Have you ever looked at the
equipment pad at
a new build and
thought, “What were these
tommyknockers thinking?!”
Next thing you do — you
cut out the equipment and
replumb the pad. Why?
Because it looks like Mario
and Luigi put this together
for their next Maze Mayhem
video game.
Paul Rodriguez has to share space with trash and recycling bins on this equipment pad, buried in the back of his customer’s backyard and surrounded by brick walls.Photo courtesy Paul Rodriquez
This is an all-too-common
occurrence. The homeowner
is confused and upset
because, “Everything is brand
new!” In response, I honestly
don’t know what to say. I
sure as shexpletive am not
going to trash the people who
installed the pool, but they
do have my back against the
wall. All I know is if I cannot
correct the pain points right
off the bat, I’m not taking the
job unless it’s at a premium;
even then, this pool may have
me hating life.
Every pool on my route
has to be serviceable. I’d
rather fix the problems now
instead of having to deal with
them later as they inevitably
rear their ugly heads. If the
homeowner rejects the
repairs part of the bid or
significant problems cannot
be remedied, I move on. I
don’t need the headache.
Access to the waterline is another issue to consider in design. Here, Jason of N.J.-based Blue Dolphin Natural Water Systems holds on to the ankles of his colleague as he removes a safety cover waterfall cable system eyebolt.Photo courtesy Michael Walsh
At this point, I’m sure
somebody is shouting,
“Don’t you like money?!”
Yes, I do. But I also don’t like being consumed by repugnance
each week as I pull up to a house. The
financial gain has to significantly exceed
the challenges associated with the
account to be considered worthwhile.
Sometimes, you can’t get there; other
times, that number just doesn’t exist.
The truth is that some pool builders,
in their quest for the jaw-dropping
Instagram shot, might accidentally build
pools that are all sizzle and no steak.
You’ve seen ’em: the sheer descent
that defies gravity, the Salvador Daliesque
shape inspired by a hypnagogic
hallucination, the vanishing edges that
disappear into a private lagoon, and even
some of these lazy rivers. Sure, they’re
head-turners, but depending on who did
the job, beneath that shiny mosaic tile
can lurk a plumbing nightmare.
Architectural, recreational, freeform,
cocktail, infinity — so many types to
choose from — but is the homeowner aware of the potential for dead spots
within that exquisite shape? You know
what I mean, those areas within
the pool where the water is slower
moving, treated less often, and filtered
less frequently. They are hotbeds for
cyanobacteria (black algae) and diatoms
(mustard algae). Even in regular old
rectangular gunite pools, you find
lethargic flow beneath skimmers, in the
corners of step areas or behind ladders.
“You can always tell if a
pool builder was a service
tech before building pools
by looking at the pad.”
—Kevin B.
I’m not knocking builders in general, just the bad apples that build the no-go showboats or cheap out and then wash their hands of it. Certainly every sector of our industry has its sloppy dimwits and dolts, like every industry. Trust me, I know a lot of Shmendrik pool service techs out there that really floc things up on the reg — maybe another article. So, my friends who build brilliantly, know this article is not about you.
So why do these people bring such
things to life? It reminds me of this
Dr. Ian Malcolm quote (Jurassic Park,
Michael Crichton): “Your scientists
were so preoccupied with whether or
not they could, they didn’t stop to think
if they should.” These builders put all
their effort into making a pool look like it
belongs in a magazine, forgetting that it
actually has to function as a pool. In an
episode with Dan Lenz and Kelli Clancy
from the “Talking Pools Podcast” hit the
nail on the head: “Does anyone check
these award-winning pools to see if
they are, you know, legitimate, practical
pools?”
This, of course, is not limited to the
‘Wow Factor’ warriors! Unserviceable
swimming pools scatter the nation like
buckshot. It need not be a $500K build
at a million-dollar home; you see them
at your everyday $40K-plus pools. These
things are everywhere, like freckles on
the ass of the industry.
It’s usually somebody too focused
on cheap and fast. Think FLEX PIPE on
a $200K pool! It saves time and money
upfront, but, for the unknowing pool
owner, it is a looming wound that will
be a considerable drain (pun intended)
on their wallet and sanity. Leaks, repairs,
replacements — suddenly, that luxury
pool is a financial sinkhole.
