Passion for one’s profession…

We believe that passion for one’s profession goes hand and hand with promoting the recognition for a higher competence in a given craft.
In observing those you choose to solicit and ultimately perform the work, it is wise to measure a perspective performer’s motivations and reasoning for such a pursuit. If it is purely a profit driven endeavor, the passion would be purely the revenue stream that your project represents. If you gravitate towards a true craftsman, the motivations become a internal fire that burns within that type of individual performer and the money, although important plays a secondary role.

Historically many of our clients through the exhibits of our expressed passion have gain insight for our competence in performing each element of the work scope.

Additionally only a few in-ground pool builders offer after care for what they create. Our willingness and desire to continue the relationship over the life of a well built swimming pool or masterpiece Outdoor Living Environment should exemplify a stronger commitment for what we build. In choosing to extend our services to include swimming pool service and or pool maintenance, we believe a connection with our clients is established to our Sacramento “style” construction.

We have designed and built many swimming pools in Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Loomis, Newcastle, Penryn, Auburn, Cool, and in Sacramento County, Folsom, Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, the city of Sacramento and in El Dorado Hills, Latrobe, Shingle Springs, Cameron Park, and many others areas and we have aided many people’s enjoyment while living outdoors “Sacramento Style” almost all year long.

Taking advantage of the wonderful backyard opportunities involving new swimming pool, landscape renovations and other elements including:

• Waterfalls

• Water Features

• Koi Ponds

• Vanishing Edge Swimming Pools

• Infinity Edge Swimming Pools

• Caribbean Shelf Swimming Pools

• Beach Entry Swimming Pools

• Cabo Shelf Swimming Pools

• Built-in Spas

• Portable Spas

These are all part of the many, many possibilities in Designing and Building Swimming Pools that can aid your enjoyment and extend your outdoor family life.

Piping Runs and Pipe Sizing

The longer the piping runs the more electrical energy it takes to filter the pool. The smaller the piping size the more electrical energy it takes to filter the pool. Keep in mind larger, correctly sized pipes will reduce your electrical energy consumption.
Today’s swimming pool industry considers 7 feet per second (FPS) water velocity within a pipe as an acceptable and responsible standard. Therefore smaller pipes are used and these smaller pipes will cost you less to be installed.

We design our piping networks to not exceed 5 feet per second (FPS) which saves energy much like an automobile traveling at 50 MPH verses one traveling at 70 MPH. Realize that you will consume much less gasoline per mile at 50 MPH than at 70 MPH because the wind resistance at 70 MPH is much greater.

The laws of physics apply very similarly with moving water through a pipe faster with the exception that rather than burning more gasoline per mile traveled you are using more electricity for gallons being pumped and filtered. It will cost half the energy to move water at 5 (FPS) as compared to 7 (FPS).

SOLUTION: Utilize larger pipe sizes and shorter piping distances thus reduce energy consumption.

Filtration Type

Sand filtration is the most energy efficient as compared to CARTRIDGE or D.E. filters. SAND filters, filter at 20 microns (when clean) and 10 microns (when dirty). Cartridge and D.E. filters will filter 5 microns (when clean) and 3 microns (when dirty). Although both levels are visually identical to the naked eye, the finer the micron level the more energy it will require to push the water through the filter. Additionally, the finer the micron level the more often the filter will require cleaning. If cleaning isn’t done on a regular basis, filtration durations are often increased (due to reduced flow) in order to get an acceptable turn-over rate for a pool. Increasing filtration durations waste energy by using more electricity to move less water.

Solution: By using Sand Filtration you can save electricity and are less likely to over filter your pool water.

Filtration Maintenance

Sand filters are allowably back washed into a typical drainage system and pose no health hazards. Cartridge and D.E. filters (if not maintained properly) can over filter (2 microns) and can pose a bio-hazard by filtering out certain water borne bacteria. The Cartridge replacement elements (internals in a Cartridge Filter) cost $250 to $600 per change out and should be replaced every 18 to 24 months. D.E. filters must be recharged with Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) after each cleaning, which has costs associated with those replenishment.

