Trending now: automatic spa covers

by brittney_cutler_2 | September 3, 2021 10:56 am

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By Mike Shadoan

Automatic pool covers have long been considered a top convenience product for pools. There is no better option for ease of opening and closing pools safely, making them ideal for maximizing use of the pool.

With a surge in demand for spas and swim spas, so too is there a new demand for automatic covers for these products. Customers are also looking at the benefits of being able to instantly open and close their spa without the need to lift a heavy traditional cover.

Auto covers for spas and swim spas are appealing to new owners as well as existing owners who have struggled with cumbersome, traditional covers. Despite their higher price point, the automatic spa cover not only provides convenience and safety but also an esthetically pleasing cover solution.

Growing demand for auto covers on spas

As automatic pool covers are one of the premier cover options for pools, it is not surprising consumers want the same type of cover for their spas and swim spas.

“Almost 100 per cent of the pools we build have an automatic pool cover,” says Matt Harms, general manager at Modish Pools in Indiana. “Our market is very familiar with the convenience, safety, and beauty of this product and we believe this familiarity has fueled the demand for auto covers on spas.”

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Allan Horwood of Pool Patrol in British Columbia agrees: “Putting an auto cover on a spa or swim spa was an anomaly in the past, but now it has become a regular request from new and existing owners.

“There appears to be an untapped opportunity for pool professionals who want to start selling auto covers to their spa and swim spa clients.”

As installers face increasing requests for these types of covers, many manufacturers are experiencing a steady upward trend in demand for smaller auto covers for installation on spas, swim spas, and smaller pools. Some builders and installers report consumers are investing in larger spas and swim spas with TVs, stereos, lights, and a multitude of jets, and will spend $40,000 on the spa itself. Spending another $8000 to $10,000 on an auto cover no longer seems outrageous.

In comparison to a traditional spa cover, an auto cover for a spa may seem expensive; however, consumers who want automation and convenience will pay a premium for an auto cover to be installed on their spa.

Selling automatic spa covers

One of the biggest selling features of the automatic cover is it makes it easier to use a pool or spa in the winter. Many spas are used year-round, so, for some, it is a logical choice to install an auto cover as opening and closing the spa can be done easily and quickly during cooler months.

“The spa owner is in their home dressed to jump in the spa or swim spa and the last thing they want to do wrestle with a cumbersome cover standing in the freezing cold without shoes or a coat before they can get in,” says Horwood. “They would much rather push a button next to their patio door, wait one minute for the cover to pull back, walk out, and immediately get into their spa.”

Harms says most of his clients plan to use their spa in the winter and they do not want to get fully dressed to brush snow off a hard top cover and wrestle with it to open their spa. They want to be in their swimsuits and immediately get in the water.

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Opportunity for builders

By selling auto covers, many builders are finding they have an opportunity to sell another high-end product in the backyard both for the pool and the spa.

“We are pool builders and all of our pools have auto covers—whether it’s a gunite, vinyl liner, or fibreglass pool,” says Harms. “More times than not, when we follow up on a pool lead the customer says they are also thinking about installing a spa.

“This is when we tell the homeowner we can also build them a spa that will integrate with the pool; we also suggest an auto cover be installed on both the pool and the spa.”

Savvy builders are realizing they have a real opportunity to up-sell a spa alongside the pool, providing the perfect opportunity to sell auto covers on both bodies of water.

“We use this opportunity every time we’re in a client’s backyard,” says Horwood. “Out of habit, pool builders don’t think to offer an auto cover for the spa, but they should because they are missing out on the chance increase their profits—especially when you have a high-end customer that is automating their pool, adding an auto cover on the spa is a natural.”

In fact, many pools will also have a spa without a proper cover which could be a potential drowning hazard.

“Automatic covers are considered safety covers so putting one on a spa can deter unwanted entry into the water,” says Harms. “Pool professionals will not only be offering their client’s convenience, but also help them maintain a safe backyard.”

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Planning for auto covers on spas

The biggest difference between installing auto covers on a spa versus a pool is space. When planning for an auto cover on a new spa installation, the challenges are mostly esthetics.

“On a spa, we have more design flexibility than on a pool because it can operate with a smaller motor mechanism,” says Harms. “Most customers like the spa to look as though it has a ‘picture frame’ around the perimeter. We can do this easily because the cavity for the cover box doesn’t need to be as big. This allows us to integrate the auto cover in a manner that is visually appealing.”

Auto covers can be placed on spas that are flush with the deck or sit above the deck: “If the spa is set at grade, or at deck level, then the auto cover box will need to be placed below grade,” says Horwood. “The coping that sits over the box will sit flush with the rest of the deck.”

If the spa sits up above the ground, typically they are raised about 457 to 508 mm (18 to 20 in.) above the deck and, so too, the cover box must sit above the deck.

