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MANUFACTURED IN THE UK

from SPN (Swimming Pool News) June 2020

by Aqua Publishing Ltd

from SPN (Swimming Pool News) June 2020, page 46

Article from: SPN (Swimming Pool News) June 2020

ABOVE-GROUND POOLS

With the Water-Tec LED lighting range being made in the UK, Fairlocks can provide the right lights and equipment for the job with the support from a UK manufacturing company

Flying The Flag For British-made Pool Products

While a lot of products used in the wet leisure sector are produced abroad, there are numerous quality solutions that are made in the UK too – and in addition to helping the wider economy and providing jobs, there are a number of additional benefits to buying British-made goods. In this issue, we take a closer look at those benefits and some of the products within the swimming pool sector that are flying the flag for UK manufacturing

By Jon Wadeson

In a follow up to our feature last year on British-made within the Wellness sector, in this issue, we take a look at products that are being manufactured for swimming pools, right here in the UK.

The pool sector differs somewhat from Wellness in that it’s a much more mature market and as such, has more established brands. Often, many of these have been tackling the specific challenges that pool ownership in the UK poses.

So what are the benefits of buying one of these British produced products? Well there are many but the obvious one is that it helps to keep UK people employed meaning that the economy benefits from money being paid to local people who then are likely to spend most of their income here in Britain.

There are eco-friendly reasons too. With local manufacturing there should be a much lower impact on the environment as products are supplied to the immediate market – and that’s something which is becoming increasingly important to many buyers.

Another reason is that British manufacturing genuinely is amongst the best in the world, resulting in quality products, time after time. Companies who manufacture in the UK can usually provide much shorter lead times and can often respond to special requests much quicker than companies who import products. Should something go wrong with a UK produced product, it’s likely it can be repaired or replaced much more easily too.

Finally, currency exchange rate fluctua tions have a much lower impact on products manufactured in the UK.

It’s not just a case of national pride or flag waving – there are genuine and persuasive arguments to source products manufactured in the UK.

HEATSTAR – MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE UK, APPLIED WORLDWIDE

Many UK manufacturers, particularly in the swimming pool industry, have opted to manufacture their products in other countries outside the UK.

Heatstar, from its UK base has, for 40 years now, pioneered the innovation, design and manufacture of modern, highly energy efficient, environmental control systems for swimming pools. During this time the brand has become a market leader in this field with an enviable reputation for quality.

Heatstar units contain some of the very best specialist components from the USA

From its UK base, Heatstar has pioneered the innovation, design and manufacture of environmental control systems such as this Andromeda unit

and Europe but the complete product, its design and construction, is only produced in Heatstar’s own manufacturing facility on the Isle of Wight in the South of England.

Because “quality” is at the heart of every Heatstar product the company’s philosophy is simple – the best place to build their products is in their own UK factory by the people who have Heatstar’s values in their DNA and who can deliver the company’s exacting standards in build quality and reliability.

The brand is proud of its heritage as a British manufacturer for the last forty years. It is one of the reasons why Heatstar, in addition to its UK success, exports to customers all around the world including Europe, Russia, China and a multitude of other prominent territories. Although Heatstar products are designed, developed and manufactured in the UK they are still very much specified worldwide and can be found in leading hotels and leisure facilities around the globe.

With innovation, performance and energy efficiency at their heart, you know what you are getting and where it is originating from. If it’s Heatstar, then it’s British!

A WIDE RANGE OF BRITISH-MADE FROM ONE OF THE MARKET LEADERS

Certikin have a genuine and long-standing belief in the importance of supporting British industry. That is why they are proud that many of their leading products are manufactured right here in the UK.

The range of UK products by Certikin is extensive meaning you can apply British quality throughout any pool project. Starting with the basics, Certikin’s range of white goods including skimmers, main drains, inlets, pipes and fittings can be installed alongside their PU9 and PU6 lights which are the most popular and reliable lights in the pool industry. For perfectly clean and clear water, Certikin’s range of British built

Certikin has been manufacturing liners and covers for over 15 years at its Leeds-based factory and is now established as one of the UK’s leading manufacturers for these products

ultraviolet units have been specifically designed to prevent green water in swimming pools and reduce chemical consumption.

As you would expect from one of the market leaders, Certikin have a range of heating options for any size of pool, many of which have the stamp of British quality. They are renowned for their oil and gas boilers, and with the latter, the Genie range of gas condensing pool heaters are one of the world’s only condensing pool heaters. For the ultimate environmental control system, there is the Calorex Delta and the Variheat Series 3 for which Certikin are the sole UK distributor. These products offer a purposebuilt environmental control unit for all indoor swimming pools, commercial or domestic.

