Let's Build a Pool

Mark My Words

By Mark Manning
President of Watermaid Canada
Salt Chlorination Systems

When it comes to pools, most people are pretty much set on the shape, the size and depth that they want. They ooh and aaah over liner patterns or tile colours or that pretty design on the bottom of the fiberglass pool. What often gets overlooked in all of this is the equipment choice and the way that it is plumbed and wired. Most often, the goal of the homeowner is to simply get the pool in, have it filled and swim in it. There is usually more thought put into the type of hostas in the flower bed next to the pool than there is on what will make this pool something that is easy to maintain and enjoy.

When you book your pool and the installer is sitting at your kitchen table or on your deck pointing out what his new creation will look like and where it will go, the choice of equipment is often in the hands of that salesman. For the most part, these guys have been around enough to know what equipment will give them trouble and they will easily point that out. What is often not taken into account is that just like you and I, pool installers are creatures of habit. When the bottom line profit is the same, most would rather pump out carbon copies of the last pool that they installed. Who can blame them? It's like that favorite family recipe that you have. You are happy with it and everyone loves it, so why change.

As a consumer, you need to educate yourself so that you can say with confidence, "I respect the fact that you sell a quality product but I would really prefer to have it done this way". If you have checked your references and you know that this guy is proud of what he does and understands that your happiness can only lead to more sales, he should be more than happy to do it your way. If not, perhaps you should be wary of the motives behind his resistance. Keep in mind that if you are like most people, a pool will be the second most expensive investment in your life, so you should make sure that you get what YOU want.

For me there are a few simple things that can be done to make the process better. Some pool installers will do this automatically, while others, for the sake of cost or ease of installation will resist.

#1. Plumbing

I am a big fan of 2 inch PVC plumbing for pools. It may be rigid or it may be flex, but 2 inch for me, should be the size of choice. The reality is that a proper flow calculation should be completed for every pool. If this is done you may find that even 2 inch pipe isn't big enough. I realize that most pools are plumbed with 1 ½ inch and some of the cheaper installations use that black ABS, that we have all seen at the cottage we rented in 1982. The arguments against 2inch PVC will go something like this;

"All of the equipment is 1 ½inch so it is a waste of time running 2inch when it is reduced at the heater, filter salt system cell ."

The reality is, that a lot of this equipment does come with 2inch plumbing. It is simply a matter of asking for it. Even if the equipment is 1 ½ inch, you still want 2inch to connect it all. I could go into a long-winded explanation of hydraulics and the difference in head loss between 2inch and 1 ½inch, but lets think of it this way.

Lets build a tunnel that is 1 foot taller than you and at the end of the tunnel we will put a doorway, which is 1 foot shorter than you. This is the 2-inch plumbing 1 ½ inch equipment scenario.

Now lets build another tunnel that is 1 foot shorter than you with a doorway at the end, which is the same height (1 foot shorter than you). This is the 1½ inch plumbing 1 ½ inch equipment scenario.

Now, pretend that you are water and you want to get through the doorway at the end of the tunnel as fast as you can. The bigger tunnel (2 inch plumbing) will win every time. Even better would be a big tunnel with a big door (2 inch plumbing 2 inch equipment).

So why should we care that the water has an easier time flowing through the system? For one it is a lot easier on your equipment. Pumps will prime quicker, and during operation there will be less load. The harder it is for water to flow, the more electricity you use. Also, 2 inch plumbing increases circulation, which will, turn over the water in your pool more quickly. This means that it will be cleaned heated and sanitized more often.

There are only three reasons why a pool installer would NOT use 2 inch PVC

1. It is easier to use smaller pipe
2. It is cheaper for him to use smaller pipe
3. It is cheaper for him to use ABS pipe

None of these reasons will do you any good after he leaves and cashes your cheque.

Plumbing on, and to, the pump pad will need shutoff valves, diverter valves and check valves to make everything work. It is always a good idea to have shutoff valves on all lines leading to the pump pad. If the pump is above your pool water level, it is best to have a check valve, which prevents water from draining out of the line when everything is shut down or disconnected. The check valve should be as close to the skimmer box as possible to make priming of the pump easier. Cavitation, which is air impacting the impeller, is very hard on a pump. The sooner it primes, the better. Just a note on check valves, it is a good idea to have the valves connected to the lines with threaded fittings. This makes it easy for them to be removed and cleaned.

#2. Equipment

When the water finally gets to the pump pad, it is pumped, filtered, heated, and sanitized. The equipment that does all of these things can vary from absolute junk to high end simple and efficient. For the most part, the pool installer gets what HE (yes I said it right) pays for, so find out what the pool installer is putting in.

Don't confuse what you pay for the equipment as an indication of quality. Salt pool systems are usually billed to the customer at the same price no matter what equipment is used. If the pool installer can find a system for $100.00 cheaper than a higher quality one and he can bill it out at the same price, guess what unit he will push on you.

Each piece of equipment at the pad has its own needs and quirks, so I think it would be best to leave the nuts and bolts of each piece of equipment up to the manufacturers to explain. I will simply give you a high level view of each piece. As the President of Watermaid Canada, I could rant for a long time about salt systems but I'll leave that for another time.

Just remember that bigger isn't always better, flashy displays and complicated electronics could be more bother than they are worth and for your own sake, find out what happens when the piece of equipment finally fails. You should understand what is covered by warranty and for how long? Don't confuse pro-rated warranties with full warranties. Consider the long term costs and benefits, not the up front savings. Remember that you are paying for this and you deserve the best value for your money. Once again, this is a decision for the life of your pool and for most it is the second biggest investment you will ever make.

