Hotel Engineer Volume 20 Number 1

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING

PP 319986/101

Volume 20 Number 1 April 2015

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The Hotel Engineer The Official Publication of the Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering

PUBLISHER’S

MESSAGE

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’ve had a few distractions getting this issue of Hotel Engineer to print. Even as I write this today, Australia are warming up to play India in a Semi-Final of the Cricket World Cup. I’m sure many of you in hotel engineering are having a similar problem! Intermittent score updates and the intrigue over how the ‘minnow’ teams are faring can shift the focus away from work. It’s possibly why this issue has ended up with such a wide variety of articles covering topics right across the spectrum.

In one case we are looking at protecting lightning strikes on your buildings, but then we shift our focus to the topic of car park compliance. In another case, we look at the energy efficiency initiatives being introduced at the Shangri-La Sydney. This feature was produced collaboratively between Anura Yapa, Chief Engineer of the Shangri-La Sydney, and Anwar Ahmed of Enman Energy Consultants.

Following this we have an international contributor: Fran Hughes all the way from the United Kingdom, whom works for the International Tourism Partnership has written about the hotels

Adbourne Publishing 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 www.adbourne.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Enquiries: (03) 9758 1431 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: admin@adbourne.com

ADVERTISING Melbourne: Neil Muir T: (03) 9758 1433 F: (03) 9758 1432 E: neil@adbourne.com Adelaide: Robert Spowart T: 0488 390 039 E: robert@adbourne.com

Carbon Measurement Initiative. Another feature, with the assistance of Craig Montgomery of Nuflow Technologies, looks at pipe repairs within your building. He suggests the ways pipe repairs can be done while minimising any disruptions to your daily operations. Our attention turns again in this issue with an article by the Australasian Concrete Association on the ways to correct and prevent concrete corrosion in your building. Finally, every year or two we have our feature on pools. We have a number of articles on equipment and technology so that you can get the best out of your hotel’s pools and provide the optimum experience for guests.

We have covered a lot! The magazine could never go to print without everyone who takes the time to contribute content for us. We also thank our advertisers who provide the products and services most relevant to the hotel engineering industry.

Enjoy the issue.

Regards, Neil Muir Publisher

PRODUCTION Emily Wallis T: (03) 9758 1436 E: production@adbourne.com Administration Robyn Fantin T: (03) 9758 1431 E: admin@adbourne.com MARKETING Susan Moore E: susanmoore@y7mail.com

AIHE State Presidents Ian Crookston, QLD E: ian.crookston@ihg.com Anura Yapa, NSW E: Anura.Yapa@shangri-la.com David Zammit,VIC E: david.zammit@hyatt.com Tony Fioraso, WA E: tony.fioraso@burswood.com.au

Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Hotel Engineer comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation.

The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication.

Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial.The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication.

All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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CONTENTS 6

AIHE State News

12 The hotel carbon measurement initiative (HCMI) 16 How safe is your car park?

18 Energy management at Shangri-La Hotel 25 Reduce disruption to hotel guests with non-invasive rehabilitation technologies 30 Using lighting for your environment 32 Are you prepared for a lightning strike?

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37 Correcting concrete corrosion 42 Thinking management 44 Back of house March 2015 47 QLD resort benefits from Hydroxypure system 50 Swimming pool trends 55 Chemical Controllers – New Technology overview 56 ORP controllers: Why they drive us all nuts 58 The best technology can offer for an indoor pool Part 1 66 Water testing – Selecting the right instrument 70 Swimming Pool And Spa association of Australia LTD (SPASA AUSTRALIA)

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75 Product News

THE

HOTEL ENGINEER OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL ENGINEERING

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Front cover shows: The Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney

PP 319986/101

Volume 20 Number 1 April 2015

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AIHE STATE

NEWS New south waleS Warm Greetings from NSW Chapter.

Autumn has approached us and as day light becomes shorter, we are reminded of the cooler months ahead.The shift will soon be towards energy efficiency and reduction of heating costs.

When we look back at the last quarter, the NSW chapter AGM was very well received and there were a great number of attendees.

The AGM was held at Shangri-La Hotel.

Congratulations and welcome to all new committee members and a huge thank you to the previous committee as well, your efforts and contributions have been never ending throughout the year of 2014.

The NSW chapter Christmas dinner, another fantastic evening was held at Sydney Showboats Harbour Cruise on 12th of December with 40 guests on board.

For the month of January no meetings were held due to the extended holiday period, but by no means are we off to a soft start to the calendar year.

In February, we kicked off with our committee meeting which was held at Shangri-La Blue Bar at level 36.

First general meeting for the year was held at Pullman Hyde Park with an impressive technical presentation on ‘Cooling Tower Selection for Efficiency’ by Lawrence Thomas of Marley Flow Control Pty Ltd.

It was also a farewell to Ian at last State President’s meeting Guillaume Private Dining Room at Crown Perth

The State President’s meeting for the first quarter was held in Guillaume Semi Private Dining Room in Crown Perth.Thanks to Tony Fioraso for all arrangements.

The upcoming AIHE conference and the development of the Institute website were among the many topics of discussion.

We have a number of events lined up for this year, including two round table discussions, two site visits and a few informative sessions, which will no doubt be thought provoking.

We are sad to hear that Ian Crookston is stepping down as President of the QLD Chapter. Over the last 17 years Ian has worked tirelessly as the Qld President to promote the Institute and his efforts will not go unnoticed specially when organising the byannual update conferences. We look forward

QUEENSLAND The first quarter has unfortunately kicked off to a slow start in regards to meetings and presentations. The February meeting was postponed unto a date which is still to be confirmed.

I am pleased to advise that the AIHE website continues to be worked on and will soon be operational again.

The Qld chapter will be conducting their AGM on the 15th April at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove

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to his continuing involvement in the AIHE in the many years to come.

A case study on ‘Energy Management at Shangri-La Hotel’ can also be found in this edition and I thank the co-author, Anwar Ahmed of Enman for his contribution.

