Category: Spectacular Pools

“This is probably the pool of my career… so far,” says SPATA award winning wet leisure expert, Richard Adams of New Dawn Pools about this envy-inducing pool in the Cotswolds. Given carte blanche by the owner to create the pool of her dreams, the only stipulation was that the project had to be environmentally friendly, hence a Calorex heat pump was chosen for its green credentials.  

Gloucestershire-based New Dawn Pools is no stranger to building awe-inspiring high-end pools and spas but this one stood out as being particularly special because of its simple clean lines beauty and unique position. Located in Winchcombe – one of the highest points in the Cotswolds, the property has breath taking views across the valley, so an infinity edge pool to capitalise on this feature was a must. The 10m by 5m concrete pool was built on the site of an old tiled pool but with the addition of a beautiful internal spa complete with walk-in steps.

Richard says: “The owner was concerned about looking at the swimming pool from the lower garden and tennis court and seeing a concrete wall so we came up with the idea of building a Cotswold stone wall on the infinity edge upstand. We clad the wall with stone and soft planting and the water trickled over the infinity edge detail to give the impression of a waterfall from a natural spring. We then infilled the trough with pebbles.”

In line with the owner’s brief for energy efficiency, Richard installed a Calorex Pro-Pac as the plant room work horse. In addition, two Certikin heat exchangers (one to assist the heat pump in the Winter and one for the hot tub), were installed and connected to a domestic boiler to boost the pool’s temperature when they have parties and to heat the spa independently.

Started in January 2017, Richard and his team worked to a tight schedule to complete the pool and landscaping in time for a big family wedding at the end of July, where the pool and spa quickly became the focus of entertainment.

Richard says: “We were honoured and privileged to be awarded this project, which was an absolute joy to work on. This has become the latest New Dawn flagship pool.”

Ten reasons to pick Pro-Pac

Using “state of the art” green technology, Calorex heat pumps heat pools for a fraction of the cost of gas, oil and direct electric heaters, but without the carbon footprint.

The Pro-Pac domestic ‘Y’ range provide reliable heat even in the harshest winter conditions. An intelligent, electronically controlled defrost allows the units to operate reliably in air temperatures as low as -15 °C!

High efficiencies: Pro-Pac heat pumps are designed to provide an industry leading coefficient of performance, saving CO₂ and reducing operating costs.

Titanium full flow heat exchanger.

High efficiency, sound insulated, rotary (PP 8 and 12) or scroll (PP 16 and 22) compressors. Fully ERP compliant

Touch screen controls which enable easy adjustment of the pool water set point temperature and clear symbols show the actual water temperature and operational status of the unit.

“Smart pool pump control – Pro Pac can synchronise a pool pump to run only when the pool requires heating, significantly cutting down on pool pump running time. Used with a time clock that operates the pool pump for a block period, minimum pool water turnover rates are maintained.

Small footprint – the Pro-Pac range is designed with space in mind.  Furthermore, Pro-Pac’s comply with size requirements for permitted development rights (models 8-22)

Three-year on-site parts and labour warranty. Ten-year anti-corrosion warranty on the Pro-Pac casing.

Fully supported by a nationwide network of service engineers, often offering next day attendance and fix.

Standing cheek by jowl with the soaring towers of London’s corporate strongholds, the majesty of St Paul’s Cathedral and the Thames, the new Montcalm Royal London House Hotel, lies in the heart of the City. An oasis of tranquility; beautiful styling combines with twenty-first century tech… from the striking lobby to the state-of-the-art spa, where Certikin’s equipment stands proudly.

The Montcalm Hotel’s lead Design & Build contractor SGP Contracts, along with renowned interior designers Russell Sage, Tonik Associates and 5Plus architects worked together to convert the former Royal Mail head office’s into one of the capital’s top hotels. The Royal London House capitalises on its views of the City skyline including the Shard and other iconic landmarks.

