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In-House Design & Construction Since 1980

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Commercial Renovation

Family Pools Inc. is a licensed commercial pool builder. We can make your community pool, hotel pool. resort pool, water park, or any body of water that is regulated by the health department back to new condition or better. We can handle all the permits required and the paperwork that has to be filed with the health department for modifications when needed. Our design and engineering department can spruce up your old commercial pool and deck into a fantastic outdoor oasis.

Commercial Equipment

Family pools inc can do equipment change outs when needed. If your commercial pool has any broken or run down equipment we can help. By law we have to install items that have the original specification designed into the pool from the original designer. If we need to upgrade any item in the circulation system we will be required to get written approval through your local Health Department. We handle all of the necessary paper work needed for this process.

VGB Safety Act

There has been allot of confusion about the new main drain laws and the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. The Virginia Graeme Baker Act took effect on December 19, 2008, this law is governed by the Federal Government and is explained in detail below.

The Department of Health (DOH) has its own set of laws and regulations that are regularly inspected by your County Health Department inspectors. Typically your commercial swimming pool/spa will be inspected 2 to 3 times per year.

Florida Department of Health (DOH) is mandated to regulate the operation of all commercial pools in the State of Florida. They are empowered by authority of Chapter 514 of the Florida Statutes to administer statute 64E-9 of the Swimming Pool Code.

This is a basic breakdown of what the DOH is looking for.

The main drain outlet shall be connected to a collector tank. The capacity of the collector tank shall be at least one minute of the recirculated flow unless justified by the design of the engineer. Vacuum filter tanks are considered collector tanks.

(f) All pools built without a main drain collector tank must be retrofitted with a properly sized an piped collector tank as described in the collector tank definition, the first paragraph of 64E-9.005, 64E-9.007(8), and 64E-9.0007(10) on or before the following dates to eliminate direct suction through the main drain.

  1. For all pools including wading pools, except spa type pools, with a main drain grate water depth of 4 feet or less, construction shall be completed on or before one year from the effective date of this rule:
  • For all spa type pools built before 1977, retrofit by July 1, 2010,
  • For all spa type pools built between 1977 and 1986, retrofit by July 1, 2011,
  • For all spa type pools built between 1986 and 1995, retrofit by July 1, 20
  • And for all other pools, retrofit by July 1, 2013.
  1. All existing public pools with direct suction main drains shall install as soon as possible, but in no case later than 180 days after the effective date of this rule, a main drain cover/grate that meets both the ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007 standard for drain covers/grates and the main drain cover/grate 1.5 feet per second water velocity requirement of this rule.
  2. A modification permit shall be obtained prior to installation of the collector tank.
  3. Pools that cannot be retrofitted by these dates shall be closed on or before these dates.
    (g) Main drain covers/grates installed after the effective date of this  rule  shall comply with the requirements of ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007 and the water velocity requirement of this rule.

(11) An automatic and manual water makeup control must be provided to maintain the water level at the lip of the overflow gutter or at the mouth of the recessed automatic surface skimmers and must discharge through an air gap into a fill pipe or collector tank. Over the rim fill spouts are prohibited.

Basically this law states that your commercial pool/spa must have a collector tank installed by the specified dates or your pool/spa WILL BE CLOSED.

The laws are changing frequently so before you do anything please let us do a free evaluation.  We are very familiar with all the Federal and State requirements, Contact us for more info.

ADA Guidelines for Public Swimming Pools

On July 26, 2010, the US Department of Justice released updated ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Among the updates for a number of facility types were new requirements specifically for public swimming pools. The level of accessibility depends on the size and type of the pool. For pools under 300 linear feet in size, the ADA Standard for Accessible Design calls for one means of access, which must be either an ADA-compliant lift, or a sloped entry. Pools with greater than 300 linear feet of pool wall must also have a second means of access. This second means can either be another lift or ramp, or it can also be a transfer wall, a transfer system or pool stairs.

Explore the entire text of the new requirements at the ADA website.

Let Family Pools Inc. Explain what you need to do to comply with the new code. We install Handicap Lifts. Contact us today for your free estimate.