Hope you will enjoy the read.

Best Wishes.

Anura Yapa JP President – AIHE NSW chapter

Resort. Members will enjoy a buffet breakfast at 7 am with the meeting commencing at 8 am.

It is with mixed emotions that I advise that I will be not standing again for the president position or on the committee after now completing 17 years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the other chapters, presidents and their committees for all their support and assistance over the years. I particularly wish to thank the QLD Chapters Committee for all their support and the many functions and dinners arranged and great times we have shared over the years. I wish the newly elected committee next month all the best for the next year and look forward to catching up with every one at coming meetings and at the next Update Conference.

Ian Crookston AIHE – Qld Chapter President

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AIHE STATE

NEWS VICTORIA The year is certainly well underway, with an early Easter break In April, giving us all a time to rest up and recharge for the cooler months ahead.

With the new year upon us, the committee is very passionate about building our chapter and providing our members exciting meetings over the course of the next 9 months.

Our first meeting kicked off in February at the Stamford Plaza Melbourne, where Ponce Cassas, Chief Engineer hosted us for the evening.

Carl Sachs, Managing Director of Workplace Access & Safety presented an overview of various fall prevention and working at heights safety systems, that are relevant to any building environment. This made for an informative evening, leaving us all better educated on the subject matter, along with valuable knowledge on where we stand in the hierarchy of the standards and regulations that govern this workplace risk. As a relatively new AIHE member, we are grateful for support that

Carl and his team have given our chapter over the past months.

March had us meet at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, whom have always been very supportive in providing us a great venue for our meetings. Andrew Eldred, Maintenance Manager, hosted us on this occasion, where Leenah Khor & Mellissa Goedheer of Harvey Norman Commercial presented to us on the evening.

A revealing insight to the many offerings that Harvey Norman Commercial is able to provide our hotels, more than most expected. In the area of product innovation, Leenah introduced us to the latest offerings from Dyson airwave, Methven & the Kaldewei sound wave bath, all very exclusive products.

Thank you to both Mellissa and Leenah along with the team at Harvey Norman commercial for embracing our chapter and also recently joining as a corporate member.

Our April meeting will have us visit yet another ongoing corporate, being Comcater. Craig Lategan, Area Sales Manager, will host the evening at their South Melbourne show room. Would be fair to say that most of our hotels have kitchen equipment provided & serviced

by Comcater.

Being off site at their showroom provides a firsthand opportunity to view some of the latest technologies in commercial kitchen appliances, whilst also being able to sample delicious dishes prepared by their chef. Pencil this meeting in for the 23rd of April, one not to be missed.

In the coming months, Stephen Docher ty is also planning to secure a site tour of yet another iconic Melbourne landmark.

We have found these meetings to be very popular with our members over the past years. Stephen is keen In not disappointing us‌. so stay tuned for that one.

It has been great to welcome a few newcomers to our recent meetings, through the support of the committee, our hotel engineers and corporate members, spreading the news about our meetings. By encouraging new members to our chapter, this will enable us to further develop a linked community of hotel engineers within Melbourne.

If you wish to become a member or require further information about our meetings, feel free to contact me via email, david.zammit@hyatt.com or use the membership form published in this magazine.

Regards David Zammit President AIHE Victoria Chapter

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AIHE STATE

NEWS WESTERN AUSTRALIA Happy New Year from Western Australia I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and have hit the ground running for 2015, how quick this year seems to be going.

We did a walk around the new warehouse and “retail area” where local hotel engineers with pools or spas are able to purchase chemicals, equipment, obtain water tests and receive professional advice.

After the tour of the warehouse Darrell Doust Poolwerx WA, presented the latest new C5 tablets for fast and efficient treatment of cryptosporidium in pools or spas.

We also were able to view the latest robotic cleaners and some equipment that was on display.

The WA Chapter held it Christmas celebrations at the Windsor Hotel in South Perth with over 50 members attending.

To conclude the evening we were able to talk with the Poolwerx team on any specific equipment that they may be interested in learning more detailed about.

It was a great success and everyone had a wonderful time that went on late into the night.

Drinks on arrival food and drinks after the presentation were provided by Poolwerx.

Our first meeting for 2015 was a site visit to Poolwerx at the new Poolwerx Perth City warehouse at Wickham St East Perth,

Many thanks to Darryl and Diane and the Poolwerx team.

In March the institute Presidents meeting was held at Crown Perth with lots of discussion around the website.

We are in the final development of the new look website and more information regarding the timeframe for the go live date will be communicated soon.

Our April event is the annual golf day which attracts 80 corporate and Engineering members and I will update everyone in the next edition.

Finally, I urge all General Managers to ensure your Engineers are members of the Hotels Institute as they will gain value and experience to your business by attending site visits, presentations and college experiences to help them facilitate an efficient and effective Engineering service to your property.

Regards Tony Fioraso President – AIHE Western Australia

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The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI)

Fran Hughes I Head of Programmes at the International Tourism Partnership

T

he Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) is a methodology for measuring and reporting on the carbon footprint of a hotel stay or meeting/event in a consistent way.

Launched in 2012, it is a joint project from the International Tourism Partnership, the World Travel & Tourism Council, 23 global hotel companies, and KPMG as independent technical consultants.

Before HCMI was created, one hotel company might report a footprint in one way, another quite differently, leading to confusion and ultimately mistrust of the figures. Clearly the industry needed to act. HCMI represents a huge achievement, not only for having co-created a standard voluntary reporting methodology but also in coming together to collaborate and put aside personal and competitive interests for the wider benefit.

Why HCMI? The key impetus for developing HCMI was to meet client requests for carbon measurement of meetings and overnight stays at hotels. During the ‘request for proposal’ (RFP) process, when hotels bid to host corporate clients, events or meetings, potential clients are increasingly asking questions relating to the potential carbon footprint for the event or overnight stay. However, until recently the many different methodologies and systems available to hotels in measuring and reporting carbon emissions resulted in customer confusion when comparing a potential footprint of one hotel to another.

