This home and backyard renovation includes all the bells and whistles

by jason_cramp | December 5, 2017 1:42 pm

By Phil Bach

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Upgrading to a new high-efficiency pool heater not only reduces operating costs for the homeowner, but also lessens the amount of space required for the unit, which provides new opportunities for backyard pool design.

In Canada, homeowners use their pool heaters more often (i.e. early spring and late fall) than most others in North America. Therefore, installing one of today’s high-efficiency pool heaters can significantly lower the homeowners operating costs both short and long-term. As an added bonus, these new heaters are ‘direct-air vent’ and do not require large room openings for combustion air, which means they can vent directly to the outside about 305 mm (12 in.) above the grade.

In contrast, old heater systems were not certified for indoor installation and, therefore, needed a single exhaust pipe (‘B’ vent) to draw air from the room into the combustion chamber through the roof or above the roofline. This venting method can be cumbersome and often results in the heater being placed outside of the house on a concrete pad, which can be unsightly, as well as take up valuable space—especially in smaller backyards.

A hot renovation

When Walter Schmoll, president and owner of Hollandia Pools & Spas in London, Ont., decided to completely renovate his own pool, it also included a revamp of the mechanical room as part of the design of a new pool cabana.

Prior to the renovation, the pool’s 22-year-old heater was located, independently, on a concrete slab, outside of the home and cabana. It was functioning, but definitely not efficiently, said Schmoll. Degradation of pool heaters typically occurs as heat exchanger tubes become clogged with build-up and burners become obstructed. By choosing to install a new, high-efficiency heater with the ability to direct-vent, it freed up space in the backyard allowing the cabana to encompass the old heater’s concrete pad.

The new, 400,000 British thermal unit (Btu) direct-vent heater was incorporated into the basement of the cabana for a more efficient and visually appealing operation of the pool. Further, the new heater is 96 per cent efficient, which will reduce the overall operating cost of heating the pool water.

“We run our heater from May until early October,” says Schmoll. “So we are anticipating a reduction in operation costs with a return on investment (ROI) within five years.”

The new mechanical room

The basement of the new cabana is 3.6 m (12 ft) wide by 12.2 m (40 ft) long, which offered ample space to include all of the pool’s new mechanical equipment (e.g. the heater, gas service, electrical, and controls). The ability to combine all of the equipment in one place makes servicing easier and more efficient.

“It might not seem that important, but having all the mechanical equipment in a clean pump room, away from the elements, not only makes maintenance of the individual components less complicated, but also pool ownership in general,” says Schmoll.

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The new heater, which is certified for indoor use, was placed on the basement’s north wall to allow ventilation through the concrete foundation and kept the vent stack and gas service out of view from the outside of the building. Further, the unit has a sealed combustion chamber with supply air ducting directly to the heater and direct power venting to the outdoors.

Venting requirements for new heaters are quite different from what was required in the past. Although this process has become easier, the importance of proper venting is still critical. Improper installation and/or operation could result in insufficient venting of carbon monoxide gas and/or flue gases that could cause serious injury.

When venting heaters, it is important to maintain proper clearances (152 mm [6 in.]) from combustible surfaces on the top and side of the unit. When considering requirements with respect to how far a heater can be vented, or how far ductwork can run to pull intake air, each 90-degree elbow reduces the maximum horizontal polyvinyl chloride (PVC) air intake run by 3.6 m (12 ft). Each 45-degree elbow reduces the maximum run by 1.8 m (6 ft).

The minimum requirements for air supply specify the equipment room in which a heater is installed to be equipped with two permanent air supply openings: one commencing within 305 mm (12 in.) of the top and one commencing within 305 mm (12 in.) from the bottom of the enclosure for combustion air.

This installation procedure is in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z223.1, National Fuel Gas code[3], Canadian Standards Association (CSA) B149.1, Natural Gas and Propane Installation codes[4], as applicable, and any local codes that may apply.

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Air supply openings should directly, or through a duct, connect to outdoor air. Therefore, for this particular installation, the heater was tested for a direct-air intake duct using 102-mm (4-in.) PVC pipe and separate vent pipes were installed. In the past, venting and air intake ducts had to be in balance and be the same length; however with these new heaters, they draw combustible air from outside the structure and flue gases are forced out.

The colour of the heater’s flame is a good indicator of whether or not the unit is receiving enough combustible air to function properly. A flame that is blue and clear indicates the unit is burning 100 per cent of the gas. If the flame is not getting enough air, it becomes orange and releases carbon that turns to soot and clogs heat exchangers.

One of the more common mistakes that occur when installing a new heater is upgrading the size of the unit without having a large enough supply of gas. For example, if the pool previously had a gas line for a 200,000-Btu heater and the new unit is rated 400,000 Btus, the gas line also needs to be bigger to accommodate the increased output.

The cabana design

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Homeowners want to take advantage of every square inch of outdoor living space they have. They want to socialize in the backyard and, for pool owners, this space is more important to them than their indoor living room. This was the case for Schmoll’s renovation, as the construction of a new cabana with all of the latest components would suit their backyard entertaining lifestyle.

“The cabana design was inspired by an outdoor living space a friend has in San Diego, Calif.,” said Schmoll. “We loved the design and atmosphere so much that we wanted to re-create the same type of space in our own backyard.”

The interior of the cabana includes radiant floor heating, a three-piece bathroom, and a change room. It also has a covered outdoor seating area with a wood-burning fireplace and ‘U’-shaped bar with two beer taps and a built-in barbecue in the kitchen. A 251-m² (2700-sf) multi-level patio surrounds the pool and cabana. In addition to housing the pool equipment, the cabana’s basement offers ample room for storage.

The pool renovation

Schmoll’s original shotcrete pool was built in 1993 when it was popular to use limestone on decks, especially in a random, broken stone look. However, this time he wanted something different that would co-ordinate with the exterior of his home renovation. To do this, a grey travertine stone, which was purchased in India, was selected as it complements the new colour scheme of the home.

The freeform pool is 6.7 m (22 ft) wide by 13.4 m (44 ft) long and has a 2.4-m (8-ft) deep end. An attached spillover spa was built into the shallow end of the pool.

“The pool shape, size, and structure didn’t change, but rather just the finishes,” said Schmoll of his pool and home renovation, which was inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The goal was to give the home (along with the pool and cabana) a new look, which comprised today’s popular ‘mid-century’ design elements, while incorporating modern conveniences and adding more outdoor living space.

To achieve this, the pool was completely stripped of all finishes and the new grey travertine coping was installed. In addition, black glass tile was installed at the waterline and the pool and spa were finished in emerald black river rock. In an attempt to automate and improve the functionality of the pool, all of the in-floor cleaning fittings were replaced, in addition to all of the wall fittings, skimmers, hydrotherapy jets, and pool lights. The spillover spa was also raised 203 mm (8 in.) for practical reasons. As the spa is used year-round, having it at deck-level allowed leaves to blow into the water; however, this minor structural change will help to prevent this from happening.

Other pump room upgrades

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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.

[8]Phil Bach is the senior sales manager for Pentair Aquatic Systems[9] 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[10].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/case-studies/home-backyard-renovation-includes-bells-whistles/

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