EVERY POOL’S BEATING HEART

Lucie Lunn on the inside track on plant room essentials…

UPGRADES TO PLANT room management is crucial to refurbishment projects. Pic. Poolgenix

As crucial to the efficient running of any swimming pool as the heart is to the human body, designing and maintaining an effective plant room is the core element of wet leisure projects in both residential and commercial locations.

The plant room is the beating heart of any swimming pool, housing essential equipment such as the pump, filter, heater, and, in many cases, a water treatment dosing unit. Together, these components form the system responsible for circulating, filtering, and disinfecting the pool water, transforming what would otherwise be a stagnant body of water into a safe, clean, and inviting swimming environment.

Without this vital system, a pool would quickly degrade into a murky, unhealthy pond. “Choosing the right equipment is guided by industry standards and recommendations from organisations like SPATA, ISPE, and PWTAG,” advises Plastica’s Fraser McCallough. “These guidelines help determine the necessary flow rates and filtration requirements to ensure the water remains safe for swimming,”

Fraser continues. “Once the turnover rate has been calculated, it’s crucial to match the correct pump, filter, and pipe sizes to achieve optimal performance. “Using equipment that is too large or too small can result in poor water quality, as well as pose risks such as entrapment or damaging cavitation.”

NAMES LIKE OCEA AND HEATSTAR commonly feature in modern swimming pool plant rooms. Pic. Cheshire Pools Services

Sourcing your equipment from a trusted supplier, like Plastica, can streamline the whole plant room planning process. Fraser again: “Plastica offers a comprehensive range of pumps, filters, and pipes, making it easier to select the right components for your pool. Leading sand filter brands such as Lacron, SureFlow, and Pentair Triton Neo provide a full range of sizes and multiport configurations, all of which are compatible with in-house manufactured pumps like the AV Argonaut Pump or Pentair Freeflo.

“Plastica also manufacture ABS pipe and fittings in-house and together, these elements form the foundation of a circulation system that delivers maximum performance and efficiency—whether you’re outfitting a small above-ground pool or the largest domestic swimming pool. “The heart of the plant room and the heart of the pool is the pump,” chips in Golden Coast’s Adam Clark.

“It does sound basic but you need to ensure that the pump has enough power to achieve the backwash results as well as filtration. Backwash rates can be 10 or more times greater than filtration rates.” So, what should the trade be concentrating on in terms of upgrades for refurbishments and why. “A lot of pool refurbishments are started on aesthetic grounds; people want a better-looking pool,” says Adam.

“But looks aren’t everything. “With spiralling energy costs, the most energy efficient pool becomes the most attractive one. “Pool builders should be looking to take the opportunity to retrofit a variable speed circulation pump and sure enough, sales of these are booming.”

SPACE, OR THE LACK of it, is the number one issue when it comes to plant room design. Pic. Heatstar

The PPG Deluxe brings better energy efficiency to domestic users. For a quick win, installing a Waterco MultiCyclone will improve water filtration and so reduce the number of backwashes and that in turn saves energy and money too. It’s a great green product for the end user.

Adam picks up the Golden Coast story: “I would have to say that Speck pumps are the most popular that we are supplying at the moment. Speck has an impressively large range so there is something for absolutely every site requirement.

“The market-leading PPG Deluxe pump is made in collaboration with Speck and just to put the icing on the cake, there is a no-quibble warranty on all Speck parts,” Adam says. “Cheaper isn’t better,” he warns. “With all the talk about the cost of living crisis and energy price hikes it’s easy to slip into thinking that people will be looking for the cheapest possible solution but this simply isn’t true.

“All the evidence that we have – including the results of last year’s Wet Leisure Survey – shows us that people are looking for value for money; which is different. “The best possible product at the best possible price is what wins the day and that is a philosophy that PPG and Golden Coast have shared for a long time.”

When it comes to environmental control, several things are taken into consideration when the equipment plant room is assembled that may have a knock-on effect on the chosen Heatstar unit. “The plant room equipment will inevitably produce a level of noise during operation. So, consideration must be given to potential noise and vibration transfer,” explains Heatstar’s Mark Osman.