Transforming the underused and dated Royal Mail office – an imposing listed building – and turning it into a distinctive new destination was quite a challenge. Like a phoenix, the Royal London House arose from the multi million upgrade. The jewel in the crown is a wellness and fitness centre, the perfect spot for putting back what the city takes out. With the Certikin trademark featured extensively throughout, there’s a spa, a swimming pool, three treatment rooms, a sauna and steam room.

The accommodating spa

A tiled spa is the perfect solution for new build or refurbishment project as they come with the option of being delivered in two halves to aid entry into buildings. The spas can then be rejoined on site and the joint hidden by tiling over the joint itself with the matching tile strips provided.

Good for domestic, light commercial and heavy-use overflow applications, they  come in attractive round, square and octagon shapes. All the spas are fully tiled in the factory in a choice of attractive glass mosaics. Alternatively, the customer can supply his own choice of tiles. Their high specification includes water hydrotherapy jets for localised massage, air tracks for all over massage, an underwater light, a floating heat retention cover and full support leg kit.

Royal London House. 22-25 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1DX: www.montcalmroyallondoncity.co.uk

 SGP Contracts: www.sgpcontracts.com

 

Just how straightforward the beautiful Niveko one-piece pool is to install was recently demonstrated in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire when Paul Mortimer decided to add an impressive pool hall extension to his house. Within weeks of being ordered, the pool was installed and the extension was duly completed.

“The first thing that attracted me to a one-piece pool was cost,” says Paul. “We had been quoted over £125,000 to have a concrete pool installed, which took the pool out of our reach. I then started to look at what was available as an alternative to concrete. The first pools I came across when searching online were fibreglass one-piece pools but I was put off by the possibility of osmosis.

“I contacted AG Budget Pools & Spas of Stourport-on-Severn who were extremely helpful in pointing me in the right direction and they suggested a Niveko one-piece pool might be suitable for me. After some online research I thought this would be the ideal solution. I particularly liked how the pool cover retracts underwater into the rear wall. What confirmed my decision was the Niveko’s construction which seemed very sound indeed.”

Paul placed an order for a 8 x 3.7 x 1.5 m blue shell Niveko complete with light blue steps with Badu Jet Primavera counter current unit and PVC white slatted cover in pit solution.

Paul says: “The Niveko pool arrived on the back of a lorry which was positioned outside the house. The pool was lifted from the lorry sideways and craned onto the front lawn where it was laid flat. It was craned over the house where a pre-dug hole was waiting to receive it. This was quite an accomplishment because being an indoor pool, three walls of the extension were already erected and the pool had to be manoeuvred through the open roof. Luckily there was no wind that day!

“Naturally, the fact that we didn’t have to wait for the pool to be constructed was a huge plus for choosing a one-piece pool. It was the quickest possible method of installing a premium quality pool within the fabric of the house.

“Aside from a couple of issues with the instructions for the installation, which I hasten to add were all dealt with swiftly and quickly resolved, I am very pleased with the pool indeed. Bearing in mind I have no experience of fitting a pool whatsoever, I think it’s gone as well as it possibly could have done. The end result is I have a stunning pool with a high quality finish and it all came within budget.”

AG Budget Pools & Spas are equally delighted with the installation and being in the business for over 25 years, there’s not much that they don’t know about pools. Vanessa, who sold the pool to Paul, says: “As a company we are very impressed with the Niveko and the training we have received from Certikin has been first class.”

NIVEKO ONE PIECE POOLS – the low down:

Niveko offer unrivalled contemporary design in one piece pools. Skimmer pools, overflow / deck level and infinity edges are all available.

All the pools can be supplied with a slatted automatic cover to help minimise heat loss and associated running costs. Incorporating an in-roller motor, it can be operated with a key switch or remote control.

Pre-plumbed, the pools have 30mm of insulation.

Completely custom built – almost any shape or size is an option. Access is rarely a barrier to install as pools can be joined sectionally on site by Niveko’s install team.