SOLUTION: By using Sand Filtration you can save replacement costs, and reduce maintenance expense combined with lowering your electricity bill!

Pumping Size

The larger the pump’s horsepower is, the more kilowatts of electrical energy that will be consumed in order to filter the pool water. If, piping is smaller and the distances are excessive, more horsepower will be required to move the water through the piping network. Pumping sizes and piping sizes must be calculated and matched to their best inter-working relationship in order to maximize the greatest return from energy consumption. Achieving minimum flow rates for optimum functionality involving Skimmers, Main Drains, Surface Returns. Floor Returns and other elements of hydraulic harmony isn’t guess work, it should be calculated.

By using the latest technology in variable speed / programmable flow rate pumps, several different functions can be addressed by one pump. Interfacing these pumps with controller intelligence, and designated actuator function can provide a wider range of operational functionality with the greatest benefits while minimizing electrical usage.

Solution: In order to truly benefit from advancing technologies, you will need to hire those most familiar with their applications.

Roof Solar Heating

Many swimming pool solar systems unnecessarily waste energy. When connected to a typical filtering system network in a parasitic fashion the high flow filtering pumps (designed to pump higher filtration volumes) divert some of that flow through the solar panels. The panels are often placed on a roof thus requiring greater pressure to force the water vertically up and through the solar system. This situation invariable reduces the maximum potential for returning filtered water back to the pool. A reduced flow requires the pump to run longer and consume more electricity in order to provide solar thermal contribution and the required filtration turn-over.

This inefficiency is compounded because the maximum thermal contribution window for roof solar panels is between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm (April through September). This time window corresponds to what many title companies refer to as “Peak Usage” hours and they discouraged consumption between 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm by affixing a higher Kilowatt Usage Costs in that time window.

Solution: Consider different solar options and pumping options that can reduce electrical consumption while still providing thermal contribution.

In-Deck Solar Heating

By incorporating a thermal absorption grid within your concrete decking you can capture radiant heat that is stored in the concrete. Concrete that is exposed to long periods of daytime direct sunlight far exceeds the ambient air temperatures and holds heat long after sundown. This condition will allow solar heating operation to take place during off-peak energy conservation hours. Solar operation can be programmed as a lower volume independent mode of pumping operation, separate from the higher flow filtration requirements. The pool decking elevations will usually correspond to a friendlier energy usage relationship than that of roof tops elevations. Therefore, in-decking solar systems can reduce the energy required by a solar system and together with independent pumping rather than parasitic pumping you can gain the maximum heating value for the least electricity consumed

Solution: Have professionals design your solar systems so that they use energy much more wisely.

Electrical Wiring Sizes

When deciding what the correct wire size for the appropriate electrical loads are the builder should consider the entire functional operation, not just the filter pump. Pool equipment locations generally involve installing an Electrical Sub-Panel. This panel will have a group of wires that provide electricity from the Main Electrical Panel. The distance from the main panel together with the anticipated electrical load (ampere draw) will determine the wire size. Electrical loads are measured in Amperes (Kilowatts) which is the measurement of energy consumption.

As electricity travels from the main panel to the sub-panel through the selected wire size, some energy is lost along the distance. The loss is measured in volts (allowable voltage losses) (AVL) and should not exceed 2% of the line voltage under full load conditions. As an example, 240v (AVL) = 4.80 Volts. This voltage loss is wasted power that you are being charged for as part of your kilowatts of consumption. Lost voltage is much like the loss of piping pressure while moving water through a pipe. Voltage is the pressure whereas Amperes or Kilowatts are the gallons per minute being used. The greater your losses, the greater your waste and that waste will be on your electricity bill.

Depending upon the ampere draw (pumps & components operating) being demanded for electricity by each component a total calculation can be assessed and a selection for the main wire sizing can be made.

