Month: May 2021

When homeowner, Mr Cullen, converted the family’s stunning swimming pool in a village near Fethiye, in southern Turkey, from sand filtration to the revolutionary OC-1 filtration media, there was no going back.

There are beautiful pools and then there are really beautiful pools and this infinity edge pool, nestled in a backdrop of lush gorges overlooking the Yedi Burun (Seven Capes) coastline, with the sparkling azure sea lapping sun-bleached golden beaches, falls very much into the second category. When it was built, the T-shaped pool was fitted with a sand filter but owner Mr Cullen was unsure about the water clarity and found the sand became “clogged”, possibly by pool chemicals and, in particular, flocculants. He decided it was time to take action and conducted some internet research to find a solution to the problem and eventually discovered Certikin’s OC-1,” explains Mr Cullen. “The technology that OC-1 uses made sense to me as it is not dissimilar in concept (though very different in size and role!) to that used in the sewage plant at our home in Kent.

“The installation was very straight forward and, of course, filling the filter with the OC-1 could not have been easier. I am delighted with how it has transformed the functioning of my pool – its efficiency and the results the OC-1 filtration media achieves are outstanding.”

Certikin’s Pools Division Sales Manager, Neil Muscat, says: “For new filter installations, an OC-1 filter is the obvious choice. There are a range of filters available that come supplied complete with the lightweight OC-1 media. The filters are specially designed to work in perfect harmony with OC-1 and complement the amazing advantages it can provide.”

Unlike traditional methods that use entrapment, OC-1 Filtration Media works through settlement which means that the debris settles within the cells of OC-1 throughout the entire bed rather than being trapped on top of the media. This British manufactured filtration media has some exceptional benefits – by  replacing commonly used media such as sand and glass with OC-1 it is possible to filter with a constant flow between backwashes. Also, due to the reduced head loss within the filter it is feasible to use a smaller or variable speed pump/inverter and still maintain the same flow/turnover rate whilst at the same time significantly reducing the running energy costs.

When the spotlight fell on the completion of the £25 million world-class Andersonstown Leisure Centre project in west Belfast last year, the focus was on its six-lane pool and its three huge water slides. Less glamorous, but nonetheless vital to its success, is the plant room – the workhorse which houses Certikin’s filtration and water treatment systems installed by Northern Ireland pool contractor, Oak Creative Water Engineering Ltd.

Ranking as the biggest project in Belfast City Council’s £105 million multi-centred Leisure Transformation Programme, the Andersonstown Leisure Centre is an impressive facility by anyone’s standards. Eighteen months in construction, the £25 million cutting edge project, was created for maximum family fun and, as such, includes a 25m six lane pool with 50 spectator seats; a teaching pool; a water confidence pool for small children and toddlers plus a splash pool.

The WOW factor is supplied via three high speed water slides. Visible on the exterior of the redeveloped site on the Andersonstown Road, the three jaw dropping features comprise The Abyss – a drop slide where riders enter a capsule and prepare to be plunged into a literal abyss, with the floor disappearing below their feet. The Torrent – a slalom slide where riders in singles or pairs twist and turn on inflatable rings and lastly, the hairraising Vortex – a body slide taking riders to the bottom via terrifying twists and turns at high speeds. If that’s not enough, there’s also an exhilarating indoor surf simulator for those who want to learn to surf before trying it for real in the sea. Heavily used, high energy facilities like this naturally demand a premium quality, dependable and super robust filtration system. The project’s contractor Heron Bros appointed Newtownabbey pool contractor, Oak who, as long-standing customers of Certikin, selected nine heavy-duty TLX mild steel filters to do the vital job of maintaining crystal clear sanitised water: two TLX 2100, two TLX 1800, two TLX 1400 and three TLX 2600 were duly installed.

Oak’s Linda Bell says: “We have always found Certikin totally reliable with a service back-up second to none. If we encounter any problems we know we can turn to Certikin to provide support and advice. That’s priceless peace of mind, especially when it comes to a high-profile, prestigious installation like Andersonstown.”

 

Oak also installed Certikin’s Accu-Tab calcium hypochlorite system which, says Linda: “We consider to be a perfect water treatment system for a sizeable installation like this. It is very safe for staff, reduces maintenance and is very reliable. The beauty of Accu-Tab is that it can cope with any bathing workload – from a small hospital hydrotherapy pool to a 50-metre Olympic pool.” To cope with the needs of the 25m pool and three learner pools, Oak installed an Accu-Tab 3075 Power Base chlorination unit. The system consists of a PVC base, 4ft by 2ft, with a 20-gallon polyethylene tank mounted on the base. The Accu-Tab dry tablet chlorinator, holding 25kg Accu-Tab tablets is mounted on the specially designed tank. The tank has built in level switches and is connected to a special Burkert solenoid valve, all of which is operated on 24 volts which is very safe. The system is wired to the chemical controller, which also controls a Lowara 240 volt, booster pump. All the electrical controls are wall mounted at eye level for ease of access and the whole system is corrosion resistant.