Niveko Pools are available in the UK through Certikin International Ltd

 

Newton Abbot pool specialists, Westcountry Leisure, struck gold at the British Pool & Hot Tub Awards 2017, hosted by BISHTA and SPATA, with this magnificent pool in Devon. Built on the side of the cliff overlooking a bay in the Salcombe estuary, the pool is fully loaded with Certikin and Calorex equipment.

Brief: The client, a keen swimmer, wanted a pool for all year round use with a deep swimming lane plus a shallow end for his children. The large linear pool had to sit within the confines of the area to the back of the house and embrace its mature and natural surroundings – namely, the extensive gardens, the breath-taking sea view and the seagull-nesting cliffs.

Installation: Using a terrace where a large ornamental pond was sited, the pool is an impressive 22m in length to compliment the surrounding architectural features. The 5m wide pool (with 1.5m shallow and 2.2m deep end) required planning permission as it is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the house is Grade II listed. The owners were keen to ensure the project did not have any detrimental impact on the existing building. Westcountry Leisure put together drawings and a specification to satisfy the local authority, who duly granted permission.

Once the pool had been excavated to the required depths, a structural engineer inspected it and, due to failure of the compaction tests, further excavation was required.

MD of Westcountry Leisure, Mark Gilpin says: “Our initial survey was based upon a surface inspection of the site and even though we carried out two trial holes before commencement, the extra works didn’t become apparent until the majority of the dig had been carried out. It was certainly a challenging job and not one for those with a fear of heights! The proximity of the 20m drop over the cliff, just 6m away on one side, and the foundations of the two wings of the historical building within 2m on the other, required extensive shoring and stabilization of the dig.”

Logistics: Access to the site was completely restricted on three sides with only a small, single vehicular access possible between the trees. To improve access, Westcountry removed the existing retaining wall between the upper and lower terrace to enable the shuttered concrete pool to be constructed. The reinforced concrete, stone-faced retaining wall was reinstated on top where the depth of the dig was over 3.5m.

All excavated material was removed from site and a further 300 tons of material then returned to backfill the pool. As the work was carried out mid-winter, Westcountry constructed a temporary scaffold roof to aid the finishing works.

Details: The existing York stone terrace was carefully removed prior to excavation for recycling, to help the pool blend in. The stones, some of which weighed over 500 kg each, were cleaned, sorted, re-cut and re-laid as coping stones, pit lids for the Roldeck automatic cover chamber and cappings for the new stone-faced retaining wall that was flush with the pool wall.

The inside of the pool is lined with slate-lookalike porcelain tiles, 1200 mm x 600 mm, to blend in with the environment as the local planning officer wanted to avoid a bright blue tiled pool.

Result: Owner, Deborah Weinreich says: “We are delighted with the pool and the work of Mark Gilpin and the architect Ed Barker (South West Studio). Bearing in mind it was winter we were fortunate to be blessed with reasonable weather. We were less fortunate with historic pipe work that was discovered and needed to be re-routed. It also took a great deal more digging to find hard surface to build the pool on, so it had to be filled with aggregates before pool construction could start. In all it took 24 weeks to complete but it was well worth it.”

Westcountry’s Mark adds: “It was the most technically challenging project we have undertaken, especially as we had to work with such restricted access. The provision of extensive retaining walls and additional safety to the pool cover all added to the complexity of the job. We are delighted to win a SPATA Gold award and gain valuable industry recognition for our efforts.”

 

In a world where energy is finite, preserving valuable resources is the motivation behind every project and new product launch, which is why the SPATA Gold Award for Sustainability is such an important one. In 2016, this much-coveted award went to Sunderland pool builder, Whitewaters, for their technical expertise in building this beautiful pool, which has at its heart a Calorex Variheat environmental control unit.

The new build pool was part of the conversion of an existing farm building on an exposed site within the North Pennines – an area of outstanding natural beauty and on the fringes of the Northumberland National Park.