Pumps

If there ever was a case where bigger isn't always better, this is it. A pump needs to be matched to the rest of the equipment on the pad. In the case of heaters, there are design limits on flow rates. Filters are the same, especially with a sand filter. Make sure that you do not exceed the design limits on these pieces of equipment or you could have erosion on heater cores or poor filtering from your sand filter.

Heaters

The important part of a heater is what the core is made of. That is the part where the water flows, and the cost of the heater is mainly dictated by what it is made of. A copper core is the softest and will wear out more quickly. A copper-nickel core is more resistant to chemical and mechanical attack. Titanium is the most resistant of all of the cores and for that reason usually carries the best warranty. It also carries the biggest price tag as well, so read up on the different types.

Filter

There are three main types used. The first type is, D.E. or diatomaceous earth. The second is cartridge, just a bigger version of the water filter under your sink, and third is sand, which is simply a plastic tank full of (you guessed it) sand. When water flows through the sand, the lumps are captured. We will most often see sand filters used on pools installed for the homeowner. Of the three types, they allow the biggest particles of dirt to flow right through them but for ease of operation and cost, it is pretty hard to argue against sand. The other two types have some pretty good reasons why they should be the choice of the consumer. If you don't mind a little extra work, some of these filters have amazing filtering ability so you need to decide where your priorities are. D.E. filters out the smallest particles, followed by cartridge and then sand. With filters, it is always a good idea to go one size larger than you think that you need.

Sanitizer

Like all of the other pieces, there are a few ways to have this done. What needs to be kept in mind is the fact that Health Canada only recognizes two types of sanitizers for use in pools. These are chlorine and bromine. To clarify this point, it must be mentioned that there are many other sanitizers out there but they must be used in conjunction with one of these two sanitizers to ensure that your pool stays healthy. There is the simple chlorine dispenser, which is nothing more than a housing that stores chlorine pucks or sticks and as the water flows through the dispenser it simply dissolves the puck and dumps chlorine into the return line.

There are chemical feeders, which dispense liquid chlorine as well. We don't usually see these on domestic pools.

The simplest method is manual dosing into the pool itself. For pucks, we often see people drop them in the skimmer basket, a practice that I wouldn't advise. The pucks have a very low pH (2.9) and the high acid concentration in the return line is hard on equipment. There is also manual dosing with liquid chlorine. The chlorine is simply poured into the pool.

Finally there are salt systems, which are often called chlorine generators. These are probably the most misunderstood pieces of equipment on the whole pool pad. First of all, let's dispel one myth. Salt systems do generate chlorine. As I said before, there are only two recognized chemicals when it comes to Health Canada, they are chlorine and bromine. These devices produce chlorine through the natural process of splitting a sodium chloride (salt) molecule. Some of these devices can generate bromine as well and if you contact the manufacturer or a local rep, the process to do that can be easily explained.

I honestly believe that within the next ten years, we will catch up to the Australians when it comes to salt system use. The feel of a salt pool is the hardest thing to describe. They have the advantage of being more comfortable and a lot less irritating on the skin and eyes. The amount of chemicals needed to maintain your pool is also drastically reduced. With an estimated 90% of pools in Australia sanitized with salt chlorination and a history that goes back to 1971 in the case of Watermaid, these units have proven to be the natural "next step" in pools.

With all of the basic equipment explained, a quick note on power to the equipment is in order. In Canada we have 120-volt and 240-volt systems. With everything the same, a 240-volt system will always cost less to operate than a 120-volt system. If you have a choice, (and you should) ask the pool guy to wire everything 240 volts. Most will do this automatically but find out for sure.

So now the water is warm, clean and sanitized. When it returns to the pool, it goes into the pool at the jets. The jets should be positioned so that the water sweeps around the pool and into the skimmer box. This ensures that any of the floating debris is captured and doesn't just sit there until it becomes waterlogged and sinks. A good idea is to have a jet on the step of your pool. This will keep the dirt off of the steps where it is the most noticeable. If you don't have a jet on your step you will find yourself brushing and sweeping it all of the time to keep your pool looking good.

A jet on the step is also great for dissolving salt. The concentrated water flow literally melts the salt and makes the whole process a lot quicker.

The last piece is the main drain. A lot of pool builders are going away from using main drains. Those are the grills in the deep end of the pool that suck in the water. The danger with main drains is that you or someone else in your pool could get their hair stuck, or if someone lies on the drain they may get stuck to it. Anti-entrapment drain covers get rid of some of the danger, but in my own pool I have the main drain turned off while people are in the pool. It is a simple matter of having a shutoff valve plumbed to the return line of the main drain. The only time that I turn it on is in the fall when I want to drain my pool down below the jets to winterize the pool. It is also good when I am dissolving salt and want to get the pool mixed up. Another down side to main drains is that if there is ever a leak it can be very expensive to fix because of the location.

Other equipment like ladders slides, diving boards are personal choices and this is probably where the kids get a say in the new pool. I won't go into any details on these pieces other than to say that some of them can carry a pretty hefty price tag so make sure you will use them before you commit to buying them.

I hope that these points will help you when it comes to planning your own pool. The internet is full of good information if you want to learn more about points that I have touched on. Manufacturers are a great source of knowledge on specific products as well. If you take the time to plan your pool and make sure that you get what you really want, your pool will be a source of pleasure for many years.

Mark Manning
Watermaid of Canada Inc
1-877-987-6243

www.watermaid.ca