My name is Ryan and me and my wife(mommy4) have been reading and of course learning alot of great info posted here by youself and others and have never had any replies as to our questions regarding our situation. We inherited a pool (built in 1960?)(16x32 rectangle 3.5-8' wedge/saftey ledge sand bottom,metal and rusted walls)last year with the purchase of our home and it was covered with a wooden structure to withhold people walking over it. Basically the guy was old and had it closed up 8-10 years back. The liner must have ripped and he threw the old cast iron filter and wood and ceramic tile and debris of all sorts into it before he covered it. There was a sinkhole of sorts on the deep end one side wedge but not too deep and so i cleaned and sifted entire sand to about 6-12" deep all around. Raked and shaped it as though it would be ready to be measured for a liner. Have 2 distant pool guy friends that cant seem to find the time to help me measure as it is I dont want to pay 1000 for a liner and have it be wrong. My wife and I are big DIYers and we are determined to open pool even if it is septber 30th. We live outside Chicago in Northern Indiana. I aquired a bunch of eqipment from someone moving out of state and have a Tagelus 60/60D 325lb sand filter, magnetek 1.0 HP pump, Raypak 2100 millivolt plus heater and a polaris 360 with booster pump and a saftey cover leaf net and 2 stainless ladders for 500.00 bucks. I have dug down (old man had put ABS and skimmer work done at some point.) to where the ABS is and am redy to plumb in 2 returns and 1 skimmer(need lid and maybe other parts) that are right outside the conrete deckind about 24" deep and all three 1.5 lines are next to each other I want to 45 degree them and route them 10' to an eqipment pad along the back of my home. I have many questions and will not bombard you but any help would be GREATLY appreciated and I for one am willing to help anyone in need.
* I need to know if i should use a compactor machine and then start to shape my bottom.
*Should i use vermiculite(??how?)to add some strength to the bottom? I did take out alot of sand when cleaning but not below metal walls.
*can I paint the rust on the walls with rust oleum to prevent any holes? ( i did powersand entire perimeter)
*can i glue that Foam backing on?
*the coping looks good but should i use liner lock to prevent any slippage?
*can I raise the depth from 8' to 7'
*how do i pressure test the existing but not complete ABS piping (returns and skimmer) before I start adding so i dont have to dig twice.
*I am upgrading electric to a breaker system and the panel is on the same wall as where the eqip will be so do i just need 2 gfi circuits---1 for switch for pump and 1 for booster and other underground piping that will run lighting outside pool deck area.
*do i need a dedicated spigot for water when needed?
*can i pipe in waste from filter to a cleanout pipe that is attached to my sewer(right next to pad)
* isnt the filter suppose to have Power supply cord?
*is it easy to find Drain plug for filter. (lost it)
*can polaris run off one of the returns or do i need to pipe in another dedicated 1.5 and drill into metal?

I probably have more but even if you answer one I thank you kindly!

I have enclosed some pics and hopefully it will help you see my dilemma.

procableguy@comcast.net or procableguy@msn.com


http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...t=IM000760.jpg