The UK pool industry is being urged to rethink its approach to pool management and crucially, water quality control. Pool industry consultant, Paul McMichael, believes many companies are under-resourced and even worse, are stuck in outdated practices from up to 30 years ago.
“I have seen first-hand, a reluctance to embrace new technology, new approaches and, perhaps most importantly, new understanding,” observes Paul McMichael, MISPE. “The attitude of “don’t try to fix what isn’t broken” can be deeply ingrained,” he adds.
Having chalked up more than two decades in the industry with Bell Leisure, Paul has embarked on a solo career, willing and able to to help pool companies who may feel under-resourced in manpower and knowledge.
“The reality is that we now understand far more about water chemistry, filtration, circulation and the factors that cause swimming pool problems than we did back in the 90s.
“We have the knowledge and technology to put preventative measures in place and, rather than continually firefighting problems, we should be using that knowledge to stop many of them happening in the first place.
“The industry has the knowledge and technology to prevent many of the problems we are still routinely fixing.”
“I believe one of the most important aspects of a swimming pool is often the one that receives the least attention: the water itself,” he emphasises. “Everything starts with water.”
Paul has become an ambassador for Pennosan, the UK-based manufacturer and supplier of chitosan products and formulations for a wide range of domestic and industrial uses as well as pools and hot tubs.
“I started using Chitosan about eight years ago,” explains Paul. “It massively reduced staining, algae, TDS and bio-film build-up.
“It exceeds all other clarifiers in my opinion and being a completely natural product is fantastic for the water and the environment.
“The science behind Pennosan is amazing, and as a bit of a tree hugger, it ticks so many boxes how I see the industry moving forward. Anyone who owns a pool should be regularly using the product.
“It achieves fantastic water clarity whilst also providing many preventative measures to ensure both pools and hot tubs stay crystal clear allowing sanitisers to do what they are suppose to do, keep bathers safe.”
Paul is a firm advocate of training and education that he believes needs to start at the top and work it way through all levels of the organisation.
“If the service director does not have a strong understanding of water chemistry and pool operation, how can we expect the engineers working underneath them to have the knowledge required to deliver consistently high standards,” Paul asks.
“Understanding how water chemistry behaves is not simply about knowing which chemical to add when a test result is outside the desired range. It is about understanding why the water has moved out of balance in the first place.
“That distinction is important. A reactive approach continually treats symptoms. A knowledgeable, preventative approach looks for the cause. And that is where the industry has an opportunity to improve.”
Paul believes there is a huge opportunity for the pool industry to become more professional, more preventative and more focused on water quality.
“Ultimately, the customer doesn’t buy a swimming pool because they want a collection of pumps, filters, pipes and chemical dosing equipment,” he points out. “They buy it because they want to swim. And they want to swim in clean, clear, healthy and enjoyable water. That should be at the centre of everything we do.”
PLANT ROOM CHAMPION
Paul is also a mighty champion of the plant room. “How often do we see significant sums spent on the pool shell, covers, heating systems and finishes, while the plant room — the very heart of the system — is treated as an afterthought?
“A swimming pool can look spectacular, but if the water is regularly green, cloudy, stained or unpleasant to swim in, what is the point?
“For me, spending thousands of pounds on a swimming pool and then compromising on the plant room is one of the biggest mistakes an owner can make,” Paul continues.
The plant room is not somewhere to save money. It is where the equipment responsible for filtration, circulation, heating, chemical management and ultimately water quality has to work together effectively. “It is a little like buying a Porsche and putting a Fiat Panda engine in it.”
Paul is available to offer consultancy support anywhere in the UK. “Do a quality job, communicate properly and build a reputation for solving problems. The growth will follow naturally.”
He can strengthen companies expertise in the short or long terms with specialist areas including:
• Individual plans for problem pools.
• Providing a detailed breakdown of pool products and equipment.
• Training of Service Engineers and Managers.
• Setting One, Three and Five year strategic plans
One area that concerns Paul is the number of companies that concentrate on installing pools but do not have a dedicated maintenance or service team.
“Installing the pool is only the beginning of its life,” he advocates. “Without a proper understanding of what is required to maintain that installation to the highest possible standard, there can be a disconnect between the equipment that has been installed and the long-term requirements of the customer.
“The result can be frustrated pool owners, underperforming systems and, ultimately, another pool company being called in to rectify problems that should never have developed in the first place. The industry needs to think beyond the handover. A pool is a long-term investment and customers deserve long-term support. That means understanding how the pool will operate not just on day one, but five, ten or twenty years down the line.
“I don’t believe the answer is to throw away everything the industry has learned over the decades. Quite the opposite.”
PWFM Consultancy
Tel. 07801 514613
paulmcmichael@me.com
