To help you manage the conditions of a hydrotherapy pool and the room it resides in, you need a plant system.
Before you put any designs in place to install a hydrotherapy pool, you need to know what a pool plant system does, including the amount of space required.
Here’s a quick guide to what’s included in a hydrotherapy pool plant system!
Updated: 11th April 2022
What is a hydrotherapy pool plant system?
A hydrotherapy pool plant system controls all kinds of things like water pumps, filtration systems, water heating and chemical dosing.
Your pool plant systems will house everything needed to run and maintain your hydrotherapy pool.
Each pool plant will be different for each and every hydrotherapy pool.
Having the right plant system for your pool is very important because it affects the safety of the water.
Designing a hydrotherapy pool plant system
When you’re designing a hydrotherapy pool plant system, you need to make sure it falls in line with the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG) code of practice.
This includes the following:
1) The correct dimensions
The right size for the plant room depends on the size of your pool.
Here are some approximate guidelines:
| Hydrotherapy Pool Size | Plant Room Size |
| 3.5m x 2.5m | 12m2 12m² |
| 6m x 4m | 20m2 |
On thing you should always take into account is the bigger the pool, the bigger the plant room.
Your plant room should also be positioned as close to the hydrotherapy pool as possible to make maintenance easier.
The plant room can be fitted below ground if needed.
2) Mechanical ventilation
Mechanical ventilation is required throughout the pool plant room and chemical store.
3) A separate chemical store
The chemicals needed to keep the hydrotherapy pool hygienic should be stored in a separate area to the main plant room, with an external access point.
This is to maximise pool safety.
Within the chemical store, different chemicals must be positioned so it is not possible for them to mix. This avoids creating any dangerous fumes.
4) Safety Systems
Speaking of safety, your pool plant room must contain the necessary safety systems i.e. smoke detectors, chlorine gas detectors, an emergency dosing shower, and a wash down tap.
These will monitor the conditions in the plant room and alert you to any unexpected changes!
What is included in a hydrotherapy pool plant system?
The plant room will house all sorts of equipment needed to run and maintain your hydrotherapy pool.
Whenever we design a hydrotherapy pool plant system, we aim to make it as simple as possible to understand and maintain so that the end-user can have a hassle-free pool.
When you (or a hydrotherapy pool specialist) specifies the equipment to go in the plant room, it should be made as straight-forward as possible.
This includes choosing systems that are easy-to-use and efficient to save the client time and money in the long run.
Whenever we design and specify hydrotherapy pools and the surrounding systems, we always recommend easy-to-use control boards with different settings like night mode, standby, and backwash mode.
This makes it easier for the client to change between settings to keep the pool at its best at any time of day.
You can also specify technology that makes the whole system as efficient as possible for the end-user.
This includes having variable speed pumps, chemical dosing systems, and even internet connections.
All these things make it easier to keep the hydrotherapy pool running with little effort needed.
Boston Endeavour Academy
We had the pleasure of installing a 6m x 4m stainless steel hydrotherapy pool for the state-of-the-art Boston Endeavour Academy.
Opened in September 2021, the school caters for up to 140 children aged 2-19 with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities.
Their hydrotherapy pool features a motorised cover, Venturi Jets and full RGB lighting to provide a range of hydrotherapy sessions for their pupils.
Our Hydrotherapy Pool Divisional Manager, James Witham, explains some of the key operational elements of the pool, including the plant room, in the video below.
Summary
There are lots of things that go in your hydrotherapy pool pump room and system.
These are the things you need to keep in mind whenever you design a pump system to ensure that it’s as easy as possible for the end-user to keep the pool running smoothly for as long as possible.
Want to find out more about hydrotherapy pools? Get in touch with our friendly team by completing the contact form below.