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ITP and WTTC saw an opportunity to improve how the hotel industry communicates its impacts by developing a methodology that reports on carbon emissions in a uniform way. In the absence of a measurement framework that was already available and suitable for a hotel, the working group decided to start from scratch and build a bespoke tool. HCMI enables hotels to measure a carbon footprint per occupied room on a daily basis and per area of meeting space on an hourly basis. This information can then be used to calculate the carbon footprint of an individual client’s use of the hotel.

Working in partnership The global hotel groups involved in developing HCMI compete hard for business on a day-to-day basis but have also started to establish a tradition of working in partnership on issues that affect the interests of the hotel sector as a whole. Managing and reporting on environmental impacts is a prime example, and building consensus on the details of the new methodology required time and commitment on the part of all working group members.

With the methodology expected to be equally relevant in more than 90 countries and applicable to hotels ranging from four to 4,000 rooms, securing agreement on some of the finer details of HCMI demanded serious discussion. It also required significant compromise by some hotel groups who had already developed their own comprehensive measurement

frameworks and would now need to adapt to the common methodology.

One issue that prompted extensive discussion was how HCMI should deal with the emissions generated by “offsite” or outsourced activities – most notably outsourced laundry operations, a significant source of emissions and a key area of many hotels’ environmental programmes. Some hotel groups – not only in the working group but through feedback during the road-testing phase – voiced concern about including this item in the reporting framework. However, the working group agreed that it would be counter-intuitive not to include laundry in the tool, as this is one of the most visible signs of a guest’s carbon footprint, with many hotels placing cards in rooms reminding guests of the environmental impacts arising from using too many towels.

Prior to launch, HCMI was road-tested in 52 hotels across 16 countries worldwide to see how easy it was to interpret and apply the methodology. Aside from member companies and their properties, the ITP and WTTC working group has reached out to more than 50 stakeholders – ranging from industry associations, travel management companies, certification schemes and academics – asking for input on the methodology.

The objectives of the road testing related to: • General understanding – was the process intuitive and easily understood,

was anything unclear and how could the process could be improved or refined?

• Complexity – what effort was required to fill in the spreadsheet, what was difficult, what was easy, what were the time commitments?

• Completeness – were hotels able to input all the necessary information, was anything missing, what was new?

• Accuracy – where did the data come from, were estimations used, was there enough granularity and options?

The working group received a considerable amount of feedback on the methodology, mainly relating to technical queries and clarifications. Overall, the comments received from hotels using the tools were positive, with the personnel responsible for completing the carbon footprint calculations finding it user-friendly and taking around two hours to complete the spread sheet.

The working group categorised the comments received from hotels and external stakeholders and considered every issue that was raised during the consultation phase. The feedback was very useful and some changes were made as a result of the comments received, but we had to be guided by our original objective of producing a methodology that was accessible and simple, and met clients’ needs. For example, some comments suggested that a different carbon footprint metric should be used, based on carbon emissions per guest rather than per room.

This change was not incorporated because the calculation would be more difficult to obtain for larger hotel groups and was not the metrics corporate clients were requesting. Whilst a metric of per guest may give additional granularity, using the metric of occupied room equally captures all emissions and allocates them to rooms used, there is no ‘leakage’ using the metric of occupied room and this metric is the one that continues to be used.

The consultation also raised the issue of emission factors. Many hotels are not necessarily familiar with the concept of and how to apply emission factors to the methodology, and have no national resources to rely on. This means that it is very important to provide guidance on this area.

Seasonality was another area of discussion – should the methodology be adapted to allow for a different carbon footprint for different seasons? Again, the working group felt that it was important to stick to the methodology’s guiding principle of simplicity (in its early stages, at least) and average out carbon emissions across the year.

The working group took the same approach in respect of carbon intensity.

Clearly, some hotel rooms – depending on size and other factors – produce more carbon emissions than others. But unless a property has smart metering it could be too complex for some establishments to calculate a different size of carbon footprint on a room-by-room basis. And what about F&B? Furnishings and fittings?

For sure, these contribute significantly to the hotel’s carbon footprint but they can be hugely complicated to calculate, rely on generic data and would put a significant number of hotels off using the methodology. Achieving a balance of rigour of the tool against practicality was a key consideration. The key aim was to encourage wide take-up of the methodology across the industry and so it has to be easy to use.

The HCMI methodology The methodology measures all energy used on-site for all fuel sources, including district heating and cooling. It also includes mobile fuels with a materiality threshold of 5% of total emissions, and fugitive emissions from cooling systems.

Where a major leak (100kg or more) has occurred, emissions should be calculated and if not, an automatic uplift of 1% is applied to account for minor leaks during maintenance and refurbishment. The rationale for this is that the global warming potential of most refrigerants is significant.

HCMI also includes some carbon emissions that may arise off site, such as laundry activities. It recognises that some hotels operate a number of different facilities and so, to improve comparability, excludes emissions from private areas that are not accessed by guests.

Applied at an individual hotel level, the hotel manager, facilities manager or engineering team can usually obtain the data needed for the methodology quite easily through readily available sources

of information like energy bills or via smart metering. The property needs to carry out the calculations once every reporting year, with the “standing data” (measurements for total area of guest rooms and meeting facility space) unlikely to change year-on-year.

The “annual data” entered into the tool include the total number of occupied rooms for the reporting year, together with total energy consumption for the same period. Emission factors (EFs), that convert energy consumption into GHG emissions, are also taken into account and the tool provides guidance on how to select the must current and relevant emission factors, as well as a list of the most common EFs for purchased electricity.

Where data may be more difficult to obtain, the HCMI methodology contains useful ‘decision trees’ to guide users through the data collection. For example, if a hotel is unable to obtain exact data in its energy consumption for outsourced laundry, the methodology has 2 estimation techniques, one based on the tonnage laundered per annum and another on occupancy, if tonnage is not available.