Linda adds: “Accu-Tab saves such a huge amount of staff time. The duty manager simply has to refill the chlorinator with the large 3-inch Accu-Tabs, which takes about 10 minutes a day – a very clean procedure. It eliminates all hazards, blockages are non-existent and it is very economical! With no corrosion on the system, no chlorine dust, no overflowing of chemicals, no bund, no mixing tanks and equipment, no injectors to block, no metering pumps to default, no hoses to block/burst or blow off, no danger of chemical splashes – using Accu-Tab really is a no brainer and the water quality is superb!”

GLL, the social enterprise that operates Better leisure facilities on behalf of Belfast City Council, say the centre is on a scale “never seen before in the city”. Gareth Kirk, GLL’s Regional Director for Belfast adds: “While these are challenging times, we are confident that the Covid safe measures we have in place will mean that everyone can have a safe and enjoyable visit.”

t. 028 9085 4167 | w. oak-pools.co.uk

Huddersfield-based pool designer and builder, Concept Pools, prides itself on offering affordable tailor-made packages to make the dream of owning a piece of swimming pool heaven into a reality. It’s helped in its task by Certikin, whose equipment it frequently specifies. Here, we turn the spotlight on one of the company’s most recent installations.

“We believe that every pool is a concept and as unique as our clients,” says Concept Pools’ Contracts Engineer, Lauren Thistleton. “From an Olympic sized pool and 5-star luxury spa to a small family pool, no job is too big or too small for us. It’s a collaboration between the customer, Concept Pools and developers, architects and landscapers.

“We choose Certikin as our supplier because we like the fact that we can order a large proportion of our equipment from just one source and there is a uniformity of premium quality. The Aquaspeed pump and Roldeck automatic slatted cover are our favourite products. Certikin’s friendly staff, who are always happy to help with both quotations and after sales, are also an important factor.”

For the most part, the Concept Pools’ team managed to continue working throughout the two lockdowns but as a lot of pool contractors found, commercial work inevitably dried up, whilst enquiries from the domestic sector rocketed, fuelled by a public intent on pursuing health and wellness in the safety of their own homes.

Built over the course of six months and completed in August, this purpose-built pool hall in Sutton Coldfield was in construction during the first lockdown but its owner says that it proved a ‘godsend’ for keeping the family amused in the second lockdown.

Given the brief to build a pool and spa for family exercise and fun, Concept Pools installed a 14m x 5.5m level deck pool with a varied depth of between 1.4m and 1.7m, then added a 2.5m GRP tiled integrated spa pool, operating on a separate filtration system.

The perfect solution for new build or refurbishment projects, the tiled spa comes with the option of being delivered in two halves, making it one of Certikin’s bestselling products. Fully tiled from the factory in eye-catching glass mosaics, the spa is re-joined on site and the joint hidden by tiling over with the matching tile strips provided. Available in any size, shape or design, they vary from a two-person spa to one capable of holding a football team. On-site installation is quick as there are no stoppages for curing etc and the design allows access to all fittings after installation. Its high specification includes water hydrotherapy jets, air tracks, an underwater light, a floating heat retention cover and full support leg kit.

Other featured Certikin equipment includes an Aquaspeed 2hp pump, plsc300c lights and Vision filter. Heating and ventilation is provided by a Calorex Delta 4. Featuring touch screen technology in a unique multi-functional single unit, the Delta takes full control of the pool’s indoor environment and pool water heating.

The pool is topped off with a Roldeck white slatted automatic cover in a floor pit. Enhancing the minimalism of the pool hall, the made-to-measure Roldeck ticks every box: heat insulation, evaporation control, durability and aesthetic appearance. It is manufactured in interlocking sections similar to a Venetian blind. Fully automatic, the Roldeck comes with a touch pad switch and remote control for easy operation.

The Roldeck’s standard PVC slats come in white, blue, cream, grey, solar and transparent (with a slight blue tint). The solar model, with a black base, collects heat from the sun and transfers it directly into the water, greatly reducing heating costs. The translucent slats allow under water lighting to shine through. Plus, there is the Eclipse range which is available in solar blue, solar clear, solar aluminum look, lagoon and ocean.

t. 01484 950279 | w. concept-pools.co.uk