NBC report on drain covers 07/06/09

[bobobi-wan]

you probably saw the NBC Today show about "illegal drain covers".they left out as much reported on(typical)we just changed out 18 of ours and have only the main pool to do.this law went into effect almost before the covers were designed and manufactured and sent to suppliers.our pool is just a year old,built to state and federal guidelines,yet we had to upgrade already plus now a permit is needed to change them.any suggestions on some accurate information and requirements or sources?

[Me...]

It truly is a mess and until all the self serving people out there who like to hear themselves talk are finished and the ones writing and enforcing laws are properly educated by people within the industry, it will stay that way. There are tons of people who like to think they know whats happening who also talk a LOT.

In fact, if you built a pool with the old style drains, made sure there were multiple drains per pool AND there was low velocity suction, it would be impossible to become entrapped by suction. Unfortunately many pools and spas were built with single drains where ALL the water was able to be pulled from that one small cover and it would have huge suction power. Often the covers would be broken or missing completely which would make it infinitely more dangerous.

As of now I believe all the older drain covers are gone and the molds destroyed so there is no going back, nor do I think we should as these are safer drains. Still, there needs to be multiples per pool and proper attention payed to velocities through the covers.

There is a whole movement out there that wants to eliminate drains completely. I think this is wrong but, if they manage to make it happen I think there be all kinds of problems crop up. Commercial spas for instance that have huge flow requirements might need a skimmer every few inches LOL. Or maybe they would not get built at all due to the cost of overflow gutter systems. All the infloor cleaning systems would be history and the people and companies that make them. The dollars created by installing them etc. Can we guess about Hydrostatic Relief Valves? In public pools that must be kept clean I have no idea how the heavy debris will be removed either unless they have time to vacuum every night, which most times they do not.

Anyways, endless topic ..............................