Building Business with Drop-In Spas

Consumers love spas as an element in building a backyard oasis. However, builders haven't always been quick to capitalize on the benefits of selling spas when selling pools. They tend to leave the selling of standalone spas to retailers who offer spas and backyard furniture.

For some, it's a missed opportunity. Builders who embrace spas in their pool designs are able to truly distinguish themselves from other pool builders. Not only do builders make more profit on their jobs by adding a drop-in spa with the pool, but the consumers will also get more enjoyment out of their pool and backyard experience.

Benefits of drop-in spas

(Before) Before and after: This waterfront pool built by Perciballi Pools in Windsor, Ontario, was dressed up nicely with a drop-in spa on one side and a waterfall on the other, all plumbed on one circulation system. - Click to enlarge(Before) Before and after: This waterfront pool built by Perciballi Pools in Windsor, Ontario, was dressed up nicely with a drop-in spa on one side and a waterfall on the other, all plumbed on one circulation system. - Click to enlarge

(After) - Click to enlarge(After) - Click to enlarge

When discussing pool design options with consumers, it's important to sell the many benefits of having a spa either attached to or side by side with the pool, with the two bodies plumbed together. Today's consumer is looking to have their outdoor kitchen and eating area integrated into their pool and spa area. If the spa and pool are too far from one another, this is hard to achieve.

One of the most obvious benefits of an adjacent spa is that adults can now sit and relax in the spa while kids play in the pool. This allows parents to easily supervise children while enjoying the hydrotherapy benefits of the spa. Spas that sit far from the pool are not truly integrated into the backyard, and prevent users of both vessels from interacting.

Customers want to maximize the time they spend in their backyard oasis and the drop-in spa is the perfect way to keep them using their backyard into the winter. Even when the pool is closed, the spa can remain open. And as the snow begins to melt in February, they can open their spa before they open their pool.

The maintenance of a drop-in-spa is also less than that of a standalone spa because the spa is now a part of the pool's pump and filtration system, making everything simpler, even the water chemistry.

In addition, adding an attached drop-in spa opens the door to a waterfall spa, where the water from the spa spills over into the pool and joins the pool's circulation system, an appealing feature that unifies the entire aquatic design.

In these spas, the pool water circulating back into the spa is already 80 degrees, so it only takes an additional five minutes to get the water up to 104 degrees for hot tub soaking. Because the pool has a heater sized to heat the pool, this is much easier and more efficient than having a separate spa heater.

A drop-in spillover spa also fulfills the need for those consumers looking for a water feature, or fountain effect. The water spilling over from the spa to the pool provides the sounds of cascading water that many consumers want in their backyard oasis.

Two pools, side-by-side

Pool builders need to think of the spa as another pool. With the spa sitting in the ground adjacent to or connected to the pool, that means the builder is really building two pools, one smaller and one bigger. Once builders start thinking in this way, installing a drop-in-spa with the pool becomes much easier to tackle.

When placing the spa in the ground next to the pool, pay special attention to the composition of the ground. Ideally you want soil that is sandy and drains well. If you have hard clay that drains poorly, the water can get caught under the spa, which, over time, can actually push the spa out of the ground.

To be safe, it's important to install a drain under the spa. "We always put a drain in all the drop-in spas we install, just in case," says Paul Perciballi, owner of Perciballi Pools in Windsor, Ontario. "We have been building pools with spas since 1973 and we know that there are many things that you cannot prevent or predict. For example, in our area, the sewers and drains often get clogged in the spring after the winter ice melts. It not only floods basements, it can also lift empty spas."

It's also very important that the spa itself be totally supported by the foot well of the spa. Never have the spa structure be supported by the spa lip. The spa lip is not designed to sustain any weight and if you do this, the lip will flare and crack.

Plumbing perspective

If the spa you are installing has a limited number of jets, perhaps 12 or fewer, then one pool pump is probably enough for the system. But if you are installing a 25-jet waterfall or spa, a second booster pump should be installed.

These 25-jet spas have two 2-inch suction lines and two 2-inch return lines coming from the pre-plumbed shell. The suction line attached to the skimmer canister in the spa must be connected to the suction of the booster pump. The return water from the booster pump needs to connect to the diverter valve side of the spa. This plumbing configuration will allow water from both pumps to be filtered. It also gives maximum water flow with less restriction to the side of the spa with the most jets.

Plumbing a system with a pool/spa combination doesn't change the original pad design, it only incorporates the addition of two three-way valves. The first valve will be installed in front of the pump to control the suction from the pool or the spa. The second valve will be installed after the heater to divert water to either the pool or the spa.

On the suction side, the line from the pool enters one arm of the valve body while suction from the spa enters the other. The diverter between the two arms determines which line is connected with the stem, from which the water continues to the pump.

Conversely, when the water leaves the equipment, it passes through another three-port valve. The water this time passes up the stem and the diverter determines if the water flows to the arm plumbed into the pool return or the one plumbed into the spa return. By setting the diverter equally between the two, water from each side is mixed. When using the spillover spa for only the sight and sound effects, be sure to set the spa return valve to send the minimum amount of water needed to create the spillover effect you want. Remember: the pool is designed to self-clean with water movement. If you divert too much water to the spillover spa, the cleaning action may suffer.