The overall footprint is to apportioned between rooms and meeting space in a proportionate basis, which provides a footprint per room per night based on occupancy and, similarly, a meeting room footprint per hour.

Continuous improvement This is only the first iteration of the methodology and at the time of writing the working group is in the process of reviewing and refining the methodology and supporting calculation tool for relaunch in June 2013. The first one-year review has taken on board new research and technical developments, has revisited some of the issues raised in the first consultation phase, and has further developed the supporting materials and guidance.

Over 21,000 hotels are now using HCMI and take up is increasing steadily. So far, ITP has received almost 1,000 requests for the methodology from around 90 countries.

The majority of these external enquiries are from consultancies and hotels.

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There is a lot of energy and interest around the tool within the industry that we hope will increase further. The entire hotel sector now needs to adopt this freely available methodology – only then can the industry speak with ‘one voice’ on this crucial and complex issue of carbon measurement.

For more information see http://www. tourismpartnership.org/what-we-do/productsprogrammes/hotel-carbon-measurement-initiative.

You can request the methodology, free of charge, by emailing info@hotelcarboninitiative.org.

Fran Hughes is Head of Programmes at the International Tourism Partnership (ITP). ITP drives responsible business within the hotel industry by engaging with the world’s leading hotel companies; turning responsible ambition and good ideas into positive action. ITP does this by sharing best practice, offering practical products and programmes and facilitating collaboration in one of the world’s largest industries.

CASE STUDIES Premier Inn, Whitbread Group Chris George, head of energy and environment, Whitbread (Premier Inn) serves on the HCMI working group and has this to say about the new methodology: “The HCMI measurement tool gave Whitbread an opportunity to improve how the hotel industry communicates and benchmarks its environmental impacts.

Previous approaches to measuring and reporting on carbon emissions vary widely within our industry and can be difficult to manage and understand. This can lead to confusion among our customers, particularly Premier Inn business account clients looking to understand their own potential carbon footprints to achieve their company environmental targets.

After input from the International Tourism Partnership and our own key stakeholders, Whitbread has integrated the HCMI tool into our internal energy tracking and reporting system in order to calculate and communicate carbon emissions from our guest and meeting rooms in a simple and uniform way. Building on our own corporate responsibility ‘good together’ language, our team members can now provide a clear and practical response to our guest carbon data needs.”

HCMI working group member Robert McCann, (formerly) Environment Manager, Corporate Responsibility, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), comments:

FTE, guest, available rooms and occupied rooms, and often with different units of measure. Now, the figures begin to mean a lot more and will support carbon reduction across the industry.

While it’s still not the perfect comparison, since every hotel is different, it helps corporate clients to begin to make decisions.

“IHG has built HCMI into our online sustainability programme IHG Green Engage, which enables our hotels to measure, manage and reduce their environmental impacts and includes over 200 green solutions for our hotels to implement. Providing hotels have up-to-date utility and fuel data in IHG Green Engage and correct information about the hotel such as floor areas, then the carbon calculations are done for them by IHG Green Engage. Therefore, hotels are finding HCMI very easy to use because we’ve been able to automate it for them – which was one of our key objectives when participating in this process. HCMI will only be successful if it’s used at scale, and embedding in our tool enables just that.

It saves time – for everyone, from hotels to the sales teams and our corporate responsibility team. Building the methodology into IHG’s Green Engage online programme enables our hotels to measure but spend more time on understanding their footprint and how they can reduce it. IHG had three key objectives for HCMI: build a trusted, reputable methodology that would be accepted by corporate clients, make it easy to use and understand and, finally, make it scalable. I think we’ve managed to achieve all of these three goals and now we have the chance to drive up usage both internally and across the industry.

InterContinental Hotels Group

There are several benefits to using the HCMI methodology and having a common methodology across the industry: It enables fairer comparison – we would much rather be compared using a standard methodology rather than what was happening previously with some groups reporting by floor area,

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Implementing the HCMI tool across our hotel portfolio has supported and enabled our managers to share best practice and to understand their site’s carbon footprint per guest and meeting room sold. Our managers now look for innovative ways to cut costs on utilities, as well as practical approaches to educate and create awareness for our 40,000 team members and the 20 million customers who visit us every month.

Green meetings – there is a big push within the meetings space to provide green meetings and to be able to measure the impacts of holding a meeting. Building HCMI into Green Engage enables our hotels to provide corporate clients with a carbon footprint for a meeting, which ensures that our hotels are able to compete and support the drive to green meetings.”

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How safe is your car park?

Undertaking a car park safety and compliance audit Michael Reid I General Manager, Carpark Compliance Solutions

Car parks are designed to facilitate efficient parking for vehicles, yet there are safety considerations for both drivers and pedestrians. Car parks can be inherently dangerous environments due to high levels of vehicle and pedestrian activity and must be managed with extreme care.

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C

ar park owners including councils have a responsibility to ensure the safety of those who use their public facilities. The issue was highlighted recently in a legal case involving the death of a man who accidently reversed over the edge of a four storey car park in Sydney.

current Australian Standards. Upgrades that may need addressing include replacing balustrades, new signage, line markings and concrete structural repairs.

In 2009, the NSW Government Department of Planning issued an advisory notice to all local councils following the coronial inquest into this case. The memorandum recommended councils send an advice to every car park owner and operator in their local area advising them to inspect pedestrian and vehicular safety barriers in carparks built before 1989 and remedy any defects where required.

• Review your current inspection and maintenance procedures, and ensure those responsible are aware of the current Australian Standards and compliance requirements.

Car parks can be unassuming structures but nearly every building and facility in the local community has an area set aside for parking. Undertaking a car park safety and compliance audit will help to identify whether safety upgrades are required and ensure the structure is aligned with

Car Park Compliance Solutions offers the following advice for those responsible for managing a car park facility:

• Assess the entire facility, including the exterior perimeter, observing and noting areas of risk. For example, check that perimeter balustrades and vehicle barriers are in good condition with no signs of wear or rust and that they can withstand vehicle impact in accordance with AS1170.