Longstanding customers of Certikin, Whitewaters turned to the UK’s number one supplier for equipment including a Calorex Variheat 3 unit, an Indux heat recovery ventilator, two Euroswim pumps, Vision sand filter, Blue lagoon UV unit and stainless steel heat exchanger.

The owners, keen to be as resourceful as possible monitored the house’s energy consumption for a year and the pool for ten months.  This revealed the overall complex (including the pool) to be carbon negative – that is the site produces more energy over a year than the building consumes. This scheme proves that properly utilising the very best in renewable technology can allow a pool (which is so often seen as an environmental no-no) to be collaboratively integrated into a significantly carbon negative development.

MD of Whitewaters, Mick Guthrie, says: “We were delighted with the SPATA award.  Having won a number of design awards in various categories in recent years, it was particularly pleasing to win Gold in this highly technical category.  We were fortunate to work alongside an excellent client and a progressive design team on this project, which allowed our team to showcase its skills.”

Variheat: a small solution to a big problem

In the Variheat, Calorex has produced an incredibly versatile range of environmental control units that take care of heating, humidity control, dehumidification and energy recovery.  With literally thousands of different configurations available as standard, there is a Variheat for every size and shape plant room.  Available exclusively from Certikin, it is exceptionally compact and easy to configure. Up-draught, down-draught, horizontal airflows, 90-degree turns, left and right handing are all easily achieved with service access to suit each project`s requirements.

The Variheat Series 3 is an advanced environmental control system designed specifically to control indoor pool hall environments and water conditions.  It maximises energy efficiency to ensure running costs are kept to an absolute minimum.  The integral controls re designed so that the maximum use of recycled energy is made before asking for heat from an external boiler or heat source.

The Variheat’s powerful state of the art variable speed fans ensure that power consumption is minimised, plus they are quiet in operation!

Of course, the Variheats are supported by a nationwide network of Calorex Service Agents.  Rapid response times and exemplary support give you and your clients peace of mind for years to come.

The Variheat’s features:

– Flexible in design

– Indoor pool dehumidifier

– Heat recovery to air & water, plus air & water heating

– Ideal for overhead or underground ductwork

– Built-in air heater battery

– Night set-back facility

– Summer Switch allows all heating to be directed to pool water alone.

 

 

 

 

Concrete and liner methods of swimming pool construction, of course, have their rightful place but both can be time consuming. If it’s a pool you want, and right now, nothing is quicker than a one-piece pool. As Ian Dolan found out when local pool specialists IED Installations Ltd installed this beautiful Niveko pool at his home in the north-west.

“I was attracted to a one-piece pool simply because I don’t have the time to see through to completion the construction of a traditional pool and after making the decision to have a pool, I wanted it to be up and running like tomorrow!” says Ian. “For me, there is only one, one piece pool …the Niveko. It wins hand’s down on quality, functionality and stunning good looks.”

Within weeks of placing the order, an 8m x 3.7m pool with full width steps was duly delivered to Ian’s home near Liverpool and some three weeks later the family were swimming at home.

“To me, the Niveko is a no-brainer,” adds Ian. “The costs of a Niveko compare favourably to a traditional build and they are a solid unit so there’s no problems with leaks. Plus, I have the reassurance that it comes with a 10 year warranty.

“Installation was very straight-forward and coming as it does, pre-piped and pre-wired, significantly saves on installation costs. I feel I have a tailor made pool as there are so many different models and colour permutations.”

The Niveko stripped down

– The Niveko range is as broad as it is long with styles that include options such as skimmers / overflows / a vanishing edge to name just a few.

– All the pools can be supplied with a slatted automatic cover to help minimise heat loss and associated running costs. Incorporating an in-roller motor, it can be operated with a key switch or remote control.

– Pre-plumbed, all the pools have 30mm of insulation.

– The overflow gutter has a unique levelling system which provides a solution for any unevenness in the base plate without interfering in the pool structure. It is particularly good for larger pools, as it simplifies the installation process.

