Exploring the trends and technology in the pool cleaning industry.By Roma Arora

Robotic pool cleaners, salt chlorine generators, water controllers, ozonators and much more - the pool cleaning industry is abuzz with the latest mean machines! The heat is on, and the Middle East is enjoying its share of abundant sunshine. A cool dip is all that is needed to beat this heat. No wonder then that the busiest area of any hotel, residential building or even office these days is a swimming pool. However, given the increased usage of pools in these summer months, maintenance must also be intensive. So, what is it that goes behind the sparkling blue pool and its squeaky-clean floors? A lot of hard work and non-stop cleaning, for sure! From maintaining the chemical balance of the pool to fighting algae problems, cloudy water, leakage detection, foaming, scale build up and what not - there’s a lot to do! While swimming pool cleaning is not on top of the technology yet, it’s good to see the region waking up to some serious cleaning technologies and mobile apps. Industry experts tell us how technology is slowly impacting the pool cleaning industry, all for the best!

Sanitisation – the key

One of the most difficult and paramount tasks of pool maintenance is that of its sanitisation because of the presence of bacteria, viruses, fungi and algae in the water. The most well-known method of sanitisation is the use of chlorine, but traditional chlorine adds an unpleasant smell, taste and feel to the water. There are also some health concerns regarding continuous exposure to chlorine; due to this, many pool owners have been looking for alternative methods of sanitising pools.

The Owner of Casa Pools, Bassel de Jaroueh, throws some light on innovative machines used in this segment of clea ning, “New technologies in our domain ar e usually in relation to sanitising the water, and these are very popular in the Gulf region. Most hotels, water parks a nd even new residential buildings here carry out sanitisation of pools using advanced machines like the salt-chlorine generators. These machines allow the generation of chlorine in a softer, more natural form. This purer form of chlorine does not ha ve the smell or irritants normally associated with traditional chlorine. We also use ozonators, which destroy bacteria, viruses, mould and mildew and eliminate spores, cysts, yeast, and fungus. Due to its purifying capability, ozone generated by these machines can be used to keep pool water clean and sparkling.” Jaroueh adds that another option to trap bacteria and algae is ionisation.

An electrolytic mineral ion system such as copper-silver ionisation is a proven, effective, non-chemical method to help control bacteria, algae and viruses Ionisation results in improved water quality, effective algae and bacteria control, reduced chemical usage, automated operation and an environmentally friendly method of water sanitisation.

Round-the-clock maintenance

While technologies provided by pool maintenance companies are extremely beneficial, the daily routine of cleaning pools at the customer’s end also holds importance. Hotels, with their high footfalls, maintain a strict schedule of cleaning their pools. For any hotel, the swimming pool is a major attraction and the upk eep of the same is a task in its own. A well-known name in the UAE is that of the Dusit Thani hotel. Chief Engineer Sebastiao Ferrao, Dusit Thani, says, “For us, the water quality holds utmost importance. At the hotel, we use the pool water controller (a testing device). This is an important equipment that focuses on critical parameters for water quality like pH and chlorine. With so many footfalls on a da ily basis, the pool has to be sparkling clean and bacteria free. We also have a super chlorination process in place, which takes care of bacteria, algae issues and cleans the walls and floor as well.” Ferrao goes on to say that the role of the pool technician cannot be ignored. He is responsible for routine checks on the water quality from time to time to ensure water clarity. Moreover, several mobile applications help monitor water quality and warn users whenever the quality is compromised beyond the acceptable limit. Ferrao shares that some of the most popular mobile applications for pool cleaning are Pool Doctor, Pool Calculator, Pool Smart, etc.

Revolutionary robots

Going beyond the software of mobile apps, hardcore robotic cleaning machines are definitely setting a trend in the world of pool maintenance. In fact, it is one of the most ex citing innovations of all so far. It does almost everything extremely fast and far better than any other method. There are few companies who are bringing such technologies in to the region. One such company is Magic Pool Cleaners - a division of Sa Way General Trading LLC. Yolanda Raath, Managing Partner at Magic Pool Cleaners, talks about the robotic pool cleaners, “Nothing could be further from the truth because technology makes things better and it is needed in the U AE where we often claim to ha ve the best.

Robotic pool cleaners are probably the most revolutionary of all the equipment we have focused on. They sweep pools and instantly suck in the dust, debris and water, keeping the dust and debris in the filter bags and dispensing the water back into the pool. The machines act like a secondary filter aid to the tune of 20,000 litres per hour - a far cr y from the pool sweeping hand action, which merely dislodges the dirt into the water.” Raath informs that after a dust storm, such as we are used to in the UAE, the robotic pool cleaner can be placed into the pool overnight and produces a clean pool in the morning. Moreover, there are different robotic pool cleaner products for different sized pools and applications.

Apart from the robotic pool cleaner, solar robots are also getting their share of the limelight. De Jaroueh from Casa Pools informs, “One of the most popular products at Casa Pools is Solar-Breeze, an autonomous robotic solar-powered pool skimmer that runs all da y on solar energy and for several hours into the night on battery power. It removes debris from the surface of the pool before the debris have had a chance to settle and decompose. Pool owners can reduce their pool pump run time by as much as twothirds by using this robot.”

Raath firmly believes that it’s high time that customers and pool companies opened their minds to such pr ogressive technologies. “It’s very important to educate pool companies and the respectful pool owners of the adv antages in keeping the latest technology working for us and not to be scar ed of the best that the world has to offer.” With such exciting developments in the pool maintenance sphere, it is only a matter of time when we shall see pools being maintained completely by automation and robotics across the UAE, adding to the popular reputation of the country has having the best of the best!