ENGINEERING 111:
Introduction to Pool Hydraulics and Plumbing
C. Terry Brannon, P.E.,
Founder Emeritus
The C. T. Brannon
Corporation, Aquatic Engineers
Engineering Curriculum
Advisor – Pool & Hot Tub Alliance and GENESIS
Experience is NOT the best teacher.
Other people’s experience is the best teacher. In ENGINEERING
111: Introduction to Pool Hydraulics and Plumbing, being presented February
19 at the Everything Under the Sun Expo, I will share from my 44 years of water
park, swimming pool and spa engineering experience on how to avoid the common
and most costly mistakes I have witnessed in pool plumbing design and
construction.
This course is not taught
like a boring engineering school lecture but instead is upbeat, common sense
and a totally enjoyable class. The material is fast-paced and challenging.
However, the course is specifically designed for builders and designers of
swimming pools and spas.
Swimming pool codes are
changing and so is the enforcement of those codes by local jurisdictions. More
calculations are being required. No longer will you be able to pick a pipe
size, filter, or pump based on your ‘gut feelings.’ Now you will have to prove
up your designs before permits are issued. Some jurisdictions are already
requiring pipe size calculations, velocity calculations and headloss
determination. And don’t forget the new energy codes!
But more than that, your
first two goals in business should be to 1) make an honest profit and stay in
business and 2) satisfy your customers and use their satisfaction to ‘network’ and
grow your business. You can’t do that if you are incorrectly sizing your pool
and spa plumbing. Under-sizing and over-sizing are both going to cost you.
Learn from the experts. Learn the fundamentals of engineering design like
headlosses, total dynamic head, pump curves and efficiencies. In this course,
you will learn to correctly size and install the plumbing system from main
drain to filtered return. Learn how to handle today’s more complicated
split-level pools, dual-pump and single-pump systems, and how to meet the new
codes on entrapment and energy efficiency.
After taking this course, you
will walk away with the confidence to overcome most pool and spa plumbing
issues but, better yet, you will know when to hire more expertise on the more
challenging projects. You will receive printed materials and resources and, as
with all GENESIS courses, access to experts in the pool industry for years to
come. You will also be given information on other, more advanced courses on
pool hydraulics offered by PHTA and GENESIS.
In this era of restrictions
on travel and assembly, use this time profitably to build your practice and
improve your skills by gaining from experience—someone else’s experience. I
hope to see you in-person for ENGINEERING 111: Introduction to Pool Hydraulics
and Plumbing, February 19, 2021.