Often in swimming pool sub-panels assessments the filter pump’s operation is the basis for selecting wire size because most often the secondary functions would not be considered to be operating simultaneously. In this scenario the builder could size the sub-panel’s wire feed smaller at less expense to the installation. This savings is very one sided because it marries the customer to higher voltage losses (lost kilowatts) under full load conditions.

This is common practice in the industry much like the piping systems pipe sizing being smaller and less expensive to construct yet more expensive to operate. In today’s economy a builder’s installation costs will directly affect the bid price you receive. In evaluating the real worth of what you are going to receive you should be sure to measure the performance of what is being proposed.

Solution: Design wire sizes to the full load values at 100% operational functionality conditions while staying at less than 2% AVL.

Chlorine Generators and Salt

Every few years new technologies are introduced to the swimming pool industry. Some of these are more beneficial than others. Some, although providing benefit have side effects that become more problematic than beneficial.

Maintaining swimming pool equipment generally isn’t something a new pool owner wants to spend a lot of time thinking about but, depending upon the type of equipment you are sold, it can be something that will have greater demands on your time and or your wallet.

Chlorine Generators use electricity to convert high concentrations of dissolved Salt to Chlorine as your pool water travels past the internals. These internals must be kept clean in order to accurately determine the rate of conversion. Additionally salt concentrations must be elevated to between 3,300 and 4,000 PPM TDS by adding salt to you pool water.

One problem with this technology is maintaining your pH chemistry. pH is affected by the exchange process in converting salt to chlorine. Therefore this technology requires much more attention to be paid to maintaining your pool’s pH values. pH balance is crucial to your pools longevity of plastered surfaces together with providing a friendly suitability for human contact.

Another issue is that the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) or Total Dissolved Salts (as some refer) at 3,300 plus PPM are consider unsuitable for ingestion. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the maximum concentration of water chemistry’s constituents for potable water are 500 PPM/TDS. In weighing in sensibility, one should evaluate our internal organs sensitivities and tolerances to higher concentrations with that of our largest permeable organ’s (our outer skin) ability to cope with being immersed into a solution that represents more than six times (WHO) recommendations.

Several Cities’ now require a special permit in order to drain pool water that has been treated with salt and they dictate that this treated water must be drained into the sewer system not the storm drain system. This clearly exhibits their concerns for water quality issues together with the risk to fish, fowl and other animals. Salt concentrations at these levels are unhealthy for your domestic animals ingestion, as well.

Other issues concern water features that have water spraying or water flowing and coming in contact with a tile, rock or concrete product’s surface that will periodically become dry under non-operation conditions. When this situation occurs the water chemistry’s constituents will precipitate onto that surface as the liquid water becomes vaporized during the drying process. This will be an ongoing maintenance problem causing a build up overtime if not regularly kept clean. In a similar light, issues involving electrolysis corrosion on some components constructed of metals that come in contact with pool water can experience an accelerated deteriorating condition.

Finally the longevity of a titanium cell’s typical warranty duration is about one year, in a few cases two years. The replacement of this cell after that period will cost between $600.and $800.

When compiling the information regarding the inherent problems of salt / chlorine generating together with the higher energy consumption (as compared to feeders) it’s difficult to imagine how such a technology became promoted as a better option to sanitizing your pool water.

Often the allure of the latest technologies subordinates our ability to reason with the façade that the latest is the greatest. The latest needs to be validated by knowledgeable professionals that are involved in implementation and making observations. These are our opinions and critiques as we have come to appreciate a sensible approach to building a quality product with integrity.

We are hopeful that you will gravitate toward the sensibilities suggested herein and if this information helps your decision to build a pool better, we will have been part of that success.

There are several very big differences in the industry wide swimming pool construction practices of today’s economy. We employ all of these “Best Practices” mentioned above as our standards.

When selecting your builder we highly suggest that you investigate whether or not an equal level of commitment prevails dedicated to your long term satisfaction. Measure the benefits of a short term profit taking that will result in you paying for something that will cost you more over time.

“Be aware of what you are paying for today and what will cost you tomorrow.”