Author: Catherine Saunders

This beautiful new pool in Chippenham, Wiltshire, was built from scratch by Cambridgeshire pool specialists, Aqualeaf, using Certikin equipment
from top to bottom. With two young grandchildren, safety was of paramount importance. Fortunately, the multi-tasking Walu safety cover met all the customer’s requirements, including great value for money and stylish good looks.

It was just eight weeks from excavation to the completion of this beautiful new pool. Certikin supplied all the filtration in the plant room including ABS pipe work, all connectors, unions, ball valves and pipe clips, an Aquaspeed circulation pump, a Vision filter with glass media and Rainbow in line chlorine feeder with non-return valve.

Aqualeaf also turned to Certikin to supply a Calorex heat pump for heating the pool in the summer months and a 180 BTU oil fired boiler with outdoor flue for the winter months so that the pool maintains a constant temperature of 30 degrees for the owners to swim in all year round. The pool shell features a Certikin light grey bag liner, plus two LED PU6 lights. All fittings are grey to give a contemporary finish and all pipe work is Quadrapool flexible piping with compression fittings for maximum durability. The pool surround includes a Certikin four tread stainless steel ladder with hinge plate adaption kit so that the customer doesn’t need to remove the ladder each time the pool is covered and uncovered.

Wahey the Walu!

Adorning the pool is a Walu. Aqualeaf Director, Paul Carman says: “Our customer chose the pale grey Walu Starlight manual safety cover, firstly, because there’s two young children in the family and, secondly, because of its contemporary sleek appearance. It comes with the added bonus of requiring no roller on the pool deck. The Walu sits snugly on the poolside rather than floating like a solar blanket, so large debris is kept out of the pool. From a cost point of view, it is considerably cheaper than other automatic safety covers on the market, while also getting rid of the need for both a winter debris and solar/heat retention blanket because the Walu does both jobs!”

Scoring a hit with the customer, Mrs Jones says of the Walu: “We love its appearance and it’s super easy to use.” Turning to the installation she added: “It went very smoothly indeed. Aqualeaf carried out the project to schedule, completing it just in time for an early summer heatwave! Overall, an excellent job.”

Walu: When three becomes one

The hard working Walu offers three covers for the price of one: installing a Walu means you can dispense with a solar bubble cover and reel system, a winter debris cover and all other safety systems as the Walu will do it all for you!

First and foremost, the Walu is a safety cover. Manufactured to the stringent French NF P90-308 safety standard, it comfortably holds the required test weight of 100kg (approx.15.5 stone). In addition, the Walu offers solar and heat retention benefits and acts as a first class winter cover.

The most unique feature of the Walu cover range is its modular design. Unlike other safety covers, where the whole system needs to be replaced if it is damaged, all individual parts on the Walu cover are replaceable. The cover’s panels and anodised aluminium tubes can easily be exchanged on site for new pieces, restoring the cover to its original standard.

Walu covers all bases

The best-selling Walu Evolution is suitable for all pool shapes up to 11m x 5m and the lower profile Walu Starlight for rectangular pools up to 11m by 5m.For in-ground pools, the lighter weight, lower cost Walu-Eco will cover almost any pool up to 10m x 5m.

For in-ground pools, the lighter weight, lower cost Walu-Eco will cover almost any pool up to 10m x 5m.

Shaping for ladders and step sections can be accommodated on all models without any compromise to safety.

For above ground timber pools, the uniqueWalu-Woodstar offers all of the safety and operational features of the in-ground Walu covers, but is specifically modelled to fit the timber frame of an above ground pool.

The Walu range is available in a series of opaque colours which shut out light. This slows down the growth of algae and pathogenic micro-organisms which considerably reduces the need for chemicals.

The Evolution and Starlight also come in asemi-translucent white fabric which offers solargain benefits.

High wind anchor straps are supplied as standard High wind anchor straps are supplied as standard(excluding the Walu-Eco) and the Evolution and Starlight models come with a unique, easy use, quick release system as standard. All fabrics are of a reinforced flexible composite with an anti-abrasion treatment and all fittings are stainless steel.

The Walu is easy to install and operate. It weighs just 1.250 kg per sq metre (1.15kg per sq metre for Eco and Woodstar) and can be rolled by just one person using a 4:1 ratio geared down manual crank (or two people using two cranks for pools sizes over 50 sqm). Covering the pool usually takes less than three minutes and the cover takes up very little space. Alternatively, you can purchase a Walu-Power motorised winding system which makes removing the cover effortless. The Walu-Power is a fully rechargeable system which needs no maintenance and is suitable for all in-ground pool cover sizes.