Certikin’s wooden pools offer the complete package, British built to the highest quality they are a superb addition to any garden. The pools are supplied complete with a 30 thou liner which is manufactured at Certikin’s own factory located in Leeds. The company has been manufacturing

Available through Lighthouse, HeatForm pools are manufactured in Devon using insulation from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles

liners and covers for over 15 years and is now established as one of the UK’s leading manufacturers for these products.

UK-MADE POOLS FROM THE TEAM BEHIND LIGHTHOUSE

Available through Lighthouse and manufactured in Devon using insulation from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles, HeatForm pools are designed to optimise all levels of training and physical therapy, whether intense triathlon training or gentle rehabilitation to help ease aches and pains.

Available with a choice of market leading integrated counter-current systems, HeatForm’s standard exercise pool kits are available in two sizes (5 x 2.5m and 6 x 3m) with a wall depth of 1.2m or 1.5m. However due to its unique modular design, a HeatForm pool can be custom built to almost any size. Suitable for installation both in-ground and above-ground, indoors or outdoors the HeatForm pool is one of the most versatile pools on the market.

The benefits of using recycled plastic insulation are twofold; as well as the ecological benefits of repurposing plastic bottles and removing them from the environment, the 80mm thick insulation greatly increases the pool’s heat retention and therefore lowers the overall running costs. The average pool incorporates over 9,000 half litre plastic bottles.

Manufactured in fibreglass, the smooth clean-faced panels are easy to handle and connect together, allowing them to be fixed, aligned and secured quickly. A typical 10m x 5m pool wall system can be connected together in one day, in any weather. Heatform’s clever inverta-panel design ensures you always have a pool fitting where you need it.

The 1m and 1.5m panels have skimmer and inlet indents, whilst the 0.5m and 2.5m panels have filtration flow and return indents. All panels have an indent for an LED light.

The Mosaic Spa Company have developed a revolutionary range of UK factory built, one-piece tiled swimming pools

These are filled with simple foam knockouts allowing easy positioning of fittings where you require them in the pool.

Simple and effective in design, the HeatForm panel pool system offers an affordable and eco-friendly solution to owning a dream pool.

UK IS BEST FOR WATER-TEC AND FAIRLOCKS

Having worked together since 2014, WaterTec Lighting and Fairlocks Pool Products are extremely proud to be able to offer a complete range of innovative LED pool lights exclusively to the pool trade, all manufactured in the Water-Tec factory in south Oxfordshire.

The LED is now the go-to option for swimming pool lighting as it offers the safest, most cost-effective option. With the WaterTec LED lighting range being made in the UK, Fairlocks can provide the right lights and equipment for the job with the support from a UK manufacturing company. With all the lighting range made of 316L stainless steel

Launched in October 2017, Hydro

Flux Aqua Products Limited started life with one goal in mind: to manufacturer unique, innovative products that make life easier for swimming pool engineers and pool owners. With their first product,

FlowBright – a pool light that generates its own electricity, eliminating the need for a complex installation, additional equipment, and electrical costs – Hydro-Flux certainly had the ideas to make this goal a reality and last year was a great one for the UK manufacturer, seeing it go from strength to strength and agree a distribution deal with

Fairlocks Pool Products.

The company’s latest product, the

FlowBright Plus, uses the same high-flow, and using high powered energy efficient LED power with up to 50,000hrs life span, with either warm or cool white, or the RGB version offering the mood/ambience of the pool. All the lighting ranges are compatible with DMX or DALI systems or controlled from basic remote to wall switches, or mobile phone app.

New options for 2020 include pre-wired driver boxes for added simplicity to reduce on site installation times, also the new WT5- 2” push fit lamp.

Martin Spindlow, Director of Water-Tec commented: “We are delighted to have such a close association with Fairlocks for over six years, they are only 20 minutes away from our facilities so we can keep in regular contact regarding orders and production times.”

The Fairlocks team can advise on the number of lights required to provide the best lighting display for the size of pool, and what type of atmosphere the lighting design can provide. These days the options are unlimited so it comes down to style, design and the ultimate look of the finished pool that will determine the light installation. low resistance patented turbine technology as the original FlowBright, however, it has been installed with a large rechargeable battery. Instead of sending the energy directly to the LED, all the power generated will be stored within the battery. Now, when the light is turned on, it will draw its energy requirements from the battery and not from

TILED ONE-PIECE POOLS THAT ARE UK MANUFACTURED

The Mosaic Spa Company have developed a revolutionary range of UK factory built, onepiece tiled swimming pools.

‘One Pools’ are available with various tile styles as standard and come in a range of sizes from 5m x 3m up to an impressive 12m x 4.5m.

All the pools come fitted with full filtration and heating systems discreetly located in an integrated storage unit at one end of the pool. A stainless steel finish on all the pool fittings perfectly complements the sophisticated design.

An innovative Covrex PVC slatted pool cover can be added as an optional extra, which like the filtration systems, will be hidden away tastefully at the end of the pool.