 

 

 

When the Alan Shearer Activity Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne approached pool specialist, Whitewaters Ltd, to replace an old hydro pool with something bigger and better, naturally it was to Certikin that they turned and, in particular, their trailblazing new filter media: OC-1.

Founded by the retired English footballer, the Alan Shearer Activity Centre situated on the outskirts of Newcastle is a specialist recreational, sensory and social centre for disabled people catering for a wide spectrum of need. It is the only short break centre in the North East with its own on-site activity centre, set within acres of beautifully landscaped grounds.

Having seen better days, Whitewaters Ltd set about stripping out the old hydrotherapy pool, replacing it with a £500,000 state-of-the-art facility. Six months in design, the construction took a further six months to complete. Twice the size of the original hydrotherapy pool, it offers a mix of fun and relaxation with interactive mood lighting and water and music features. A distinctive full-length window looks out onto the beautiful grounds and turns opaque at a flick of a switch. The pool features an array of water features including a Certikin water cannon, and fluvo air pad and swimjet.

MD of Whitewaters, Mick Guthrie says: “The new hydrotherapy pool offers all the grandeur of a top quality spa, but it also plays a serious role in providing therapeutic benefits to disabled people of all ages.”

Water quality is, of course, of vital importance and at the heart of this pool’s filtration system is the ground breaking new OC-1 filter media for which Certikin is the world’s exclusive distributor.   Unique in its methodology and performance, OC-1 works through settlement as opposed to entrapment, and harnesses the recent advances in pump technology and variable speed pumps/controllers.

Mick reports: “The pool has been running for over a month now and the water clarity is crystal clear. Being extremely lightweight, OC-1 is so much easier than any other filter media to handle and work with. Although it’s early days, I am highly impressed with OC-1 and its distinct benefits.”

OC-1 gains momentum in the marketplace

Since the launch of Certikin’s OC-1 Filtration Media® in 2016 sales have been growing steadily and its success is no surprise when you realise just how much of a game changer for water leisure filtration this really is.  When compared to traditional media, it has outstanding benefits:

Reduced energy consumption – OC-1 maintains constant flow rates, even when the media is dirty, so pumps can run at lower speeds. No downtime required for heating/salt chlorinators/heat pumps going out on low flow.

Huge capacity for debris collection – over 20 times the capacity of sand or glass.

Reduced requirement for backwashing and a more efficient backwash – reduces water consumption, chemical usage and No need to backwash on start up with new installations.

Lightweight – can even be shipped inside a filter, easy to handle, super quick and easy to install.

Filtration quality Removes 80% of 10 micron particles on one turnover and even removes particles as small as 1 micron.

Suitable for – domestic, commercial, outdoor or indoor, new installs or existing filters.

Recyclable at end of product life

 

 

Once upon a time this pool hall in Witney, Oxfordshire, housed a 10m by 5m pool before it was boarded over by a retired train engineer to house his £100,000 train set. The house has been sold again and, wishing to resurrect the old pool hall, the current owner called in the services of Gloucestershire pool builder, New Dawn Pools, who produced this stunning result.

Accountant, Angela Caiger, bought the house last year with the express aim to unearth and expose the old indoor pool. New Dawn Pools reduced the size of the pool to 6m x 4.5m and built two walls on top of the pool shell to divide the building up to create a small annex for guests, consisting of a kitchen/lounge, bedroom and bathroom plus a second bathroom in the pool hall area.

The pool hall’s most striking feature is the wall mural depicting a picture that Angela took last year on holiday in the Seychelles. This was lovingly reproduced on tiles and it was the job of New Dawn Pools to fix all 957 of them! The pool features five mini Certikin LED lights, stainless steel fittings, a Vision filter, Starite pump, Calorex Variheat, a white slatted Roldeck cover and a Fastlane counter current unit.

