Thinking of adding DIY deck jets to my pool before our hardscaping project is completed over the next few weeks

HitchHiker

Gold Supporter
Jul 11, 2017
106
Bear, DE
Pool Size
25000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
I did some searching and I saw a few older threads from back 8+ years ago now on DIY deck jets - so figured I'd start a new thread here. Here's a link to my pool renovation thread for reference:


Currently, our decking has been removed, and I'm in between the completion of the pool renovation itself, which was done late last week, and the hardscaping project start, which should start next Monday, July 1st. The hardscaping project is estimated to take 3-4 weeks to complete (big project). So I've got probably 2-3 weeks where I could add deck jets to either where the new hardscaped pool deck will be installed along the back side of the pool, closest to the pool equipment. Anyone have any advice or recent experience with DIY deck jet installs? Our pool is roughly 36 feet total length - so I figured 3-4 deck jets? I could run low voltage electric as well, if I wanted to add LED lighting deck jets for example. Is there a general best practice as to how far apart deck jets should be?

Below is a pic that may help to provide some sense of the pool placement in our back yard. You can see some of our pool equipment along the left hand side of the pool - that is where any deck jets would be placed.


signal-2024-06-26-133732_002.jpeg
 
There are a lot of people that install deck jets with their new pool and then grow to HATE them over time. They are not something you'll run all the time, they can leak, and they can spray water all over the pace leaving stain and water marks (pool water is very hard compared to regular tap water and so it leaves water stain deposits on anything it touches).

Are you absolutely sure you really want deck jets? Aside from the initial "Wow" factor of impressing the friends and relatives, what's the point of them really?

@Newdude ... back me up ...
 
Oh, and given the location, you’re going to have to winterize those lines. One good overnight hard freeze and those pipes will crack like peanut brittle. Then you’ll be busting up your new deck to fix broken and leaky pipes …

But hey, it’s your pool and your money. If you really want them then it’s your call. As your original post indicates, better get it done now when the ground is available because there’s no doing it later on. And while you’re out there digging trenches you might as well add some PVC electrical conduit and/or PVC water lines in case you ever want to add some toys to the deck later on. There are definitely parts of my pool deck where I wish I have a nice big PVC sleeve to run some lines through.
 
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I think the real world effects of pool water aeration are very overstated, at least in terms of chemistry. When I have lowered TA in the past, I have seen no major difference in the amount of time it takes to rebound the pH back to 7.6 when dropping it to 7.0 with or without my waterfall and spillway running. Maybe a half a day difference under ideal circumstances.

As for pool cooling, perhaps having a fountain works well. Here in the dry desert, it's actually not that necessary to run a cooler. Pools will generally run cooler than air temps and the relative humidity is so low that the act of simply stepping out of the pool water and air-drying on the deck is enough to make a person feel a chill even when it's 105F out. Perhaps the chiller effect works better for folks where humidity is high.

If you want a chiller, then forget the deck jets and buy a Glacier Pool Chiller.
 
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yes, good advice on the Chiller. I do like the sound of a waterfall but not the maintenance, so I thought these Fountain type Jets would sound more like gentle rain. with a little less work, that is my hope anyway. oh and I do not like the regular deck jet noise either; as @Newdude stated above, they kinda do make one want to make a "1".:)
 
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I did some searching and I saw a few older threads from back 8+ years ago now on DIY deck jets - so figured I'd start a new thread here. Here's a link to my pool renovation thread for reference:


Currently, our decking has been removed, and I'm in between the completion of the pool renovation itself, which was done late last week, and the hardscaping project start, which should start next Monday, July 1st. The hardscaping project is estimated to take 3-4 weeks to complete (big project). So I've got probably 2-3 weeks where I could add deck jets to either where the new hardscaped pool deck will be installed along the back side of the pool, closest to the pool equipment. Anyone have any advice or recent experience with DIY deck jet installs? Our pool is roughly 36 feet total length - so I figured 3-4 deck jets? I could run low voltage electric as well, if I wanted to add LED lighting deck jets for example. Is there a general best practice as to how far apart deck jets should be?

Below is a pic that may help to provide some sense of the pool placement in our back yard. You can see some of our pool equipment along the left hand side of the pool - that is where any deck jets would be placed.


View attachment 589708
If you are considering deck jets, and have never had them, or only been subjected to them at a resort or other loud areas, I would encourage you to find someone who has them and go listen to them. They are extremely annoying. Much, much louder than bubblers or even sheers or scuppers. I have them and only use them when we have friends with small children who are over. Otherwise they sit dormant. They are scheduled to run several times a week to keep the water flushed and clean. If you don't have automation, that is something that you would need to consider is how often they need to be ran to keep algae from growing in those lines. And yes, winterizing, while it is not a significant pain, it is still something that must be done every fall, and you should install a way to blow the lines out when you install them, if you go that route.

