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Swimming Pool News reports from the UK Pool & Spa Conference at Oxford
SPATA promises to update its Technical Standards ready for SPATEX 2010
The pool and spa industry is to be presented with an updated version of its Technical Standards 'bible'.
Although updated regularly by the Technical Committee, the current edition bears the earliest date of 1999.
Richard Carrington told the conference: "The committee has had an extraordinary meeting to 'brain storm' this suggestion of a re-write and this was enthusiastically received.
"It is planned that the Standards will be re-written to include the current amendments and re-formatted to make them more 'user' friendly. It is also planned to have an introductory volume containing a full index and more cross references to web sites and other relevant documentation.
"The plan is to present the updated version at the 2010 SPATEX exhibition."
He said that SPATA has also always had a re-inspection programme which was put on hold some ten years ago for financial reasons.
"There has been comment in the last couple of years about the perceived lack of inspections and the suggestion that all new pools should be inspected and SPATA approved; this may look a good idea but it falls down from a practical and financial perspective and also from the legal position it which SPATA may find itself."
The new inspection programme has been running for nearly two years and in that time inspection has been carried out about a quarter of the installer members. He said he inspection is to check conformity with SPATA Standards and is intended to be constructive as opposed to destructive.
"From our experience SPATA has concluded it is not feasible for one individual inspector to cover the whole country in addition to day to day SPATA responsibilities.
"Consequently a team of inspectors is being formed to ensure all installer members are visited at least once in every two years."
Peter Lang from the technical committee said one hot topics is the question of whether or not to insulate pool shells?
"It has long been accepted that the vast majority of heat loss from a swimming pool is through the surface of the water and to put some form of cover over the water will save a considerable amount of heat.
"SPATA part funded research at the Building Research Establishment to look into the question. The results indicated that covering of the water to prevent cooling by conduction and particularly evaporation was indeed the major source of heat retention."
He said it also found that saving could be made by insulating the shell. However it was also apparent that the cost of such insulation against the actual saving in heat loss was such that it was difficult to quantify.
The committee recommend that the installer and their client should discuss and consider the situation and make their own judgement in the light of the cost involved.
<< Back to conference index
Swimming Pool News reports from the UK Pool & Spa Conference at Oxford
SPATA promises to update its Technical Standards ready for SPATEX 2010
The pool and spa industry is to be presented with an updated version of its Technical Standards 'bible'.
Although updated regularly by the Technical Committee, the current edition bears the earliest date of 1999.
Richard Carrington told the conference: "The committee has had an extraordinary meeting to 'brain storm' this suggestion of a re-write and this was enthusiastically received.
"It is planned that the Standards will be re-written to include the current amendments and re-formatted to make them more 'user' friendly. It is also planned to have an introductory volume containing a full index and more cross references to web sites and other relevant documentation.
"The plan is to present the updated version at the 2010 SPATEX exhibition."
He said that SPATA has also always had a re-inspection programme which was put on hold some ten years ago for financial reasons.
"There has been comment in the last couple of years about the perceived lack of inspections and the suggestion that all new pools should be inspected and SPATA approved; this may look a good idea but it falls down from a practical and financial perspective and also from the legal position it which SPATA may find itself."
The new inspection programme has been running for nearly two years and in that time inspection has been carried out about a quarter of the installer members. He said he inspection is to check conformity with SPATA Standards and is intended to be constructive as opposed to destructive.
"From our experience SPATA has concluded it is not feasible for one individual inspector to cover the whole country in addition to day to day SPATA responsibilities.
"Consequently a team of inspectors is being formed to ensure all installer members are visited at least once in every two years."
Peter Lang from the technical committee said one hot topics is the question of whether or not to insulate pool shells?
"It has long been accepted that the vast majority of heat loss from a swimming pool is through the surface of the water and to put some form of cover over the water will save a considerable amount of heat.
"SPATA part funded research at the Building Research Establishment to look into the question. The results indicated that covering of the water to prevent cooling by conduction and particularly evaporation was indeed the major source of heat retention."
He said it also found that saving could be made by insulating the shell. However it was also apparent that the cost of such insulation against the actual saving in heat loss was such that it was difficult to quantify.
The committee recommend that the installer and their client should discuss and consider the situation and make their own judgement in the light of the cost involved.
<< Back to conference index