Aqualeaf Limited | 01223 930291 | aqualeaf.co.uk

Recognising that aside from academic rigor, high quality sports facilities top most parents’ wish list when choosing schools, Bethany School in Goudhurst Kent, recently invested in the installation of an award winning 25m pool. Involving West-Sussex based Fowler Swimming Pools and Reading-based Norwegian Log Buildings, it was no surprise that the impressive £1.35 million project featured a plethora of Certikin equipment.

Illustrating how independent schools have grasped the nettle when recognising the importance of providing top quality sports facilities, is Bethany School in Kent. Set in the stunning Kent Weald countryside, Bethany is a co-educational school for pupils aged 11 to 18. The school, and others like it, serve to increase the great divide between the fee paying and public sector, where sadly more and more swimming pools are closing out of financial exigency.

The school’s brief to the main contractor, Fowler Swimming Pools, was to replace a tired old 1930s outdoor pool and build a high quality, indoor 25m x 11.6m deck level, fully tiled pool with depths of 1m to 1.8m. Fowler and Norwegian Log Buildings designed the complex and were able to achieve planning permission in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Fowler identified and specified the pool’s key ingredients to meet the school’s exacting energy saving requirements.

Tom Holman, MD of Fowlers says: “We had no hesitation in turning to Certikin for the full kit, which included filters, pumps, flow control fittings, pipework, Delta 14 AHU environmental control unit, Certikin DU4 commercial UV and automatic chemical dosing.

“Fowler Swimming Pools has been a Certikin customer for well over 35 years. We like Certikin’s one stop shop facility and, working on a project of this size, we particularly appreciated Steve Nelson and his Commercial team’s technical assistance. Certikin is a reliable and efficient supply chain and its goods are of the highest quality. The company’s excellent after-service back-up is reassuring and it means we buy with total confidence.”

Housed in a bespoke solid log building, built by Reading-based Norwegian Log, with changing rooms and an office, the pool boasts underwater lighting, spectator seating and starting blocks. The install, including external works, access paths and retaining walls, took 16 months to complete.  Despite extremely challenging ground conditions and harsh winter weather, Fowler Swimming Pools delivered the project with minimum disruption to the school.

Tom says: “This was the wettest site we had worked on for a long time. We had to install a new ground drainage system and instead of conventional foundations, had to pile. But once that had been done it was straightforward. The log building and pool definitely have the ‘wow factor’ and will benefit the school and pupils for many years to come.”

Headmaster, Francie Healy says: “We are delighted with our six lane 25m swimming pool; it is a first-class facility and has certainly raised sporting aspirations at Bethany.They did a superb job in very difficult circumstances and we are thrilled with it. The pool has widened our sporting profile, allowing swimming to be part of our sports programme all year round; we are now hosting swimming galas and meets with other schools and the pool is also used as part of the PE curriculum for all year groups, teaching lifesaving and fitness training within the Sports Scholarship programme.”

Pictured at the opening of the school pool is double Olympic Gold medallist, Rebecca Adlington, flanked on the left by MD of Fowler Swimming Pools, Tom Holman and on the right Nick Forrester, MD of Norwegian Log Buildings Ltd.

Fowler Swimming Pools Ltd |  01403 864373 |  fowlerswimmingpools.co.uk

Norwegian Log | 01189 669 236 | norwegianlog.co.uk

 

 

Difficult access prompted Pembrokeshire-based Pegasus Pools to consider installing its first AQBox enclosure for this pool owner in Milford Haven. Impressed by the enclosure’s ease and speed of installation, Pegasus is now recommending the product to other customers looking for an affordable and simple solution to covering their pool.

“Looking to extend the swimming season, the owner was keen to cover his pool but the property’s narrow access precluded the installation of a conventional enclosure,” says MD of Pegasus, Steve Bamford.  “I then thought about the AQBox which, as its name suggests, arrives in a box. We dismantled it prior to delivery and carried it in pieces round to the back garden.”

Manufactured by leading enclosure specialists, Aquacomet and supplied by Certikin International, the attractive AQBox enclosure comes in a low and standard height offering three different lengths for each and two different glazes.

The eye-catching enclosure offers a high specification, which includes a patented child safe locking system; 6mm double wall polycarbonate or 3mm SAN solid, UV protected on both sides. The enclosure parts are made of rounded anodized aluminium alloy with clear or thermo glazing.

The low level enclosure comes with removable front and back walls, both delivered in one piece, with side mounted sliding doors whilst the standard enclosures feature a front wall, including a French door in the middle and a removable end wall.

Steve adds: “The owner was delighted with it and he is intending to use it all year round. The property is surrounded by trees so the enclosure is ideal for keeping leaf debris out.