The Fastlane for va-va-voom!
Ideal for small pools, the Fastlane, when it’s at full tilt, has been described as being akin to ‘swimming up river in a flood. It’s incredible!’
Easily installed, this fit-anywhere counter current unit lets you swim for as long as you like without turning. Adjust the Fastlane to your pace and enjoy swimming in an even, river-like current. Simple hydraulics means that no electricity is required poolside – simply roll the Fastlane across the pool deck and drop it into the water.  Or with a new pool you can build it into the pool wall as seen here where the Fastlane was cleverly built into the wall giving a sleek and modern finish.

It’s suitable for almost any pool – free form or rectangular; gunite, vinyl or fibreglass; new construction or retrofit. Swimmers love the adjustable speed swim current and children love it because it’s pure fun!

Polly Nicholson, the owner of this stunning pool, knows a thing or two about gardens and landscape design being the highly respected flower grower and proprietor of Bayntun Flowers. So it’s little wonder that the pool in Blackland, at the foot of the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire, blends so comfortably into its surroundings. Installed by Gloucestershire pool builder, New Dawn Pools, it is brimming with Certikin equipment, from its Roldeck cover down to its Pacelite finish.

Like the ceremonial smashing of a bottle of champagne over the bow of a new ship, the inaugural swim in a newly built pool is a ‘christening’ and a memorable celebration. For the Nicholson family that moment came on Christmas Eve 2015 when the pool, which began construction in April, was given its final touches. The four Nicholson children declared it the best Christmas present ever!

Installer, Richard Adams of New Dawn Pools says: “Polly project managed the whole garden project under the design and guidance of Arne Maynard Garden Designs, London. Polly, understandably, has exacting standards and a high level of perfection but the project was, in addition, challenging with a brook running through the property causing severe water table problems.”

The stunning 15m x 7m pool set in natural Portland stone has a varying depth of 1.4m to 2.6m and features a Roldeck in cave cover with new polycarbonate solar slats and a safety ledge. Adding to the sense of luxury, stainless steel fittings are featured throughout, including ten Certikin stainless steel mini LED lights. The pool, which has a Midnight Sky Pacelite internal finish, also features Certikin deep bed filtration and ozone sterilization.

The pool is heated with a Certikin 50kw Genie gas boiler. In addition, a 35kw Genie dual partly heats the pool water as well as under floor heating, showers, and hot water in the changing rooms. Richard adds: “An efficient and economical method of heating is essential as the pool is in operation 52 weeks of the year.”

 

Making waves on the Manchester hotel scene is the King Street Townhouse. Owned by the Eclectic Hotel group and opened just this year, it has been shortlisted for the Greater Manchester Building of the Year award and made the Conde Nast 2016 hot list for best hotels in the world. Helping the hotel achieve such accolades is the City’s first rooftop infinity spa-pool, installed by Cheshire pool specialists Swimlife UK Ltd, which overlooks the clock tower and spires of the Manchester Town Hall.

Set in a Grade II listed, Italian Renaissance-style building dating from 1872, the jewel in the crown of this upscale hotel is the beautiful infinity spa-pool. Sited seven floors atop the building, it boasts floor to ceiling windows offering hotel residents uninterrupted views of the Manchester city skyline. Owners, Eclectic Hotels said their intention was to respectfully expand on the allure and unique qualities of this historic building and wow they have certainly achieved it!

Eamonn O’Loughlin, owner of Eclectic Hotels, said: “In today’s work-centred world, people value their free time more than anything, therefore it was imperative we provided our guests with a soothing haven of serenity, relaxation and tranquil surroundings, a world away from the busy life below. We are proud to say the new rooftop spa does just that.”

Gary Seddon, MD of the installing company, Warrington based Swimlife, says “We have been dealing with Certikin for over 25 years. In my professional opinion, Certikin is at the frontline of technical support, prompt service and the delivery of premium quality goods. We have come to rely on the company’s  filters, pumps and chemical dosing units because they are the very best and we wouldn’t look anywhere else. Furthermore, Certikin provides an excellent after sales service in the commissioning of dosing equipment following installation by our engineers.”