"Ensuring that your pool meets local safety requirements involves understanding and adhering to specific building codes and regulations in your area. By conducting regular inspections, pool operators maintain a safe environment, reduce liability, and address potential hazards before they become serious issues."
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While both settings require expertise, commercial projects demand a higher level of coordination, oversight, and regulatory knowledge."
Educating all pool users on safe behavior-such as no running on wet surfaces and no diving in shallow areas-further reduces risks. Additional features such as ADA-compliant ramps, extended deck space, and robust plumbing and heating systems contribute to the increased price.
Positive feedback from multiple clients indicates that the contractor consistently delivers satisfactory results. best pool contractor Nashville,TN. Additionally, energy-efficient pools appeal to environmentally conscious buyers, potentially boosting your property's resale value.
Fiberglass pools, on the other hand, are pre-made and installed more quickly, providing lower long-term maintenance costs but less design freedom. It's also important to keep detailed records of maintenance and repairs, as you may need to provide proof of proper care if a claim arises.
This swimming pool service technician is using a pool skimmer to remove debris from a courtyard fountain at an apartment complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A swimming pool service technician is a person who maintains swimming pools, including keeping the water clean and safe by fixing pool equipment such as pumps, motors and water filters.
Pool and spa service technicians provide services in the swimming pool and spa industry. There are various national trade associations in the United States that offer memberships in these services, including the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance,[1] the Independent Pool And Spa Service Association, Inc.[2] and the United Pool Association.[3] Certification can be obtained through various organizations, including the National Swimming Pool Foundation.
There are approximately 15 million residential pools and spas in the United States, and about 400,000 commercial and public swimming pools.[4][5] The two service industry trade organizations boast of having about 15,000 members. These workers generally clean either residential or commercial swimming pools. Not all pool service professionals are members of these organizations, and many residential pool owners clean their own pools.[6]
According to the National Swimming Pool Foundation,[7] which has certified hundreds of thousands of pool service operators with its Certified Pool Operators course,[8] only 26 states require that operators of public or commercial pools be properly trained and certified. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published guidance to "help ensure healthy and safe experiences in public pools" in reports called the Model Aquatic Health Code.[9][10]
The swimming pool service technician industry has various jobs that extend beyond cleaning and sanitizing. Swimming pool service technicians are required to have an understanding of basic water chemistry readings, such as chlorine, pH, alkalinity, stabilizer, and salt levels.[11] Additionally, they must have knowledge in maintaining and repairing pool and spa equipment, including filters, pumps, chlorinators, heaters, pool lights, and automation systems and are also responsible for maintaining safety by ensuring that diving boards, water slides, and other pool accessories are in safe working condition.
Another aspect of repairing or installing pool equipment is setting up automation systems. This includes running high and low voltage wires from a main breaker box to a separate automation panel where that electricity is then sent to the various pool equipment. Communication wire is also sent to the equipment to switch them on and off via the automation motherboard.
The average swimming pool technician hourly pay rate in the United States is $17.30.[12][13] This figure may vary depending on many factors, including the employer, location and worker's expertise.
A swimming pool service technician is the title character of the Seinfeld episode "The Pool Guy".[14]
There has also been an episode of Saturday Night Live called "Pool Boy", depicting a swimming pool service technician, played by comedian Pete Davidson.
In Legally Blonde, a pool boy named Enrique Salvatore (played by Greg Serano) is a key witness in the trial at the center of the movie.[15]
A 5-seat hot tub with a cast acrylic shell, supported by a frame structure, showing vents for water circulation and massageOutdoor hot tubs
A hot tub is a large tub full of water used for hydrotherapy, relaxation or pleasure. Some have powerful jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are sometimes also known as "spas" or by the trade name Jacuzzi.[1] Hot tubs may be located outdoors or indoors.
In contrast to a typical bathtub, a hot tub is designed to be used by more than one person at a time, with many models accommodating four or more people. Unlike baths, soaps and shampoos are not used in wet-jetted hot tubs (although they can be used in air-jetted hot tubs). Home hot tubs are often closer in construction to standard bathtubs, while the construction of a public hot tub often has more in common with a swimming pool, of which it can be considered a type.
The earliest hot tubs were calderas in which hot stones were placed to heat the water.[citation needed]Therma in Ikaria has been a very popular place particularly for hydrotherapy ever since the 4th century B.C.[2] The remains of wrecked marble bathtubs along with a prehistoric aqueduct that have been unearthed from this area bear ample testimony of the place's popularity in the ancient times.[2]
In 737 A.D., Japan's first onsen opened near Izumo, Shimane, and centuries later, the first ryokan (inns) were built, offering food, accommodations, and soaking tubs called ofuro.
In ancient Rome, there were three types of baths: Baths at home (balnea), private baths (balnea privata), and public baths (balnea publica). The practice of bathing was so engrained that the Roman legions, during their long occupations in foreign lands, built their own baths at mineral and thermal springs in the newly conquered lands. Examples are found all over Europe.[3]
In the 1940s, hot tubs began to appear in the US, inspired by the Japanese ofuro. Hydrotherapy pumps were introduced by Jacuzzi. Fiberglass shell hot tubs appeared around 1970 and were soon superseded by cast acrylic shells.
