Sunday, September 28, 2014

What Is In Pool Main Drain Cover?

By Karina Frost


Any centre with leisure facilities must put safety of its members at the top of priority list. The role played by a pool main drain cover is very crucial to safety and wellbeing of swimmers and therefore all efforts must be put to ensure they do not expose people to deadly risks. A conventional pool has both skimmers and main drain outlets. The former is usually found at the water line on the upper part of the wall and is responsible for absorbing water containing oil, leaves, and other floating debris, which are then taken to the filter.

Skimmers are located at the upper surface of the walls and are responsible for directing leaves, oils, and other floating stuff to the filter. A main drain on the other hand is located at the deepest section of a pool and it is responsibility in sucking sunken debris. Without these cleaning structures, any bath would be inhabitable.

A lot of organisms would accumulate inside them leading to smelly and unsightly conditions apart from facilitating the spread of diseases. The water therefore has to pass through a recycling system frequently to maintain its purity especially in lidos, which are used by many people. In general, the higher the number of outlets, the cleaner the facility.

Ironically, the same structures that should protect lives are also the most dangerous threat to life itself. Filtering systems constructed in the past were made without consideration of the powerful nature of suction. It even took a longer time before the number of fatalities arising from such a force started raising eyebrows. In the meantime, people continued losing their limbs, getting disembowelled and drowning under unfortunate circumstances.

In response to the Graeme Baker incident in 2002, the federal government and stakeholders recognised the need to bring some sanity in the establishment of swimming pools, manufacture, and installation of their components. The main drain cover featured at top of the concern list. Certain standards were put in place with which all drain coverings were and are still required to conform to those regulations. Those that did not meet the criteria were to be replaced immediately.

To prevent piping of a limb, the gratings have to be made in such a way that the velocity of water passing through each compartment is reduced. It implies that the spaces must be as small as possible yet at the same time they should not be too minute to the extent of preventing filtration. Additionally, anti vortex equipment need to be placed at the drains entries to prevent air entrainment and its effects.

However, you can decide and get both a new frame and its top from a different supplier. Those who have had some training or experience in coverings replacement can comfortably do the task provided they stick to all the precautionary measures. They must for instance ensure that the pump is switched off.

In addition, if you do not have any previous experience in replacing a covering, it is important that you let an expert do it. Failure to conduct proper fixture can expose people to serious risks. The technicians also have adequate knowledge on precautionary measures associated with such procedures and therefore are better placed to handle them.




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