“I was impressed with its quality. I have only ever been involved in Aquacomet enclosures so I wouldn’t look elsewhere. Fortunately, there were no hitches and the installation was completed in just a day and a half. The instructions were straightforward and certainly within the grasp of a competent handyman. Had the customer opted for a bespoke model, it would have been much more expensive and this more than met his requirements. We will certainly be looking at installing more in the future.”

Thinking out of the box

The flat low level enclosure is available in 0.7m height by 6.7 length; 0.8m height and 8.7m length and 1.05m height by 10.7m length whilst a standard enclosure is available in the same lengths and the following heights – 1.12m, 1.43m and 1.79m heights.

 

The south coast of England undeniably gets more hours of sunshine than the rest of the British Isles but it is still subject to the vicissitude of an unpredictable climate. So for Brighton pool owner, Mark Jackman who wants to get the most out of his new swimming pool, installing a Certikin Aquacomet enclosure, with all its flexible options, was a no-brainer.

“The pool was high maintenance and the wind often made it unpleasant when swimming,” says Mr Jackman. “Using it outside of the summer months was totally out of the question and it was an eyesore. Heating was expensive and it was constantly filled with leaves and other garden debris. Giles Leisure introduced me to the Certikin/Aquacomet pool enclosures, which seemed the perfect solution. After a couple of site visits I chose a fixed enclosure with one section tailored so it would exactly fit the desired area.”

The enclosure the Jackman’s chose is ingenious in design because all the sides (except the aluminium legs) can be lifted up, neatly folding away into the roof making the pool open to the elements. Fixed load bearing profiles are installed every 2 metres, while the doors are made of transparent, solid polycarbonate. In this way, the enclosure can be opened up to a height of 2.1 m along both sides. Alternatively, the pool can be opened up for ventilation by opening only the upper parts, maintaining a childproof barrier around the pool.

The installation was carried out by Ultimate Atm Solutions whose MD, Phillip Osborne says: “Surrounded on two sides by a garden brick wall, Mark Jackman’s pool was not a straightforward installation because of the working space constraints. We knew that fixing one end to the customer’s existing brick wall, which was very uneven, would be crucial as it would govern the rest of the levels for the enclosure. The customer had marble slabs, which we had to core out with diamond drill bits before we could drill for our fixings. This was time consuming but necessary so as not to crack the slabs. The project took three days to complete using a three-man team.”

Mark says: “I could not be more delighted with the result. The attachment to the back garden wall and the way it has been sealed surpassed my expectations. We can swim all year if we wish and maintenance has been massively reduced. Apart from scooping off the odd bug there is little else to do. Sitting in the enclosure is as pleasant as swimming. The garden looks so much more inviting now. The necessary filtration time is much reduced. If I close all the windows, the greenhouse effect takes the enclosure up to 40 degrees C even in April on a sunny day. I expect my heating costs in the summer to be negligible. Furthermore, it is both child and pet safe. You can simply lock the sliding doors. There are no draughts and swimming is a pleasure. I recommend a pool enclosure as the perfect home swimming solution.”

Mark adds: “As well as relaying my pleasure with the enclosure itself, I want to convey how impressed I was by Phillip and his two colleagues who erected the enclosure. They were pleasant, professional and worked ceaselessly. I enjoyed having them here and I cannot be more pleased with the enclosure and the service I received.”

Alex Howell from Giles Leisure says: “When the client approached me his remit was for an economically priced, quality pool enclosure that would increase his swimming season. The reason I chose Aquacomet was primarily down to the superior build quality, but equally important was the professional service provided by Fiona Denley in the Certikin office, keeping me informed on progress right through from the original enquiry to satisfactory completion. This support and technical back-up is so important to busy pool retailers.”

Aquacomet Pool Enclosures from Certikin

Every possible permutation is catered for, including low level, high level, lean to, fixed and sliding options.

The Orion is another stunning range that offers telescopic opening and closing without railings through the use of an extremely strong yet visually light-appearing structure.

The metal of the Endless Summer structure can be ordered in white (RAL 9010) or moss green (RAL 6005), which are the standard design colours. Wood pattern or other RAL coded surface treatments are available as other options. The roof surface of the enclosure is made of double wall polycarbonate while the side doors and wall endings are made of transparent polycarbonate sheet.

The enclosures are suitable for many applications (both commercial and domestic) and not just swimming pools and spas – indeed they can offer an outside “living” room for any use.

The easy to handle sliding doors can be locked so that the enclosure is not accessible to children.

Certikin offers a free site survey. Installation is optional to give full peace of mind, or supply only and guidance provided should it be preferred.

