Green is good. From major renovation investments to basic lighting changes, club owners are finding ways to become more green. In this economic climate, going green is not only the right thing to do, but it also puts green back in your pocket.

One part of the club that most club operators don’t think of when it comes to being green is the swimming pool. Pools require chemicals and vacuuming to keep them clean. One of the best labor-saving and green methods for cleaning your pool is autonomous underwater vacuum, filtration and circulation systems, otherwise known as robotic cleaners.

The most well-known and battle-tested robots are produced in the United States by an engineering research and development manufacturer called Aqua Products. As the world’s largest and oldest producer of aquatic maintenance robots, Aqua Products has various lines of MAX (AquaMAX, UltraMAX, DuraMAX and JetMAX) robots that have been used at the Olympics, and in every type of commercial environment from Disney World to military bases and country clubs, swim clubs to health clubs. Although other robotic manufacturers exist, Aqua Products is the only company that's 100 percent dedicated to the production and perfection of such robotic technologies. And with almost 30 years in business, Aqua Products is the only company that offers the most comprehensive lineup of models to ensure that there is an appropriate robotic solution for every pool at every budget.

Each robot is equipped with its own built-in vacuum pump motor(s) and with internal, reusable filters that capture dirt and debris from twigs and jewelry to sand and silt. Each robot offers a variety of features ranging from remote control for spot cleaning to air sensors for zero depth entries to infrared obstacle avoidance. Next generation models (DuraMAX and JetMAX) feature DeepClean™ power washing for surface pores and corners where brushes and other cleaners can’t clean. They also feature the NeverStuck™ roller system to roll over raised surface areas like VGB anti-entrapment main drains and in-floor, pop-up heads that beach other cleaners, as well as customizable debris intake ports that can be lowered for greater suction or their widths increased to accommodate large debris like palm leaves. Their JetMAX line is so innovative that it even works with virtually no wearable parts as each model utilizes the expelled filtered water to hydraulically drive them.

To operate, simply plug the MAX’s ultra-efficient, low-voltage power supplies into any standard GFCI outlet and press a button. No hoses to wrestle with and prime, no poles to push or spots to miss. At the touch of a button, the robots work for you without wasting time or money. Every square inch of your pool that they cover is scrubbed, vacuumed and microfiltered clean (up to 10 times finer than sand media can filter). The clean water is immediately returned in an eruption of water that mixes together the cool, chemically rich water layer at the bottom of the pool with the warmer, chemically depleted water layer above. This helps decrease water evaporation above and decrease the use of the heater by warming the water below, all while providing the cleanest pool.

Aqua Products robots virtually eliminate labor costs. The robots’ powerful circulation capabilities (upwards of 16,000 gallons per hour) also improve the accuracy of your water tests. When that benefit is coupled with those already noted, facilities often save up to 30 percent or more on their total chlorine consumption.

The Aqua Products robots microfilter out dirt and debris, limiting what enters the pool’s primary filtration system. That means less backwashing of the pool’s massive main filters, which potentially can help save tens of thousands of gallons of water every year. This also helps protect the environment from the introduction of this harmful chemically treated water.

The Aqua Products Commercial Cleaner Specialist team works with each customer to assess the appropriate model(s) for each facility’s needs and wants, and calculates the return on a facility’s investment. The time it takes to clean a pool multiplied by the hourly labor cost (including health insurance, salary, taxes, etc.) is compared to the cost of an Aqua Products robot. The bigger the pool or the more pools that a facility has, the faster the return on investment. Add in the chemical savings, and the investment in an Aqua Products robot can pay for itself in as little as two to three months.

Green really is good, especially when there’s more green in your pockets. With the cleanest, healthiest and most efficient pool, you’ll certainly be the envy of other facilities, and who knows what other green projects you’ll be ready to tackle next.

aquaproducts.com

The American manufacturer Aqua Products is the world’s largest, leading and oldest manufacturer of aquatic maintenance robots. The company offers the most comprehensive model selection to ensure the appropriate solution for any pool or budget, and the most extensive innovative features for precision performance in any aquatic environment.

Aqua Products is an advertiser in the February 2010 issue of Club Industry magazine and the Feb. 16, 2010, Going Green Special Report e-newsletter.

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