Work on the project site is kept to a minimum as One Pools are built in their entirety in the company’s innovative factory in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire.

Mike Foggin, The Mosaic Spa Company’s Business Development Director said: “This product is something we are extremely excited about. All the pools will be preplumbed and wired, meaning all that is required on site is an excavated hole with 150mm concrete slab. Being able to get such a high-quality product essentially delivered and dropped in to place is an innovation unlike the industry has seen before. Once the pool arrives by lorry, it’s lowered into the hole with a crane, connected to the relevant water and electrical points and there you have it. We think consumers who do not want all the disruption and delay of a traditionally built pool, but still require the same level of refinement will instantly fall in love with this product.”

With their exceptional range of mosaic tiled products, The Mosaic Spa Company are currently experiencing a meteoric rise within the UK and European pool industry and are now planning to establish an appointed dealer network to sell the pools throughout

HYDRO-FLUX’S SUCCESS PROVES UK STARTUPS CAN FLOURISH TOO

the UK.

the real time coil generation.

This has several advantages over the original model. FlowBright Plus’s rechargeable battery is able to function at much lower flowrates compared with the operating voltage of the LEDs, which enables it to function at flowrates significantly below 6000 l/h. Even more importantly, FlowBright Plus can be used whether the filtration system is running or not. Last but not least, FlowBright Plus will generate a significantly higher performance than the original FlowBright.

Hydro-Flux Aqua Products

01924 472665 www.hydro-flux.com

BESPOKE IN-HOUSE INNOVATION FROM GC HUB

Golden Coast is building on the success of its GC Hub control panels with new innovations designed to meet ever-changing customer demands.

Designed and constructed on site at the Golden Coast premises in Devon, GC Hub control panels manage multiple aspects of a pool, including lighting, temperature, water treatment and filtration, all from one single unit.

Adam Clark, Sales Director at Golden Coast explained: “We are always adapting products to meet new challenges. Recently, our technical department has been exploring ways to enhance the capabilities of GC Hub control panels based on the types of queries we are receiving from customers.

“For example, our engineers are utilising a new kind of PLC control system, to allow the customer to have separate user display screens in separate rooms, not just the plant room. Our engineers also provide customers with

“Remote access has also been in high ongoing technical support throughout the demand, and this year the team has been lifespan of their GC Hub to ensure complete working on GC Hub Link, which creates peace of mind.” a local area network just for the control panel. This will enable the customer to set OVER 80% OF PLASTICA’S RANGE IS up multiple user access codes for various MANUFACTURED IN-HOUSE operations, as well as timers and alarms.” Based in East Sussex, Plastica have been

GC Hub control panels are available as producing competitively priced products for single or three-phase units, and offer a variety almost 50 years. They employ a large group of control options, such as time switches and of loyal staff with years of experience and flexible interlocks for safety equipment. The pride themselves in their commitment to panels can include variable speed drivers manufacturing in the UK. In fact, over 80% for energy efficiency, as well as an economy of their business is from their top-quality mode for spa heaters. British made products.

Depending on the customer’s preference, Their top seller is the Stainless Steel the panels can be operated either with button Anodised Aluminium Slidelock Telescopic controls, a high-definition IP65 touch screen, Reel System, widely regarded as one of the or by wireless remote. best domestic reels on the market. With

Adam concluded: “We work closely with the export market in mind, the T-model customers right from the start so that we version has been developed making it easier can make sure we are creating a bespoke and more cost-effective to ship, due to its product. No two GC Hub control panels are reduced pack size. the same, as each one we make operates to Following on from the success of this a customer’s specific installation and the product, Plastica have introduced the new front is tailored to reflect their branding. Slidelock Max, with an upgraded and unique 138mm diameter anodised aluminium tubes, giving a longer range for covers up to 7.7m width and a cover area of 175sqm. The range includes an upgraded T-model, base plate and an angled wall mounting. A new Commercial Reduction Gearbox converter kit has also been manufactured to fit the Max and can also be retrofitted to all of their commercial tubes. It comes with a crank handle as standard but can be upgraded with their new stainless steel steering wheel. Designed and constructed on site at the Golden Coast premises in Devon, GC The Argonaut pump and Hub control panels manage multiple aspects of a pool from one single unit smaller counterpart the

The Argonaut pump and smaller counterpart the AG have been a resounding success with all wet end components made in the UK and assembled in Plastica’s factory

AG have been a resounding success with all wet end components made in the UK and assembled in Plastica’s factory. The packaging has been greatly improved with all pumps encased in specially moulded foam to guarantee that every pump arrives at its final destination in perfect condition.

In addition, Plastica also manufactures most of their moulded goods in-house. Having taken delivery a year ago of an additional moulding machine, which will make items such the steering wheel for the best-selling Slidelock, plastic ladder treads and various other precision plastic parts.