 

 

 

Just as well-cut edges maketh a mown lawn, so all smart self-respecting swimming pools cry out to be trimmed with Certikin’s beautiful high density polyethylene grating (HDPE)… as this beautiful new swimming pool at the Old Swan & Minster Mill Hotel in Oxfordshire so graphically illustrates.

Located just 15 miles from Oxford, the Old Swan & Minster Mill is nestled in 65 acres of idyllic grounds in the picturesque village of Minster Lovell. This quintessentially English inn has recently been seen the addition of the Garden Spa – a tranquil haven which includes an indoor heated plunge pool, rock sauna and aroma steam room.

The architect, Michael Pilkington appointed Oxfordshire pool builders, Clearwater Pools, to construct the 9m x 4m pool. It was quite a task as all works had to be completed within a 20 week timeframe but Clearwater more than stepped up to the plate with the final result being this stunning tiled pool surrounded by Certikin’s HDPE grating.

Clearwater Pools, who have been constructing both private and commercial swimming pools for over 40 years, chose the high quality grating because of its eye catching good looks and high impact strength. It can be made to suit any existing or new grating channel and it comes in any depth, any width and virtually any colour.  Certikin can also manufacture bespoke items from HDPE such as manhole covers, drain covers, inlet covers and steam diffusers.

Certikin’s HDPE has proved a massive success story thanks to the company investing in the impressively named and sizeable Maxi-m5 2030 twin head, twin ATC precision CNC Router at Certikin’s HQ in Witney, Oxfordshire. This mega machine allows for a high manufacturing output and fantastic product versatility.

Tim Wilson, Certikin’s Operations Director says: “We have a range of 16 different tools to choose from and each tool is ingeniously and automatically selected by the machine’s computer, facilitating very complex machining. It’s this which makes it the best in the marketplace.”

Clearwater Pools Ltd: www.clearwater-pools.co.uk

 

 

 

So you want your pool to be GREEN?  Are you sure?  Well that is fairly easily achieved by forgetting to check the water or add chlorine and algicide and letting the green algae grow – and it’s even easier to achieve this after a rainstorm!

OK, so by ‘GREEN’ what we really mean is ‘environmentally friendly’.  You can run your swimming pool as efficiently as possible in order to save water and reduce energy use and therefore saving you money!  Here are a three ideas to help you to reduce your pool running costs:

ONE:  Cover your pool with a Sol+Guard Certikin Solar Blanket.  A solar blanket is a necessity when it comes to operating a pool in the UK.  By offering solar gain, heat retention and a water loss barrier, a good quality and well-made bubble cover will provide years of service and save money far beyond its original cost in a short period of time.  Covers with a translucent colouring will allow maximum solar penetration, whereas covers with a reflective underside will increase heat retention.

TWO:  Use OC-1 Filtration Media in your swimming pool filter.  OC-1 is an innovative filtration media made in the UK that replaces sand or glass as your filtration media in the swimming pool filter.  With OC-1 it is possible to achieve a greater flow of water through the filter which means that pump speeds can be reduced by around 20% giving impressive energy savings.  OC-1 also saves water as its huge debris retention capacity means that the filter can go much longer without a backwash¹ and without increasing the pressure or decreasing the flow rate. Existing filters can be converted for use with OC-1 or for new builds a dedicated OC-1 filter is available.

THREE:  Heat your pool with a Calorex Heat Pump.  Heat pumps are recognised as the most sustainable way to dynamically heat swimming pool water and with a Calorex heat pump you will save both energy and operating costs. Calorex Pro-Pac heat pumps are designed and engineered for the UK climate with models to suit all seasons from Summer right through to all year round use, which of course are ideal for indoor pools too! Calorex heat pumps can save up to 75% for both operating costs and carbon savings against direct electric heaters, and up to 47% operating cost saving against fossil fuel boilers and up to 60% carbon saving against fossil fuel boilers (based on UK energy costs). ²

A Calorex heat pump could also be used alongside a Certikin Genie gas heater which is 94% efficient (a much higher efficiency rating than other swimming pool gas heaters) and will quickly heat up the pool while the heat pump economically keeps the pool at the desired temperature.

Your local swimming pool expert will be best placed to advise you on which green products you could incorporate into your own swimming pool – why not contact them to find out more on how you can reduce your swimming pool running costs.

¹NOTE: The levels of Total Dissolved Solids and Cyanuric Acid (a chlorine stabiliser used in outdoor pools) should be monitored due to the reduction in the addition of fresh water when reducing backwashing frequency.  Sanitisers such as calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochorite do not contain cyanuric acid and could be used as an alternative to di-chlor granules or tri-chlor tablets if cyanuric acid stabiliser levels are higher than desired.


2NOTE: Energy saving data from www.calorex.com