• Review pedestrian safety guardrails along staircases and walkways between levels, and review the need for anti-climbing

barriers. This is particularly important to ensure the safety of children.

• Identify any potential blind spots when entering and exiting, and when driving around the facility. Consider whether high impact end ramp barriers and safety guardrails may need upgrading.

• Check the overall facility has adequate signage, lighting and ventilation, and that the vehicle driveways line marks are clearly visible.

Carpark Compliance Solutions manufacture and distribute a comprehensive range of fully engineered and tested vehicle, pedestrian and industrial safety barrier systems that meet or exceed Australian Standard AS1170.1. If you have any concerns about a car park facility or wondering if it fully complies with Australian Standards, call CCS on 1300 716 766 or visit www.carparkcs.com.au

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Energy Management at Shangri-La Hotel

Anura Yapa I Director of Engineering, Shangri-la hotel, Sydney Anwar Ahmed I principle engineering and energy consultant, Enman Pty Ltd

PROJECT BACKGROUND

T

he Shangri-La Hotel at The Rocks in Sydney is a prestigious five star hotel and is a benchmark of classic hotels overlooking Sydney harbour. The hotel has 565 guest rooms and suites with superb dining venues, health club with spa, heated pool and a laundry facility. These factors make it a very high energy user, meaning energy management in the hotel has a high priority. The hotel provides a great challenge to improve energy efficiency. This can be achieved by implementing new ideas and features to support green initiatives and sustainability goals, in accordance with Shangri-La environmental commitments.

When AusIndustry introduced the Green Building Fund in 2011, Shangri-La

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took advantage of this fund to reduce the environmental footprint and energy consumption of the hotel.

Shangri-La management engaged Enman, a team of professional engineers and technologists specialising in energy efficiency improvements, to upgrade the hotel facilities with state of the art cutting edge technology. Enman were engaged to conduct an energy audit to identify economically viable projects which are in line with the future plans of the Shangri-La Hotel.

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY Hotels today have many more opportunities with new and evolving

technologies to improve energy efficiency.

Some of these technologies are: • Energy management control system (EMS) • Variable speed drives (VSD) • Room management control system • LED lamps • New generation environmentally friendly chiller with VSD. The Shangri-La Hotel selected all these technologies as part of a pilot project to improve their carbon footprint. The greatest challenge is now to successfully apply for the Green Building Fund and execute these projects successfully. ShangriLa management selected Enman to assist

the hotel management in fulfilling their energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

Enman used a holistic approach for their services to Shangri-La as follows: • Conduct a brief energy audit to identify the key projects requiring state of the art technology and develop business case • Applied for the Green Building Fund on behalf of Shangri-La. Based on the merit of the projects AusIndustry awarded a half a million dollar grant to encourage Shangri La to implement these projects • Shangri-La accepted the grant and appointed Enman Pty Ltd as the project manager to implement all the projects as per the Green Building Fund agreement

MANAGING YOUR SUPPLIER AND TECHNOLOGY It is always important to select the right contractor and equipment for the job. The competitive tendering process is desirable to keep the project price down. The tendering process is only desirable when multiple contractors can supply the same desired equipment.

However the key to the success of the project is to select and appoint the most appropriate and suitably experienced consultant.

Tendering process Enman developed a technical specification of works for the various projects in order to benefit most from the competitive tendering process. Based on the merit of various tenderer, Shangri-La management selected the final suppliers. The projects which were awarded are as follows: • Chiller replacement – Dalkia was appointed to replace the existing Trane chiller with their energy efficient chiller with VSD • Room management system – INNCOM my Smart CTI Room Control • LED lamps • Chiller energy management system (EMS) – Initially the project was awarded to Automated Logic Control who is the incumbent BMS supplier. This EMS was subsequently modified and installed with the Enman Enertrol chiller energy management system to improve the energy saving and meet the requirements of the Green Building Fund.

PROJECTS The following are brief descriptions of these carbon reduction projects: Chiller Upgrade Replacement of one of the large chillers with a 1750 kW Trane multi-stage energy efficient chiller with variable speed drive.

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The chiller has excellent part load performance and can operate at a very low load with good efficiency.

Main features: • Full load COP of 6.1 and NPLV of 9.1 VSD Centrifugal Chiller • Chiller includes ‘Rapid Re-start” after failure, 43 seconds after locating power source • Uses R123 low pressure refrigerant which is not subject to carbon tax Control System Upgrade Phase 1 Initially the existing BMS was modified to incorporate advanced control for chiller, pump speed and cooling tower fans and developed as one off system. Therefore it didn’t operate successfully and didn’t provide the expected savings.

Guest Room Energy Management System An INNCOM my Smart CTI Room Control System was selected for this project.

HVAC and lighting represent two of the largest uncontrolled operating expenses in the hotel. The energy management software, hardware and services were designed to minimise energy consumption in spaces with intermittent occupancy.

It was a green approach employed in the HVAC/lighting control system which helps in improving energy efficiency and also minimising the carbon footprint of the hotel.

a. There are four basic modes in which the room control operates on this system i. Rented/Occupied ii. Rented/Unoccupied iii. Unrented/Occupied iv. Unrented/Unoccupied b. The room control software decides which mode to operate under by using information from the PMS interface, the door switch and the motion sensor.

When a guest enters the room and adjusts the thermostat to his/her preferred setting or set point (including fan speed), the temperature in the room is maintained at that set point while the room is occupied.

When the occupancy sensor determines that the room is unoccupied (by reacting to the movement with a static IR sensor and the feedback from a reed switch mounted on the top of the entrance door), the room control adjusts the room temperature to save energy. The Recovery Time technology constantly calculates how far the temperature can drift from the set point and still return to the set point within the pre-programmed recovery time, usually two hours. The set point is twenty one degrees Celsius with the dead band or drift of +2.5 or -2.5 degrees Celsius. The motion sensor works automatically by sensing the presence or absence of people and switching the lighting on or off as required.

