa on from your couch or while you're out to dinner and have the spa hot by the time you walk outside. For most pool and spa projects, even ones with just a few fountains, a four function automation system is all that you're gonna need. If you have multiple pumps or additional electrical items, you might wanna consider a larger system with more zones. But for most people, four function automation is going to cover most projects. Now when you add automation, you also need electronic motorized valves that we call actuators. These are what allow the system to automatically switch between pool mode and spa mode. They actually physically turn the valves for you based on what you select inside of your app. Most pool and spa projects need two actuators. Your plan will confirm exactly what you need. Now let's talk about keeping your water nice and clean. We typically recommend a salt purification system. Now you've probably heard people talk about salt systems, and the way these systems work is they convert salt into chlorine naturally. So you get sanitized water without having to manually add chlorine all of the time. The water feels softer. It's easier on your skin and your eyes, and maintenance is much simpler. So here's a tip. Most of the automation systems can actually be ordered with a salt system included at a discount. So if you're getting automation anyways and you want salt systems, bundle them together and you will save money. You'll see the option to do that on our order form. Now if you'd rather not go the salt system route, there is another option called a UV ozone system or UVO. This system uses ultraviolet light and oxygen to sanitize the water. It's effective, and it cuts down the amount of chlorine you need by about sixty percent, but it doesn't eliminate chlorine entirely. You will still need some type of chlorine dispenser. The UVO just reduces how much chlorine you're using. Both are good options. Salt is more hands off. UVO is a solid alternative if you prefer to avoid salt for some reason. And the best of both worlds is a UVO system paired with a salt system. Now let's talk about your heating options. If you have a spa, you're going to need a heater. And even for pool only projects, a heater can extend your swimming season significantly. You have three main options for heating, gas, electric, or solar. So let's break down each one. First, gas heaters. These run either on natural gas or propane depending on what's available at your property. The biggest benefit to a gas heater is reliability. It's gonna work no matter what the outside temperature is. So even if it's thirty degrees at night and you want your spa at a hundred and four degrees, well, the gas heater is gonna get you there. The only downside to a gas heater is the efficiency. They just cost more to operate over time. But for spa heating, especially, a lot of people prefer gas because it heats fast and it works in any weather condition. The second option is an electric heat pump. Heat pumps are more energy efficient than gas. They pull heat from the air and transfer it to your water, which uses less energy overall. And here's a bonus that most people don't know about. Heat pumps can also cool your pool. So if you live somewhere with a really hot summer and come August, your pool water feels like a bathtub, an electric heat pump can bring that temperature of the water down. The catch is that electric heat pumps don't work that well when the outside temperature drops below about fifty degrees. They also can struggle in areas that have super low humidity. So if you live somewhere with cold winters and you wanna use your spa year round, a heat pump alone might not cut it. The third option is solar heating. Now solar is great for extending your pool season by a few months in spring or fall, and it is the most cost effective thing to operate because the sun is free. Right? But it has limitations. It only works when you have enough direct sunshine. Cloudy days are not gonna do much. And for spa heating, the solar is not practical at all. You cannot reliably get a spa to a hundred degrees with solar alone. So my general guidance is this. If you have a spa and you want it to be usable year round regardless of weather, gas is your best bet. If you are in a mild climate and efficiency is priority or you wanna cool the pool water, a heat pump is a great choice. And if you just wanna squeeze a few extra months out of your pool season for free, add solar as a supplement. Now solar is installed after the pool is completed by a pool solar company or by using a DIY pool solar kit. You can reach out to us for more information on those. Alright. So the last piece of equipment we need to cover is your filter. We recommend a cartridge filter for most projects, and here's why. Cartridge filters trap very fine particles so that your water stays clearer. They don't require backwashing, which means you're not wasting water every time you clean the filter, and they're more energy efficient, especially when paired with a variable speed pump. They also are more compact than other filter types, so they take up less space in your equipment area. The maintenance on a cartridge filter is also really straightforward. You simply pull out the cartridge periodically, you hose it off, and you put it back. Now eventually, the cartridge will wear out, but you can simply replace it, and it's an easy swap. Your construction plan will specify the size filter that is best suited for your project based on your pool volume and your pump flow rate. Alright. Let's wrap this up. Before you place your pool equipment order, here is what I want you to do. Pull up your construction plan and look at the equipment listed on the right hand side. Think through the decisions that we just covered. How many spa jets do you want? Do you need a fountain pump? And are you bundling automation with a salt system? Are you gonna go gas or electric for heat? If you have any questions about any of this, simply just reach out to our team before you order. We are here to help you get exactly what you need. The goal is to order once, order right, and not have any surprises when your equipment shows up. Thanks for watching. Now go build that pool.