But mainly, they just ignore the fact
that the pool will need to be cleaned. For
instance, a pool wall where rock features
sit atop and extend beyond the coping
can only be brushed or scrubbed from
within the pool. If the builder of that
feature had to clean it a few times, this
problem would disappear. Or maybe the
solution is for a pool tool manufacturer
to take this opportunity to create the
‘bent handle ergonomic telepole.’
THE OVERPACKED PAD
Some builders simply want to put as
much equipment as possible on the
smallest pad you can lay. They think it
saves money. And it certainly does. For
them. And you’re left wondering how they
managed to make it all fit, like looking
under the hood of a clown car. Here’s the
deal: tiny, tight spaces are not fun, and no
one should have to work in them.
Give these things room to breathe;
they work hard, respect the equipment
space bubble. Even something as
simple as cleaning a filter can become
a significant pain in the butt if you have
to do it in a tight space. Remember how
easy it was to work on the motor of a
car back in the 70s? You could get right
up under the hood and easily access
everything. That’s what we need.
Plumbing that’s a labyrinth — these
are the things that turn pool maintenance
into a weekly battle. Sometimes, it looks
like the installer was trying to set a world
record for the number of 90s used on a
single pad. The folks at Guinness Book
would be proud. Guess what? Time for
the Sawzall! Otherwise, if left as is, this
loopty-loop design would exponentially
increase the resistance the pump will face
(Total Dynamic Head (TDH)). This friction
energy rises as the water travels through
the pipes, encountering resistance at every
turn.
Keep in mind that TDH is not a
suction-side-only dilemma. The archaic
PVC Alpe d’Huez on the effluent is also
a substantial contributing factor. The
effort required by the pump to push
water through the system is influenced
dramatically by all of this. That creates
the need for additional rpms and a
pump that is challenging to prime and
destined to cavitate.
As a pool professional, you are
responsible for refusing customer design
change requests that will not align with
the build’s infrastructure. If the customer
asks you to install the manifold or valves
on the suction side of the pump at hip
level while the pump remains ground
level on the pad because they don’t like
to bend over, you should say no. Sadly,
this design is becoming a trend because folks are giving in to customers demands.
No one needs the money that badly
to completely abandon their level of
technical acumen and create the hydraulic
disaster this entails. But, yet, they exist.
“Everyone hates tearing
apart a $100,000-plus
masterpiece to fix a leak
caused by a $5 part.”
—Johnny C.
The additional wear and tear on the
equipment increases with the higher
Total Dynamic Head (TDH), which
can shorten a pool pump’s life. Aside
from damaging the pump’s internal
components, cavitation will also cause
a slight vibration, which can cause glue
joints to rattle and fail.
Fountains, grottos, sheer descents —
please include automation for pH control
and explain to the pool owner that, over
their pool’s lifetime, they will be using
more acid than the people at Woodstock.
What the heck, now’s as good a time
as any — every builder installing a salt
cell, please ignore the capacity listing
and go one size up on the cell. This will
enable the swg to hit the target chlorine
level quicker, reducing the run time and
lessening the bubbling off of Nitrogen
gas and the formation of caustic soda. If
that’s not something you’re willing or able
to do, please install an acid feed system
of some sort. It’s the right thing to do.
Most pool builders build pools that
are more than just eye candy. We must get
everyone to ditch the impractical designs
and the quick-fix mentality. It’s okay to
talk a homeowner out of a design or away
from a feature if it doesn’t work on a
specific design. Focus on creating pools
that are as functional as they are beautiful,
and they will be a joy for a homeowner to
own, not a constant source of stress or
battle with their pool service tech. Pools
that stand the test of time are always
better than Instagram likes.
I firmly believe that the most
effective way for a pool builder to grasp
the essence of creating service-friendly
pools is to spend time in the trenches
of pool service before donning the
builder’s cap. Working in pool service
provides a unique perspective, offering
firsthand experience dealing with
technicians’ day-to-day challenges.
It allows you to anticipate issues and
create designs that prioritize accessibility
and reliability. It’s an investment in
knowledge that pays off, ensuring that
the pools constructed meet the eye and
stand the test of time with minimal
service-related headaches.
This article first appeared in the February 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.