The Green Button, an option available on all the room controls, empowers guests to take part in property or brand sustainability programs.

LED lighting: The hotel had extensive down lighting in the common areas.

This project involved replacement of common area dichroic down lights with innovative low power LED down lights.

These replacements were done in phases.

Phase 1: Replacement of halogen down lights with 325 X Evo50 15W and 60 X MR16 6W LED lamps Phase 2: Replacement of halogen down lights with 1850 Philips 7w, 40,000hrs MR16 lamps.

After completion of most of these major energy related projects Shangri-La, along with Enman, conducted a measurement and verification of the energy savings as a result of implementing these projects. The NABERS star rating of the hotel came to 2 star, which was not satisfactory to Shangri-La management.

Control System Upgrade Phase 2 Energy management control system for the chiller plant After 12 months of successful operation of the above projects, a second phase was implemented.

Although there were good energy savings from the implementation of the above projects, the result was not as high as expected or desired. Therefore Shangri La engineering management in conjunction with Enman conducted a further study to understand the reasons for the shortfall of this saving. Shangri-La then decided to implement a long proven chiller plant energy management

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system, the Enman ‘Enertrol’ proprietary EMS. The control system is a supervisory control which utilises and overlays on top of the existing BMS. The EMS has been commissioned since the beginning of September 2014 and is already showing substantial energy saving.

The functionality of the EMS is as follows:

• Chiller optimal control This is to improve the chiller performance, mainly by improving energy efficiency and reduce operating hours of the chillers.

This control provides the following functions: • Optimising chilled water temperature. As a chiller is more efficient at a higher chilled water temperature the control system increases the temperature set point whilst still meeting the cooling load of the hotel.

• Optimising condenser water temperature. Modern energy efficient chillers are very susceptible to condenser water temperature. Manufacturers usually recommend condenser water temperature at varying chiller loads. Normally the chiller is more energy efficient at lower condenser water temperature.

On the other hand the cooling tower fan energy increases with the decrease of the cooling tower/condenser water temperature.

The control system finds the optimum operating point for the condenser water temperature. Modern chillers are especially

Enman’s services • Energy/water audit and NABERS rating • Project engineering and management for major projects including turnkey supply for: - Chiller system upgrade - Boiler system upgrade - Control system upgrade BMS/HEMS - Variable speed drive, control and optimisation - HVAC Upgrade - LED lamps - Room management system - Co/Tri generation • Assist in government subsidies and funding • Assist in carbon trading

designed for varying condenser water and chilled water temperature with varying liquid flow.

• Optimising cooling tower fan control – This controls the cooling tower fan sequence and speed of the fans to meet the condenser water temperature required by the chiller to minimise energy consumption. It also uses the concept of free cooling to its maximum.

• Optimising variable chilled water flow – It uses variable speed drives to control the pumps with variable DP set point control.

The flow of CHW varies with the chiller loading to minimise pump and chiller energy cost.

• Optimising variable condenser water flow – Like chilled water flow it also controls the flow rate of the condenser water minimising pump and chiller energy.

• Optimising chiller loading and control – The load of this chiller can vary significantly from 100% to under 10% of the capacity.

The chiller has an excellent part load performance. The COP of the chiller typically increases with the decrease of the load with the highest COP at around 50% of the maximum chiller loading.

• EMS chiller load cycling – If the load of the chiller is too low the local controller of the chiller goes into cycling mode. This is implemented when the cycling time is too short, as persistent short load cycling can damage the chiller. To overcome this chiller short load cycling the EMS cycles the chiller with a higher cycle time at low load conditions, normally set at up to two starts or cycles per hour. Therefore it allows the system to run the larger,

Enman’s promise: Energy reduction up to 50% depending upon current energy efficiency Benefit: Hotel Energy Management System • A higher Energy Saving up to 25% from the conventional control reducing your carbon footprint further • Demand reduction Enman’s product Hotel energy management system (HEMS) is the ultimate control, monitoring, reporting and housekeeping to reduce energy consumption of your hotel incorporating Enman’s cutting edge technology.

Features • Chiller optimal control and performance monitoring • Advanced optimal control of variable speed drives for all pumps, fans, plant and equipment • Advanced HVAC Control • Demand management and control • Energy performance

Phone: 03 9877 2266 • Website: www.enman.com.au

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more energy efficient chiller at a low cooling load with much higher operational efficiency and still not detrimental to the chiller compressor.

There is a much smaller conventional chiller in the plant. It was found that it is much more efficient to operate the large energy efficient chiller with EMS load cycling than operating the smaller chiller.

• Chiller performance monitoring The EMS provides comprehensive reports to track the chiller systems performance. These are: • Chiller COP • Chiller plant KPI which is energy use per unit of cooling • Chiller plant daily energy report shows actual energy use by the chiller plant and recommended energy use for the weather conditions. The difference shows energy efficiency of the chiller plant operation.

• Demand management system The demand management system provides demand control and energy reporting.

• Monitors electricity supply demand and controls demand if it exceeds its target demand.

The target demand is set by the operator to minimise demand of the hotel which reduces the overall electricity cost.

• There are also daily and monthly demand and energy consumption reports in order for the engineering management team to take corrective action if there is any abnormality in energy use or demand in the hotel.

Energy saving estimated before the project implementation was 492,600 kWh/year which is 4.5% of the total electricity usage and demand reduction of 90 kVa.

temperatures, or hotel occupancy rates. We expect that this would only vary the results by five percent or less.

Energy Savings: The energy savings from the phase 2 implementation of the EMS are as follows: The electricity saving is expected to be in excess of 4.5% of the total electricity use in the hotel. Months of September, October and November shows quite high energy saving which is due to room renovation program in those months. The current best estimate of energy saving is: Electricity = 488,000 kWh/year which is 4.5% of hotel electricity usage Demand = not evaluated yet The NABERS rating of the hotel is currently 2 star. With the implementation of this EMS control of chiller plant, this is expected to raise the NABERS star rating to 3.