“To make the auto cover mechanism a part of the spa design on new installations, most builders will usually incorporate the auto-cover box into the spa wall to integrate it with the overall footprint of the spa,” says Horwood.

Depending on the size of the spa, the additional space needed for the mechanism box may only add about 0.35 m (1 ft) to the length of the spa. When Harms is building a gunite spa, he says the walls he constructs are typically 305 mm (12 in.) thick.

“For example, if the water dimension of the spa, from side to side, is 2.4 m (8 ft), then our build dimension, or overall footprint, is 3 m (10 ft) around the perimeter of the spa or 0.35 m on all sides,” says Harms.

“When planning, we make sure the motor unit fits within the 3 m area giving us the room we need for the motor unit as well as the electrical box supplying the power to the unit; it can get tight, so we plan and design in a manner that allows us to shift the system one way or another to increase our available space.”

The situation is often different when builders are looking to install an auto cover on an existing spa installation. Although there is less fabric that needs to roll up in the housing, there tends to be less available space around a spa compared to a pool.

“Oftentimes, the reason someone has decided to install a spa is because they have limited space in their backyard so they may have had to really squeeze it in. This makes it hard to find the necessary space to place the housing for the cover mechanism,” says Horwood.

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Adding auto covers on existing installs

When installers are looking to incorporate an auto cover on an existing spa or swim spa, the biggest challenge is often the space around the spa—which in some cases, is just not enough. The two questions any builder needs to ask themselves when trying to install an auto cover on an existing spa are: where can we put the track and the housing for the mechanism?

“In some cases, there just isn’t any deck around the spa so, in some cases, it simply can’t be done,” says Horwood, who gets many requests which are not possible to execute.

Many installers consider placing the track on the spa itself; however, Horwood cautions against doing this.

“Spas are self-contained units, and we don’t know where the plumbing, wiring, and controls are located, not to mention you could crack the acrylic,” he says.

As a result, Horwood finds himself getting creative when installing auto covers on existing spas.

“I’m often asked to add an auto cover on a spa that has very little deck around it, so we sit there wondering where the track and the mechanism box can be placed?” says Horwood.

On one recent project, Horwood installed an auto cover on a swim spa with a cedar deck.

“We decided to flush mount the auto cover track onto the cedar deck,” he says. “We worked with the deck contractor and figured out a way to put a notch in the deck that would allow us to install the track flush with the deck. This created a really nice, clean look.”

In this case, the deck builder then also built a bench at the end of the spa for storing cleaning supplies and chemicals—a clever, attractive solution in a tight backyard.

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Practical considerations

Determining which type of cover to put over this box can be a balancing act of esthetics and functionality.

“It’s very important to set expectations for the practical functionality and demands of that box cover in relationship to the esthetics and use of the space around the spa the customer might want,” says Harms.

As with an auto cover for a pool, there is a standard ‘lid’ from the manufacturer to cover the mechanism box for the auto cover. Typically, this lid is made of aluminum and designed for easy removal to service the auto cover mechanism and fabric. However, it is not designed to bear weight which means the client still cannot walk, stand, or sit on the lid.

“Especially with spas, we find consumers want to be able to use all the space around their spa,” says Harms. “They usually want a limestone, pre-cast concrete, or poured concrete lid over the auto cover box because a) they want to be able to walk around the spa and b) it is more esthetically pleasing.”

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To accommodate the spa owner’s desires, installers need to use a heavy-duty bracket that will support the weight of a stone lid. However, this does not mean the client can walk on a lid the way they can walk on the other three sides of the spa.

“We take the time to explain to the client the stone cannot be mortared in and should not be walked on as it can shift and move, it is just gravity that is holding the lid in place.”

Most auto cover installers agree they should set the expectation that the stone will need to be lifted for regular maintenance of the mechanism.

“Cover service technicians have to be able to lift the heavy stone to maintain the mechanism and the cover—and the lid isn’t something you can walk on and that’s it, so it isn’t like the rest of the deck around the spa or pool,” says Harms.

It is also important to plan enough space in advance for a service technician to perform necessary maintenance on the auto cover. Not only do installers need to consider the access by a service professional, but they should also keep in mind how the homeowner will approach the spa.

“I always take the time to consider how one will walk up to and around the spa,” says Horwood. “In some instances, we might even move a path to ensure users won’t sit or walk on the lid cover of the mechanism box.”

Mike Shadoan has more than 25 years of experience working as a service tech in the field. In 2013, he worked his way into the position of vice-president of sales for Automatic Pool Covers in Westfield, Ind. Shadoan has been an integral part of the company’s rapid growth. He can be reached via email at mshadoan@apc-mfg.com.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/trending-now-automatic-spa-covers/

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