A filtration system: the plumbing has to incorporate a filter system to help clean the water. Some models use a separate small 24/7 filter pump while others use programmed settings of the main pumps.
Induced air: The jets may use a venturi effect to incorporate air into the water stream for a lighter massage effect; this requires another set of hoses.
Some models use an air blower to force air through a separate set of jets for a different "bubbly" massage effect; this is a separate system from the induced air.
An ozone system: ozonation is a common adjunct to water maintenance, and if installed will have its own set of hoses and fittings.
Hot tubs are usually heated using an electric or natural gas heater, though there are also submersible wood fire hot tub heaters, as well as solar hot water systems. Hot tubs are also found at natural hot springs; in this case, the water may be dangerously hot and must be combined with cool water for a safe soaking temperature.
Effective insulation greatly improves the energy efficiency of a hot tub. There are several different styles of hot tub insulation: some manufacturers fill the entire cabinet with foam, while others insulate the underside of the shell, the inside of the cabinet, or both. Many manufacturers advertise the superiority of their approach to insulation, but few independent side-by-side comparisons are available. The hot tub pump and hot tub heater represent most of the power consumption in a hot tub and vary in use of power depending on their size.[4]
In 2019 an update to the ANSI standard for energy efficiency was approved. For the first time, this new standard increases the minimum energy efficiency level for portable spas and inflatable spas.[9][10] Hot tub covers have been shown to reduce most of the evaporative losses from the pool when not in use. With this component of heat loss being 70%,[11] a cover with even a small R-value is able to achieve as much as a 75% reduction in heating costs when used as opposed to leaving the water surface exposed.[12]
There are several different types of spa covers. Some covers are better for insulation and therefore are lighter on internal parts and energy efficiency. Some examples of covers are insulated, aluminum, rolling, or a tonneau.[citation needed]
Since some hot tubs are not drained after each use it is necessary to treat the water to keep it attractive and safe. It must be neither too alkaline nor too acidic, and must be sanitised to stay free of harmful microorganisms. Partly due to their high water temperatures, hot tubs can pose particular health risks if not regularly maintained: outbreaks of Legionnaires' Disease have been traced to poorly sanitized hot tubs.[13] Typically chlorine or bromine are used as sanitizers, but salt water chlorination is starting to become more common.
Sanitation can also be aided by a non-chemical ozonator.
For aesthetic reasons, and for the sanitizer to work properly, water should be neither too alkaline nor too acidic (low pH). The hardness level of the water, measured as the amount of dissolved calcium, is also important. Insufficient hardness can lead to corrosion and water foaming. The ideal range of calcium hardness levels in a hot tub or spa water should be between 150 and 250 ppm (parts per million)[citation needed]
Portable vinyl-liner hot tub: these are cheaper and smaller, and require less power, e.g. 110–120 V 15 A household power circuits in North America.[citation needed]
Roto-molded hot tubs are constructed with the shell and surrounding cabinet as a single piece. They have molded seating.[14]
Acrylic: these hot tubs have a cast acrylic shell, supported by a frame structure, and are usually surrounded by a skirt of either cedar or simulated wood-grain plastic. They typically can seat two to seven persons or more.[citation needed][15]
Cement: hot tubs can also be built of cement, above-ground, or in-ground like a small swimming pool.[citation needed]
Wooden hot tubs: round wooden hot tubs peaked in popularity in the 1970s, having now been replaced by modern construction methods. Wooden hot tubs are often made of redwood or cedar and assembled from vertical staves and the structure is held together like wooden barrels, with metal bands.[14]
Stainless steel hot tubs can be made in any shape and size and are extremely durable.[16]
Fiberglass hot tub: glass-reinforced polyester (GRP) hot tubs are made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass.[citation needed]
Inflatable PVC hot tubs. An inflatable hot tub is an air-filled spa structure. Air is pumped into a vinyl skin that expands and creates a solid form. Most commonly round in shape.[17][18]
Sitting in water above normal body temperatures can cause drowsiness which may lead to unconsciousness and subsequently result in drowning. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that water temperatures never exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 °F). A temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (100 °F) is considered safe for a healthy adult. Soaking in water above 39 degrees Celsius (102 °F) can cause fetal damage during the first three months of pregnancy.[19]
It is also recommended to install residual-current devices for protection against electrocution. The greater danger associated with electrical shock in the water is that the person may be rendered immobile and unable to rescue themselves or to call for help and then drown.[20]
Hot tubs and spas are equipped with drains that can create powerful suction and between 1980 and 1996, the CPSC had reports of more than 700 deaths in spas and hot tubs, about one-third of which were drownings to children under age five. In the same period 18 incidents were reported to the CPSC involving body part entrapment. To reduce the risk of entrapment, US safety standards require that each spa have two drains for each pump, reducing the amount of suction.[21] From 1999 to 2007 there were 26 reports to the CPSC concerning circulation entrapments hot tubs and spas, including three deaths.[22]
In 2001[23] and in 2012[24] the CPSC issued recalls for spa heaters which overheated and caused fires.
^Bob Barton (August 2016), "Recent Work on the Design and Construction of Air Inflated Structures", Procedia Engineering, 155, Science Direct: 47–60, doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.006