What is next?

The Hotel just replaced the original timber Cooling Towers with high efficiency stainless steel 3 crossflow (5271kW heat rejection capacity with 225 l/s flowrate) Cooling Towers.

Is there anything else the hotel can undertake to save energy?

There are still plenty of things to do to improve the energy efficiency of the hotel.

Considering the future energy savings the following capital projects have been already approved for 2015 and some of them are underway.

• Replacement of old Steam Boiler with 2 X 600kw high efficiency boilers • Replacement of laundry equipment (eg: Flat Ironer, Towel Folder, Washers ) with energy efficient models

After five months of operation, beginning in September 2014, we investigated the energy saving achieved from the implementation of the EMS control of the chiller plant. Figure 1 below shows the energy usage of the hotel from the electricity bill. It should be noted that the energy usage has not been adjusted to reflect ambient

• Installation of VSDs for large exhaust fans

Figure 1 – Energy usage from previous 24 months and savings

The greatest challenge for the Shangri-La Hotel is to improve the NABERS star rating to 4 or 5.

EMS Implemented

• Re-arrange steam distribution system and replacement of steam traps etc., Further implementation of Shangri-La Sydney staff awareness program on Energy Saving best practices is just above to rollout.

CONCLUSION The sustainability of energy savings with any energy management system is only as good as the continued maintenance of the HVAC equipment and the energy management system.

Anura Yapa: Is the Director of Engineering at the Shangri-La hotel in Sydney and has extensive experience in hotel engineering and is also the current President of Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering Inc., in NSW, Australia.

Anwar Ahmed: Is the principle engineering and energy consultant for Enman Pty Ltd. A charted engineer and member of AIRAH who has over 40 years of experience in the energy and engineering field. Anwar is the author of over 40 publications both nationally and internationally.

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Our build-on-site capability eliminates the problems associated with difficult sites and crane-lifting onto tall city buildings.

We offer: • World-leading Marley® brand cooling towers • Premium quality full-stainless steel towers • Cost effective fibreglass towers • Marley® gear-driven fan assemblies featuring 5-year manufacturer’s warranty • Standard low-noise, quiet and ultra-quiet fan alternatives • Integrated noise attenuation options

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23

Is your power consumptIon goIng up?

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ow you can take control of how your guests use energy hungry air conditioners. The Ultima remote allows you to control the temperature range at which your air conditioners will operate, having a direct and immediate effect on your power consumption.

How difficult is it? Simply swap your existing air conditioner remote with an Ultima remote, enter your four digit brand code, set your temperature range, lock the key pad and save save save. Within two minutes you will be saving money, it’s that easy and your payback can be measured in weeks not years.

Call us and discover how inexpensive it is to save over 15% on your air conditioner’s energy use immediately. We have sold over 10,000 energy saving remotes in the past two years. From cost-conscious caravan parks to five-star hotels, every one of our customers has made significant savings without sacrificing guests’ comfort.

Contact us now and find out how you can start saving today.

“Being a manager of a Holiday building I see every day the unnecessary electricity usage from the air conditioners, Some guests set the temperature as low as possible on the control and leave it on 24/7 thinking nothing if they leave it on all day if they are out, or at Night time they put blankets on the bed as the rooms are so cold.The Ultima remote allows me to take some control over this, by setting the minimum Temperature at the recommended 24deg.This allows the air conditioner to quickly cool the apartment to be at a comfortable temp, Once there the compressor shuts down.Temperature settings lower than this create the compressor to work 24/7 to get the apartment at a lower temperature that it struggles to get to, or can never achieve. Some modern Inverter machines have features in them that shut down when they sense no movement in the rooms, (energy saving features) I can program the machine with the manufactures remote, then replace it with the Ultima remote, this gives me the control over the features so they can’t be de-programmed.Yes I am sold on the Ultima Remote as a great energy saving device”

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Jack – Santa Anna by the Sea (Gold Coast)

Reduce disruption to hotel guests with non-invasive

rehabilitation technologies Nuflow Technologies 2000 Pty Ltd

A blocked, damaged or leaking pipe can result in significant destruction, disruption and inconvenience.

Statistically, excavate and replace has been the preferred method utilised to repair pipes, this is understandable, as historically few other alternatives were available. The traditional excavation and replace method can have significant impacts, ranging from uninhabitable buildings to guest displacement and expensive restorations costs. All resulting in an impact on revenue and reputation.

A

s buildings age so does the infrastructure. When buildings are retrofitted, often little thought is given to the ageing infrastructure and many of these services are operating with pipe assets that may fail at any time.

With inbound visitor arrival numbers to Australia expected to increase by 4.5 per cent to 9.6 million by 2022, providing safe, reliable and sustainable services is vital for the hotel industry. An increase in numbers will result in an increase in pressure on infrastructure, these pressures can be exacerbated by ageing infrastructure. New approaches to the management of pipe repairs are required to address the increasing inconvenience, damage and danger caused by collapsed or damaged pipes.

Now with non-invasive rehabilitation technologies, pipes can be repaired with minimal disturbance providing Building

Managers with the option to completely reline a pipe with absolutely no digging.To rehabilitate a sewer pipe for example, existing access points would be utilised as entry and exit points.

By utilising this rehabilitation method, there would be no requirement to excavate and replace pipes.This is achieved by infusing a highly specialised epoxy resin into a liner; this is then placed over a bladder and pulled into place.The bladder is inflated and left to cure. Once the liner has cured, the bladder is removed leaving behind a structural repair.

This results in a rehabilitated section or entire pipe from the inside, providing an increase in protection from deterioration and resulting in increased longevity to the original asset.

There are significant benefits to utilising this repair method, including environmental, the elimination of expensive rehabilitation costs,

increased safety and pipe longevity and preventing disruption to guests.

An advantage of utilising non-invasive rehabilitation technologies is that an existing pipe in extremely poor condition can be cleaned out to its original state then relined to reinstate its structural integrity, extending the life of the asset.

