The UK pool industry’s biggest
business growth opportunity may
already have been built.
With a huge installed base and
relatively few new pools being added
each year, the economics increasingly
point towards refurbishment,
replacement and upgrading as a major
source of future industry activity.
The challenge for the trade is
turning an ageing installed base into a
proactive programme of modernisation
— and transforming individual
repairs into complete, higher-value
refurbishment projects.
For decades, the swimming pool
industry has tended to measure its
health by new-build activity. But the
pendulum has truly swung. The question
for the trade is no longer whether
refurbishment is a market, it is how big
that market could become.
CRUNCHING NUMBERS
The lack of authenticated UK pool
statistics is frustrating. Even based on
guesstimates, the installed swimming
pool base mathematics tell an
interesting story.
Take the ballpark figure of 250,000 market has never been more
competitive,” agrees Luke Honnoraty,
Golden Coast’s Sales Manager.
“Homeowners are researching
products online, comparing running
costs and expecting far more from their
pools than they did a decade ago.
“They don’t simply want tired
equipment replaced—they want a pool
that is more energy efficient, easier to
maintain and smarter to operate.
“For pool building and maintenance,
this creates both a challenge and an
opportunity.”
FROM REPAIR TO REFURBISHMENT
Traditionally, refurbishment has often
been reactive.
• A liner fails.
• A pump stops working.
• The tiles look tired.
• The boiler needs replacing.
• A leak develops.
In times gone by, the contractor fixes
the problem and moves on. But today’s
customer is increasingly interested in
what else can be improved while the
pool is being worked on. That creates a
very different commercial proposition.
A contractor arriving to replace a
20-year-old liner may discover that
the same pool has an inefficient fixed-
speed pump, an ageing heating system,
poor filtration, an obsolete control
system and no effective heat-retention
cover.
The liner replacement may be the
reason for the call. It doesn’t have to be the whole job. That is where
refurbishment becomes a growth
market.
THE ECO OPPORTUNITY
If there is one factor capable of
transforming refurbishment values, it is
energy. An older pool can be expensive
to operate, particularly when its heating,
circulation and filtration systems were
designed around very different energy
costs and technologies.
Modern refurbishment allows the
contractor to address the entire system.
Heat pumps are already an increasingly
important part of that conversation.
But the heater is only part of the
equation. A modern heat pump installed
on an inefficient pool is not the whole
solution. The contractor needs to look at
heat loss, circulation, filtration, controls
and, above all, the cover.
That creates a powerful refurbishment
package: Heat pump + cover + variable-speed pump + filtration +
controls + LED lighting.
The conversation moves from selling
equipment to selling lower-cost pool
operation.
UNSUNG HERO
Pool covers have traditionally been sold
primarily on convenience, cleanliness
and safety.
Energy efficiency gives contractors
another reason to put them at
the centre of the refurbishment
conversation.
A heat-retention cover can reduce
evaporation and heat loss, helping the
heating system work more efficiently.
For an existing pool owner, this
can be a relatively straightforward
upgrade with multiple benefits. For the
contractor, it is another example of why
refurbishment should be approached
as a system rather than a series of
unrelated products.
The most valuable refurbishment
opportunities are not always the ones
the customer can see. Behind the pool
hall or tucked away in a plant room may
be equipment that has been running for
15, 20 or even 30 years.
Golden Coast’s Luke Honnoraty
again: “Our role is to provide
professional installers with access
to innovative, proven technologies
that help them demonstrate value,
differentiate their quotations and ultimately win more refurbishment
projects.
“We have witnessed a demand in
replacing an ageing single-speed
pump with a modern variable speed
model. Manufacturers such as Fairland
and Speck have developed highly
efficient pumps that allow the flow rate
to be matched precisely to the pool’s
requirements
“For homeowners, the benefits are
easy to understand lower energy bills,
quieter operation and improved overall
system performance. For installers, it’s a
compelling upgrade that demonstrates
immediate value.
