ASK THE EXPERT Ask The Expert THIS ISSUE, OUR INDUSTRY EXPERTS ANSWER YOUR WET LEISURE QUESTIONS NEED AN EXPERT ANSWER?
If you have a question or query on a wet leisure project or product, contact SPATA / BISHTA via SPN, the UK industry’s longest established magazine. Email:
asktheexpert@swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
“Are there any government incentives for installing air handling units in pool projects?”
Over the last few years there have been localised energy efficiency incentives aimed at project carbon reduction, and pool projects incorporating heat pump based air handling units have been an integral part of the demonstrable savings.
The attraction of heat pump dehumidifiers as an energy saving/ carbon reduction device motivated The Carbon Trust to create a category for them in the Energy Technology List – this list can be found on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website. It lists many types of recommended product, heat pump dehumidifiers being a sub-group of heat pumps. The performance criteria are at ‘best practice’ level , are based on European Standards and are deliberately upgraded on a regular basis as technology is deemed to be improving.
The relevance of listing on the ETL is that products qualify for an Enhanced Capital Allowance, an agreement with HMRC that any company installing the equipment can write its value (including installation) off against tax in the first tax year of operation. This produces a useful cash flow incentive for private sector companies . Claiming is unusually simple for anything related to tax! Useful websites are those of Carbon Trust at
www.carbontrust.com and the DECC at
www.gov.uk
“We are a private club, why is the pool at our club classed as ‘commercial’?”
Some years ago the Health and Safety Executive re-published a book called ‘Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools’ and in it, all pools were defined as commercial with the exception of pools in a domestic property for the sole use of the householder (and immediate family and guests).
In 2009/2010 a European Standard BS EN 15288:2008 – Parts 1 & 2: came into being. Part 1 is concerned with Safety in Design and Part 2 with Safety in Operation. In these standards, pools are defined as follows: • Type 1
All pools where the water related activities are the main business.
(e.g. communal pools, leisure pools, water and aqua parks) • Type 2
A pool which is an additional service to the main business. (e.g. hotel pools, camping site pools, club pools, and therapeutic Pools)
• Type 3
Any pool not in the above types, excluding domestic pools. Public use is defined in this legislation as ‘use of an installation open to everyone or a defined group of users, not designated solely for the owners/proprietors/operators/family and guests not independently from paying an entrance fee’. The definition of ‘Private use’ is basically the same as in the first paragraph above, with the addition of rental properties for a family. Consequently a private club is defined by current legislation as a commercial swimming pool Type 2. If the pool was constructed before 2008, then Part 1 of the Standard will not apply, but Part 2 will. Therefore, in general terms, you should have procedures for the organisation of the pool, the safety of staff when moving and handling chemicals, the testing and recording of the water quality and emergency procedures clearly documented. Copies of these standards and many others that impact on the industry can be purchased from BSI.
TONY BOWEN Tony has been involved with heat pumps for more than 25 years, first as Managing Director of UK manufacturer Calorex, and subsequently as President of the Heat Pump Association.
PETER LANG
Peter is an independent consultant and SPATA’s Technical Adviser. He is a SPATA Inspector and Chairman of SPATA’s Technical Committee.
32 December 2013 SPN
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
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