“For example, the plant room should not be located near to bedrooms and should ideally be positioned away from occupied areas. Be aware that vibration can also be transmitted through walls, ceilings and air ducting,” he points out.

PLASTICA IS THE ‘GO-TO’ choice for tried and tested plant room brands.

SIZE MATTERS
“For Heatstar the biggest issue we face related to the equipment plant room is insufficient space,” Mark emphasises. “The machinery necessary to operate an indoor pool is considerable – pumps, filters, fuel boilers, air handling units and so on.

“Adequate planning is needed to ensure sufficient space is provided for all the equipment, and specifically for Heatstar is that suitable access should be made for service and maintenance to the Heatstar unit.”

Should plant room space be limited then a Heatstar unit can be weather-proofed and placed externally; using a protective insulated casing, ensuring the machine is able to cope with different climatic conditions.

If the plant room is to be used as a plenum chamber for the pool hall air, i.e. the pool hall air is drawn into and through the plant room, then the plant room must be thermally insulated and sealed to the same high standards as the main pool hall.

THE BEHNCKE FILTER range is a stand-out addition to the Lighthouse Pools plant room offering.

In addition, only fuel boilers fitted with a balanced flue, as opposed to a conventional flue, can be positioned within the same area. Care must also be taken with the storage and use of chemicals within the plant room and the enclosing of any vulnerable electric / electronic equipment.

“If the plant room is located at first floor level then the client must appreciate that there is a risk of extensive flooding in the event of a leak in a pool water pipe or fitting,” Mark warns. “A typical swimming pool pump delivers water at a very fast rate with the potential for notable resulting damage.

“Outside air ducts should be insulated in warm plant rooms to avoid condensation,” he continues. “Pool hall ducting should also be insulated to minimise heat losses and improve the accuracy of probe readings.”

STAND-OUT ADDITIONS
From a quality perspective, the Behncke filter range is a stand-out addition to the Lighthouse Pools plant room offering. Dan Phillips enthuses: “German engineering at it best with no expense spared to ensure you have a filter vessel that not only performs but with its smart, smooth, clean looks it adds a more professional appearance to your plant room.

“Too often the plantroom is overlooked when specifying a swimming pool and the new Global filters from Behncke and Lighthouse really give that high end look with an affordable price tag.” Behncke filters are designed with a clear 400mmø plexiglas lid, which makes visibility to the filter media bed and access for servicing a doddle.

The filters come as standard with a colour coded glycerine filled pressure gauge and air relief valve. The inlet and outlet connections are robust and a solid connection is made through the bulkhead fittings through a dedicated flat reveal on the filter body. The laterals are easy to use bayonet style twist lock, so simple to fit.

A TIDY PLANT ROOM is a sign of an efficiently planned residential pool. Pic. Blue Cube

Sizes start from 400mm perfect for small projects, spas and plunge pools and follows on with 500,600,765 right up to a 920mm unit, covering all your domestic filtration needs. Dan points out: “If you need a higher volume, then we have the Buhne and Berlin ranges which are clearly designed for the commercial market.

“These high-end filters ensure ease of servicing is kept at the forefront of the brand, with the addition of a clear side service hatch.” Behncke’s Buhne and Berlin both offer the extra deep bed filtration to meet the demanding requirements from commercial pools.

Both the Buhne and Berlin ranges are also available in 500,600,750 and 970mm options. To find out more contact Lighthouse for a full specification, pricing and help with ensuring you have the right Behncke filter for your project.

COMPANY CONTACTS
Golden Coast/PPG
Tel.01271 378 100
www.goldenc.com

Heatstar
Tel.01983 521465
E. info@heatstar.com
www.heatstar.com

Lighthouse Pools
Tel.01752 253525
E. sales@lighthousepools.co.uk
www.lighthousepools.co.uk

Plastica
Tel. 01424 857802
www.plastica.net