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904-619-3281A commercial swimming pool or a spa is mainly for public use. For instance, you may construct a commercial swimming pool for use by members of a club, a community, a school, or members of a residential establishment. For a commercial swimming pool, you have to adhere to some specific equipment, maintenance standards, and design mandatory to commercial pools. When coming up with a swimming pool for public use, you have to be conscious of mandatory rules and set standards. Oak Wells Aquatics can help you come up with your dream commercial pools that are in line with the design and construction requirements in Florida.
Understanding Commercial Pools
Many states in the United States classify pools into two categories: commercial and private. Homeowners have to maintain private swimming pools. Mainly, private swimming pools are for use by family and friends. Semi-public pools also exist. A private person, an organization, or a business may operate the semi-public pools. Usually, semi-public pools have a limited number of users. You are likely to find the semi-public pools in summer camps, motels, housing complexes, private clubs, athletic clubs, or motels.
Government agencies, schools, and communities mainly operate the public or commercial swimming pools. A commercial swimming pool may be many times larger than a private swimming pool. Some competitive swimming pools may be over fifty meters in length and almost twenty-five meters in width. One of the emerging commercial pool designs is the free-form pool, which features waterfalls and rockscapes.
Designing a Commercial Swimming Pool
If you are planning to construct a commercial swimming pool, it is advisable to work with the experts. You should remember that the pool is for public use, and there is a high likelihood of injuries of accidents. Investing in the right commercial pool design will help to reduce your liability in case of injuries.
When designing commercial pools, the experts have to make accurate capacity calculations. It is easy to make volume calculations for a commercial swimming pool by dividing the pool into smaller sections and then making calculations. The experts will calculate the volumes of water in large pools. It is essential to emphasize the accuracy of the estimates. Making even a small percentage of error may lead to the mistakes of thousands of gallons. Wrong calculations may also lead to errors in chemical applications, maintenance calculations, and turnover rates.
Pool design experts also make slope calculations; estimating the slopes of the sides and the floor of a commercial swimming pool lead to the correct volume estimates. Due to many years of experience, design experts always know the exact calculations and estimates. It is easier to divide the commercial swimming pool into sections and then calculate the volume of different sections. The experts may then ass the volumes of different sections to get the volume of the total pool.
Commercial swimming pool design also takes into consideration the right bather loads. There are numerous formulas and guidelines in establishing the maximum user load. Some formulas consider recirculation flow rates in gallons per minute per user. Other formulas differentiate between shallow, deep, outdoor, and indoor pools. Other formulas consider the size of the surrounding decks, while others consider the presence of special equipment like diving boards and slides.
Many bathers use a commercial swimming pool at a given time. The experts have to take into consideration the volume of water that a particular volume of people displaces. This consideration will help the experts to understand the flow rates of replacement water and the surge chamber requirements.
For commercial pools with overflow drains, a bather load may displace water out of the pool. When the bathers leave the pool, the water level may fall below the skimmer and consequently make the pump to run dry. This occurrence is common in a commercial pool. In most cases, a bather may displace 2 cubic feet of water when he/she is fully submerged in water. A bather on the shallow end of the pool is rarely fully submerged; he/she will displace less volume of water. When designing a commercial pool, the experts must ensure that the displacement for all swimmers allows enough water diversion to the surge chambers.
Commercial Pools Equipment
Most equipment in commercial pools may resemble the smaller versions of the equipment in residential pools. The typical pool equipment includes air blowers, pumps, and cleaning equipment. For commercial pools, experts use heavy-duty materials and high capacity equipment. Some equipment and pool supplies are unique to commercial pools.
Surge Chambers
You will need to invest in a surge chamber when coming up with a commercial pool. Upon displacement of water in commercial pools, the water collects in a holding tank called a surge chamber. The water collects in the chamber if many bathers displace a huge volume of water. When the swimmers leave the swimming pool, and the water levels drop, the water accumulated in the surge chambers pumps back into the pool and restores the ideal water volumes.
There may be water loss as the bathers splash and water their bodies. The pool maintainers direct replacement water into the surge chamber and keep monitoring the water levels in the pool. Different experts may adopt different designs for surge chambers, but the concept for all forms of surge chambers is the same.
Slurry Feeders
Your commercial swimming pool will also require a slurry feeder that facilitates the mixing of diatomaceous earth (DE) with water. The DE is then pumped into the filter at an even rate to help percolate the grids. The slurry feeder mainly comprises of a concrete pit often situated in the swimming pool equipment room. To help keep the DE suspended in water, you may use a motorized paddle called an agitator. Other systems use a slurry tank, and then vacuum feeds the mixture from the slurry tank to the pump. For the best effects of the DE, the commercial pool maintainer must clean the filter and then apply the appropriate amount of DE. Upon the application of the DE, the normal filtration follows.
