Future Swim School

Leichardt swim school installs CHEMTROL® controller to improve water quality, meet health regulations and keep bathers safe

Client: Future Swim 

Facility: Swim school

Equipment: CHEMTROL® PC110c Programmable Controller

Future Swim is a swim school in Leichhardt that caters for local children at the entry-level ‘learn to swim’ stage. It also has swim schools in three other locations across Sydney. Their experience with a basic, residential controller and manual testing/dosing led them to approach Chemtrol. The objective was to install a modern digital controller that provided an automated solution to maintain water quality and protect their users. 

After assessing their setup and needs we recommended they install the PC110c Programmable Controller, a unit that features automatic maintenance of water chemistry, Free chlorine control (ppm) with pH, as well as TDS and ORP for sanitation backup. This unit also provides remote monitoring with full visibility and control.
We chatted to owner Andy Vu, for his experience and insights after installing the new unit. 

What type of facility do you have and how many people use the facility? 

We have a relatively small, single ‘learn to swim’ pool of 9m x 4m, with a volume of 40,000 litres. Depending on lessons the bather load can be anywhere from 500 – 700 swimmers per week.

We cap the number of classes and children in each class to ensure that we pay the right amount of attention to each child and their progression.

This works out to be a maximum of 6 babies (with parents), a maximum of 3 children per beginners class, and a maximum 4 for the older, more advanced kids. 

What was your biggest challenge maintaining water quality?

Our previous equipment was a basic residential controller, which we combined with manual testing of the water and dosing. We found this unit to be too basic for our needs, as it did not measure chlorine levels – only ORP. Relying on our staff to conduct manual testing was also time consuming and we were also using a lot of chemicals due to the high bather load in a relatively small pool. 

Our TDS was as high as 5000 sometimes, which is unacceptable – and as a public facility we have to meet state laws regarding chemical levels and the safety of our pool water. Support from the manufacturer of the controller also wasn’t great when we tried to get help or advice. They also had high staff turnover so we were dealing with a new person every time. I wanted a solution that was more accurate, automated and took the pressure off my staff. 

“I wanted a solution that was more accurate, automated and took the pressure off my staff.” 

How did you come across Chemtrol?

I was actually referred by a contact in the pool industry. They are responsible for the maintenance and servicing of a swimming pool in a hospital,  and recommended a Chemtrol controller based on an installation there. 

Why did you choose Chemtrol controller?

I researched the market thoroughly and spoke to a few other manufacturers, but decided to give Chemtrol an opportunity. 

I liked the fact the controller is designed for a commercial environment, and comfortably handles everything for much bigger pools than ours. It also has all the necessary readings and data we required, including free chlorine, pH, ORP, TDS and Temperature – as well as remote monitoring capability. The controller and its components are all repairable and parts like the chlorine sensor are available to order. Our previous unit you basically had to replace if anything went wrong. 

“I liked the fact the controller is designed for a commercial environment, and comfortably handles everything for much bigger pools than ours.”

What other features do you most appreciate about the Chemtrol unit?

I like the fact I can use and control it directly from my phone which is great. My staff have also found it easy to use after being trained. 

What is your overall experience of Chemtrol and the installation process?

I have had a positive experience with the level of service. Kobby has always been there if we have questions or issues. He also took the time to train us how to use the unit, and has even Facetimed with us to resolve an issue or share advice. In this industry it’s hard to find a plumber who is willing or able to service our systems. It takes the pressure off us trying to solve an issue or try do the work.

CHEMTROL® PC110c Controller

The CHEMTROL® PC110c Controller is a programmable control system that offers complete chemical automation for pools and spas. This includes:

• Free Chlorine control (ppm)
• pH
• ORP 
• TDS
• Temperature and heater control
• Water balance with Langelier Index

This model also incorporates our unique solid-state PPM SENSOR that generates easy-to-use, direct and reliable readings of Free Chlorine concentration in water.

Get in touch for advice on the best programmable controller for your swim school or commercial aquatic facility, that way we can provide a competitive pricing solution based on the functionality you need.