Modern filters from Calplas feature
improved durability, hydraulic design,
delivering better water flow while
reducing system resistance, says Luke,
while Waterco’s innovative fish-tail
laterals available in the PPG deluxe and the bobbin round range provide more
even water distribution throughout the
filter bed, minimising dead spots and
improving filtration efficiency.
“For many refurbishment projects,
Dryden Aqua’s AFM has become the
preferred replacement for traditional
sand or gravel. It delivers finer filtration,
reduces biofilm formation, shortens
backwash times and lowers chlorine
consumption.
“The result is consistently cleaner,
healthier water with reduced
maintenance and lower operating
costs—exactly the kind of benefits
today’s homeowners are looking for.”
Luke continues: “Automation
is becoming one of the biggest
differentiators in the domestic pool
market. Systems such as the Dryden
Aqua SPACE range and the ASEKO
Home Pro continuously monitor water
chemistry and automatically dose
chemicals when required. They also
provide remote access via smartphone,
allowing homeowners to check
and control their pool from virtually
anywhere.
“These intelligent systems maintain
excellent water quality and mean
that when the customer wants to
use the pool, its aways ready. For
pool specialists, automation provides
another valuable opportunity to
enhance every project while future-
proofing the pool.
“In today’s demanding marketplace,
refurbishment projects are rarely won
on price alone,” Luke emphasises. “Homeowners are looking for expertise,
innovation and clear evidence that
investing now will reduce future running
costs while improving the overall pool
experience.”
Some may still be working perfectly
well. But “still working” and “working
efficiently” are not necessarily the
same thing.
THE REFURBISHMENT POSSIBILITIES ARE EXTENSIVE:
• New liners
• Retiling
• Regrouting
• Replastering
• New coping
• New steps
• LED lighting
• Water features
• Automatic covers
• New pool surrounds
• Landscaping
• Modern controls
• Heating upgrades
• Filtration upgrades
This is where experienced pool
contractors have a significant
advantage. A refurbishment survey can
identify not only what needs replacing,
but what could be upgraded.
That changes the contractor’s role
from installer to consultant. And it
potentially changes the value of the
project.
Alan Thorne, Director at Ocea
UK points out: “As pool owners and
commercial operators face rising
energy costs, plant room refurbishments
are shifting from standard reactive
maintenance to strategic, eco-driven
upgrades.
“Modernising a plant room is no
longer just about replacing worn parts—
it is about significantly reducing running
costs while delivering superior water
quality.
“At Ocea UK, we believe in supplying
plant room infrastructure engineered
specifically for maximum performance
and low operational overhead. Whether
carrying out a full plant room overhaul or a targeted servicing upgrade,
specifying the right equipment ensures
lower operating bills.”
THE POOL ITSELF
Technology may be driving a significant
proportion of refurbishment expenditure,
but aesthetics remain a powerful reason
for homeowners to invest.
A pool installed 20 or 30 years
ago can look very different from the
contemporary pools being specified
today.
For some customers, the motivation
will be necessity. For others, it will be
lifestyle. Either way, the result is the
same: money is being invested in an
existing pool rather than a new one.
THE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY
The residential market is only part of the
story. The UK’s commercial and public
swimming-pool estate presents another
substantial refurbishment opportunity,
with ageing plant and rising energy
costs creating pressure to modernise.
The latest UK State of the Swim
Industry data identifies 2,882 sites with
pools and 4,257 pools across the UK in The commercial customer may not be
looking for a glamorous new pool. But
they may have a very strong business
case for replacing a 20-year-old plant
room.
That plays directly into the
refurbishment market. There is a
substantial network of businesses with
the technical skills to deliver increasingly
sophisticated refurbishment projects.
HOLISTIC APPROACH
Perhaps the biggest opportunity for the
trade is not a new product. It is a new
way of selling.
The traditional model is: “Your pump
has failed. Here’s the replacement.”
The refurbishment model is: “Your
pool is 20 years old. Let’s assess the
whole installation and see how we can
improve it.”
