Other pump room upgrades
In addition to the new, high-efficiency heater, Schmoll also upgraded all of the other equipment in the pump room. This included the addition of two variable-speed pumps (VSPs), which improves the circulation of the heated water into the pool. Other upgrades included a high-efficiency jet pump to activate the spa jets, a 54-m2 (580-sf) cartridge pool filter, a 14-m2 (150-sf) cartridge spa filter, an ultraviolet (UV) sanitizer, and a new chlorine generator.
The pump system was also equipped with a new chemical feed system, including controls for pH and chlorine with two liquid storage tanks.
“To reduce the time required for maintenance on the pool, we also added two chemical feed pumps,” said Schmoll. “To improve the overall operation and efficiency of the system we added water level monitoring, an auto-fill system, and a control system to regulate pump speeds, lighting, and temperature.”
Finally, automatic valve controls were installed on all the new plumbing to control the pool and spa settings with respect to filtration and heating for each specific body of water.
Automation all around
In keeping with current trends, everything—from the home, pool, and outdoor living spaces—was incorporated into an automation system. Schmoll wanted his pool to embody the latest technological advances; therefore, having a heater that can interface with smartphone technology was key.
“Consumers want to use their phones to program their pool or spa. They want to automate this process from the parking lot at work so when they get home their spa is already at 40 C (104 F) when they walk in the door, and ready for them to use,” said Schmoll.
Today’s heaters are designed to work with this automation technology and are well-suited for the Canadian market.
“We installed an automation system which regulates the heating system,” said Schmoll. “The settings allow us to maintain the pool at 26.6 C (80 F) and the spa at 39 C (102 F).”
Consumers want to extend their swimming season into the fall and to open the pool early in the spring. In Canada, a pool heater is an essential piece of equipment for those owners looking to get the most use out of their pool, while at the same time it is important to use an automation system to control the unit to ensure operating costs remain reasonable.
Schmoll’s central automation system enables him to control his home, pool, and outdoor living space, including security, audio, video, lighting, and temperature via a smartphone or tablet.
The interior and exterior of the property has 140 LED lights. The home also has radiant floor heating on each floor in three different heating zones, plus radiant heating in the cabana.
Almost complete
The project is expected to be completed spring 2018. The home and cabana renovation alone increased the footprint of their living space by approximately 111.5 m2 (1200 sf).
“We actually planned to ‘downsize’ our home with this renovation, but found ourselves increasing the footprint to make the space more efficient.”
The Schmoll’s are looking forward to their new dream home that incorporates a fully automated, energy-efficient modern outdoor living space.
Phil Bach is the senior sales manager for Pentair Aquatic Systems in eastern and central Canada. He has been working in the pool industry since 1978, starting as a pool service technician. Bach joined SwimQuip in 1988 and stayed with the company as it became Sta-Rite and then Pentair Water Pool and Spa. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.bach@pentair.com.