Not trying to talk you out of them, but just making sure you are aware of all the nuances of them, that I was not, that would have changed my mind on them.

--Jeff
 
Oh, and given the location, you’re going to have to winterize those lines. One good overnight hard freeze and those pipes will crack like peanut brittle. Then you’ll be busting up your new deck to fix broken and leaky pipes …

But hey, it’s your pool and your money. If you really want them then it’s your call. As your original post indicates, better get it done now when the ground is available because there’s no doing it later on. And while you’re out there digging trenches you might as well add some PVC electrical conduit and/or PVC water lines in case you ever want to add some toys to the deck later on. There are definitely parts of my pool deck where I wish I have a nice big PVC sleeve to run some lines through.
Yes, this is one of my concerns - not that I'm not used to blowing out the lines already - I'm plenty used to doing this for the pool supply and return lines already. With regard to your point about the decking - since we're only installing 4-5 feet of decking on the back side of the pool - I could locate any "deck" jets beyond the actual decking - in the landscaping - so if we ever do need to dig them up - it's not a major ordeal. Ease of maintenance would seem to be a requirement. If not deck jets - what's another type of water feature that could be DIY that would be a better fit?
 
If you are considering deck jets, and have never had them, or only been subjected to them at a resort or other loud areas, I would encourage you to find someone who has them and go listen to them. They are extremely annoying. Much, much louder than bubblers or even sheers or scuppers. I have them and only use them when we have friends with small children who are over. Otherwise they sit dormant. They are scheduled to run several times a week to keep the water flushed and clean. If you don't have automation, that is something that you would need to consider is how often they need to be ran to keep algae from growing in those lines. And yes, winterizing, while it is not a significant pain, it is still something that must be done every fall, and you should install a way to blow the lines out when you install them, if you go that route.

Not trying to talk you out of them, but just making sure you are aware of all the nuances of them, that I was not, that would have changed my mind on them.

--Jeff
I don't think bubblers are an option for me as I don't have any other lines into the pool and I don't have a sundeck in the pool either - and the reno has already been completed and the pool is now opened. I'll have to look into sheers or scuppers as an option, I'm not familiar with them. I looked at doing a grotto over top of our loveseat area - but unfortunately our skimmer is located only two feet away from the loveseat and would have to be moved - which is pricey to say the least - and would involve cutting into the pool structure for the relocated skimmer - so that's not really something I want to do. Back a few years ago a grotto would have run me $20k at least. Considering we spent a grand total of $30k on the entire renovation itself - including new skimmer/lines - it didn't seem worthwhile.
 

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I don't think bubblers are an option for me as I don't have any other lines into the pool and I don't have a sundeck in the pool either - and the reno has already been completed and the pool is now opened. I'll have to look into sheers or scuppers as an option, I'm not familiar with them. I looked at doing a grotto over top of our loveseat area - but unfortunately our skimmer is located only two feet away from the loveseat and would have to be moved - which is pricey to say the least - and would involve cutting into the pool structure for the relocated skimmer - so that's not really something I want to do. Back a few years ago a grotto would have run me $20k at least. Considering we spent a grand total of $30k on the entire renovation itself - including new skimmer/lines - it didn't seem worthwhile.
What I wished someone had explained to me was that there were deck jets, and there are laminars. A laminar was what I had in mind, but a deck jet is what I got. The difference is in the type of flow/stream that they produce.

I have had no experience with laminars, but my brain says they would be quieter than the deck jets since they are a steady, unbroken stream of water entering the pool, whereas the deck jet streams break up above the surface of the water and cause a lot of splashing on the surface.

Those could be something to look into. Although I think they are significantly more cost than the deck jets.

--Jeff
 
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What I wished someone had explained to me was that there were deck jets, and there are laminars. A laminar was what I had in mind, but a deck jet is what I got. The difference is in the type of flow/stream that they produce.

I have had no experience with laminars, but my brain says they would be quieter than the deck jets since they are a steady, unbroken stream of water entering the pool, whereas the deck jet streams break up above the surface of the water and cause a lot of splashing on the surface.

Those could be something to look into. Although I think they are significantly more cost than the deck jets.

--Jeff
Yes when I said deck jets - I really meant Laminars like the Magicstream series from Pentair with LED lighting. They are around $1000/jet from what I've seen, though you can sometimes get them for a bit less on sale.
 
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