Commercial Pool Filters
Filters also form a crucial component of commercial pools. At times, one large filter may not be adequate for a commercial pool. If this is the case, the experts may plumb together several filters with a manifold. You may also invest in cartridge filters that are specialized for commercial use. However, to adopt a cartridge filter, you would require a large amount of cartridge surface area to help filter large amounts of water. It is common for dirt and oils to accumulate in cartridge filters due to pleating creating crevices, and this makes it hard to clean cartridge filters.
Chlorine generators
It may be difficult to distribute sanitizer evenly in a large commercial swimming pool. In most cases, the bathers may use the commercial swimming pool immediately after pool servicing. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you distribute the sanitizer evenly and that there is no presence of chemicals lingering in large concentrations.
The most commonly used sanitizer in commercial swimming pools is chlorine gas. The gas is affordable and an effective swimming pool sanitizer. You will need a chlorine gas feeding system for your commercial swimming pool. Gas cylinders come in handy in holding the chlorine gas
Safety Equipment
In most states in the United States, building codes require a deck to be clear and unobstructed all around the swimming pool area. If there is a presence of furniture, you should set the furniture at least five feet back. This way, you will minimize the likelihood of people tripping and falling in the commercial pool area. You will also ensure that the bathers are free to exit the swimming pool area without obstructions.
Health departments require commercial pool operators to have in place some special pool equipment. The common safety equipment may include a toss ring, a first aid kit, and a shepherd's crook. You should attach the toss ring to a rope that can reach the farthest distance of the swimming pool. You should also ensure that you attach the shepherd's crook to a firm pole. At times, the law may require a commercial swimming pool to have a floating safety rope. The rope should extend across the swimming pool at a point where the major break in the swimming pool starts.
It is important to contact experienced commercial pool designers who understand the building codes for safety requirements. You should always know the legal requirements before you make any additions to your commercial swimming pool. If you plan to add a diving board, for instance, you should ensure that you understand the water depth and area clearance requirements.
You have to keep the equipment room neat and clean. You should avoid placing chemicals near equipment, especially if water or heat leaks may mix with the chemicals. Ensure that you have a functional sump pump at the pit on the floor of the equipment room. This will help ease the drainage because leaks are very common in commercial plumbing systems. Water arising from leaks may cause substantial damage to your commercial pool equipment; design experts will ensure that the equipment room has proper drainage.
Common Commercial Pool Designs
There are several types of commercial pool designs to choose from. Different pool designs may offer varying functionalities and may offer different levels of enjoyment. Some of the common commercial pool designs to choose from include:
Lap Pools
A lap pool refers to a swimming pool that is often constructed and used for fitness and health purposes. Typically, lap pools are long and narrow and often have a length of feet. The pools are usually rectangular. They are ideal if you are constructing a pool in a narrow or shallow lot. Lap pools date back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Romans and the Greeks constructed lap pools in the form of a rectangle and mainly used for athletic training. The lap pools also came in handy for nautical games and military exercises.
A Commercial Pool with a Waterfall
Also common are commercial pools complete with a waterfall. The technique behind the pool design entails the use of a series of pipes to connect a swimming pool at the bottom of the water feature to the spout of a water feature at the top. The experts conceal most of the plumbing within the waterfall. The concealing of the plumbing work within the waterfall will help prevent the pipes from damage while the bathers are swimming. It also helps to protect the swimmers from being hurt or cut by the pipe ends while swimming.
The design experts use a waterfall pump to give the water a push and make it flow from the pool end of the plumbing to the spout. The pump gathers air from the surrounding area and pumps the air through the pipes. The force from the air in the pipes forces the water from the pool up to the spout. Other components will come in handy when constructing a pool with a fountain includes a spout and a filter.
Splash Pad
A splash pad pool also goes by the name of a spray pool. It is a recreational area often found in public parks. The pool has little or no standing water and comes in handy for water play. The pool has little risk of drowning and tends to eliminate the importance of lifeguards or other supervision. The pool mainly consists of ground nozzles that spray water upwards. The pool may also have other features like a rainbow that consists of semi-circular pipe showers or tree-shaped showers. To allow users to spray others and have fun, some splash pads feature movable nozzles. Other types of commercial pools include sun benches and slides.
Contact a Commercial Pool Designer near Me
Constructing a commercial pool is more intricate than coming up with a residential pool. A commercial pool is for public use and comes with a high level of liability in case swimmers drown or suffer injuries. You have to adhere to strict standards while constructing a commercial pool. For the best commercial pool designs Oak Wells Aquatics can assist. Contact us at 904-619-3281 and speak to one of our designers.