As for exact valve placement, although pool or spa equipment is usually located away from the pool and spa, some builders like to place the manual valves near the spa rather than in the equipment area for convenience — and modern controls are part of the equation, too.

"We have always placed the equipment near the spa so bathers can easily put the spa into use," Perciballi says. "But today there are many automated options that also allow users remote control of the operation of the spa water, its temperature and jet use. The homeowner prefers this type of operation."

Important note: When installing a waterfall pool/spa combination, you must install an in-line check valve in the return line going to the spa. Because the waterfall spa sits higher than the pool, the check valve will prevent the back flow of water from the spa to the pool when the system is shut down.

Maintaining three-port valves

Lubrication is the most important measure to take when it comes to maintaining a three-port valve. The gasket must be lubricated with pure silicone lubricant. Most other lubricants are petroleum-based and these can dissolve the gasket and create leaks.

Lubrication should be applied when operation feels stiff, or at least every six months. This is especially important for motorized valves, because the motor will strain against old, sticky gaskets until the diverter and shaft break, or the motor burns out completely.

Three-port valves, like any valves, can leak. Leaks can also occur inside the valve with no visible external evidence. When this happens, water is not completely diverted in the intended direction, but rather slips past the diverter seal to the closed side of the valve. When this happens, you may notice the spa drains or overflows for no apparent reason. The cause might be a diverter that is not aligned precisely toward the intended port. To check this, remove the diverter and make sure the shaft has not separated or become loose from the diverter.

With a motorized unit, be sure the motor is clean, free of rust and able to turn its precise one-half turn each time. The other and most usual cause of leakage, however, is a diverter gasket that has worn out or become too compressed to stop all water from getting through. Bypass leaks also result when the diverter itself has shrunk or warped. This sometimes happens when the spa water is very hot or the system ran dry and overheated. Such shrinkage if difficult to see, and does not have to be extensive to cause a bypass leak.

A growing trend

Building pools with a drop-in spa is a definite, growing trend. More and more builders are getting requests from customers interested in having both the exercise benefits of a pool and the relaxation benefits of the spa side-by-side, and drop-in spas help builders embrace this trend efficiently and cost effectively. If you haven't started offering drop-in spas with your pool design offering, this is the season to do it.

Dave Hoffman is the national service manager for Fox Pools. He has more than 35 years of experience helping pool builders with pool and spa building. He can be reached at [email protected].

 

Some Important Considerations

Design: If you are a pool builder new to adding drop-in spas to your designs, consider getting some design help configuring the backyard. You can place the spa anywhere in the backyard, but ideally, you want to keep the pump as close as possible, no more than 30 feet away from the spa. The best range is about 25 feet away. The main reason to keep the equipment as close as possible is to ensure that the spa has good water pressure and "action" for the jets. Most spas allow bathers to adjust the jets to just one or two seats for users who want serious hydrotherapy. But if all 25 jets are open and the equipment is more than 25 feet away, the spa might lose some of the powerful hydrotherapy a consumer is expecting. Builders are lucky to now have the option to install variable speed pumps that are both quiet and energy efficient. With minimal noise, it is far easier to keep that equipment close to the spa/pool.

No year-round spillovers: For customers looking to use their spa year round (or close to it), it's preferable to have a drop-in spa without a spillover feature. With a spillover spa, there's water displacement each time the spa is used, which forces the homeowner to continuously add water to the spa throughout the winter. However, those who are looking for a waterfall feature with soothing water sounds, but plan to close the pool in the winter, will find a drop-in spa with a spillover feature is a great choice.

Automation: Automation of a drop-in-spa with a pool is a no-brainer. Installing a system such as the Screen Logic with EZ touch allows the consumer, at the touch of a button, to switch from pool mode to spa mode. Consumers can also use their iPhone from anywhere in the world to check the spa water temperature, make adjustments and have the spa water ready and heated up when they get home from work. Pool builders who don't embrace automation for their pool and spa combos are leaving money on the table. Even if you don't install the automation in the first year, be sure to come back to the customer a year after they have been manually adjusting the spa water and sell them the automation, as they will be ready to step up to the convenience.

Winterizing: In the case of drop-in spas, it is very important to never completely empty the spa in the winter because underground water can too easily lift the spa out of the ground. As mentioned before, in Canada, most homeowners keep the spa open into the late fall and early winter, but still close the spa in the coldest months. Still winterize the spa and remove the water from the lines, but it's recommended that the spa is "weighted" during the months it is closed. Some pool professionals will line the spa with vinyl and place water over the vinyl for weight. With water in the spa up to normal operation level, any water pressure under the shell should equalize and prevent it from lifting.

 

User Mistakes

When manual valves are used, there are several common mistakes that may occur as the consumer gets familiar with their pool/spa combination. The most common mistake is to open the spa suction but forget to close the pool return. This will cause the system to empty the spa completely. "This can be avoided with the automation available today," Perciballi says. "We didn't have automation as an option for our customers 25 years ago, but we do now and our customers want automation, especially with a pool and spa combination."

 

Comments or thoughts on this article? Please e-mail [email protected].

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