Another advantage about this product is that unlike conventional repair and replace options that can often cause a whole site to be shut down whilst work is done, this process can be managed to ensure minimum disruption to operations.

Non-invasive rehabilitation technologies have been used successfully in a variety of applications, both commercially and domestically.

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One example of the use of this technology is in a busy holiday apartment complex on the Gold Coast which was experiencing ongoing issue of leaks in the hot and cold water pipes.

The managers had two options, either utilise Redline, a non-invasive pipe rehabilitation process that prevents future problems occurring or excavate and replace the pipe.

Utilising Redline, both the hot and cold 19mm copper water supply pipes servicing the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry in the apartment on level 30 were repaired.

This involved running 324m of hose from a compressor located in the basement.

As part of the process, pressure testing on the lines was also performed.

With the pipes being imbedded in the concrete walls and floors, the alternative of replacing the pipes would have involved removing the entire cabinetry from the recently renovated kitchen and bathrooms and installing new pipes, leaving them exposed on the internal walls. Guests of the apartments would have had to find alternative accommodation during this process resulting is lost revenue. Utilising Redline, the problem was resolved in just two days and caused no disruption to guests.

While all pipes eventually fail, stormwater pipes are generally found to be in significantly worse condition than sewer and water pipes when it comes to rehabilitation. However, little funding has been put towards these assets in the past, with more focus placed on sewers which can have a much higher environmental impact. But stormwater pipes play a significant role in property damage by causing ground subsidence, structural cracks in properties, and localised flooding.The problems are generally exacerbated by the fact that stormwater pipes are mostly shallow and in close proximity to above ground structures.

As most pipes have a recognised lifespan of 50 years, the application of non-invasive rehabilitation technologies would be able to rehabilitate the structural integrity of the pipes and result in up to an additional 40 years in pipe performance.

When a pipe fails, it is easy for those responsible go into reactionary management.

This puts huge pressure on resources, and often results in significant disruption and reduced services offered by a hotel. An exclusive holiday apartment complex on the Gold Coast which offers extensive resort-like

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facilities was experiencing problems with their heated lagoon and lap pool.

The managers had two options, either utilise Blueline, a non-invasive pipe rehabilitation process that prevents future problems occurring or excavate and replace the pipe.

The guests at the apartment complex take priority, the alternative solution of closing down the pools and excavating to replace the pipes, was never an option; due to the location, disruption to guests, lengthy delays and costs involved.

Upon completion of the CCTV inspection, it was evident the problem was poorly cut and glued joints throughout the PVC pressure pipe.There was also mortar creating a partial blockage which would need to be cleared before being relined.

Utilising Blueline, the 50mm pool pipe that fed the lagoon pool and hot tub was repaired. As there was only one access point, a single point access liner that was designed to tolerate chlorine and pool chemicals was utilised.

The project was completed in one day resulting in minimal impact on guests.

Rehabilitating pipes with non-invasive rehabilitation technologies needs to be seen as an investment; it saves time and saves money in the long run. It also reduces pressure being put on company and council resources, PR disasters and placing other assets at risk.

The health and safety of hotel guests is paramount. An advantage of non-invasive rehabilitation technologies, is that unlike conventional repair and replace options that can often cause a whole car park or building floor to be excavated, this process can be managed to ensure minimum disruption to operations.The use of these technologies assists with safety, as there are no large open holes, reducing chance of land collapses.

For example, core hole excavation at a large casino and hotel complex had caused damage to a 300mm sewer pipe. After a CCTV investigation of the pipe system it was discovered that there was significant damage to the sewerage infrastructure located under the building.The lines joins were displaced and there were circumferential wall cracks.

The contractors had two options, either utilise Blueline, a non-invasive pipe rehabilitation process that prevents future problems occurring or excavate and replace the pipe.

Utilising Blueline, 15 meters of the 300mm earthenware sewerage pipe was repaired.

Installing Blueline into the sewerage lines restored the structural integrity of the pipes and re-sealed the joins preventing any future problems.The repair caused no disruption or displacement to guests.

The alternative of excavating and replacing the pipe would have involved excavating a large section of the basement of the casino.These works would have caused major disruption to operations and customers. In addition, there would have been significant restoration costs.

Lining is an eco-friendly solution that creates little waste for landfills or for recycling and generates no carbon emissions during manufacturing. Revolutionary, green technologies such as epoxy lining have are replacing temporary, out-dated pipe replacement methods as an eco-friendly trend that efficiently and economically controls pollution.

The traditional method of excavate and replace has multiple effects on the surrounding environment.The use of heavy construction equipment results in a higher noise level in the vicinity of the work area.

In addition construction work may lead to a higher noise pollution due to changing traffic conditions compared to the ‘normal’ situation.

The environmental benefits of non-invasive rehabilitation technologies will be attractive to those cities that are ‘going green’. Current research shows that CO2 emissions are reduced when trenchless methods are used versus open-cut.This translates to a direct-cost benefit for companies that are facing carbon taxation.

Non-invasive rehabilitation technologies are an ideal solution for all maintenance and facility managers in the future. It is a preventative technique that provides peace of mind in terms of the assets function.

We must act now to provide safe, reliable and sustainable services for the hotel industry.This includes choosing a preventative measure over reactionary remedies.There are significant benefits to relining, including increases in safety, pipe longevity, and water quality.This results in a decrease in emergency spending, guest displacement and bad public relations.

The aim of relining is very simple, to provide the ability to secure an asset and its operation and prevent future problems from occurring.

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advertorial

new format for AHICE Stellar line up and new format for AHICE Global leaders, major investors and CEOs lead a strong line-up for the 2015 Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) being held in Melbourne on April 29 and 30.

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here have also been some major changes to the event, being held at Grand Hyatt Melbourne, which will now run over an extra half day to cater for new investment sessions featuring more than a dozen of the world’s leading owners, investors and fund managers.

Key international speakers include Hilton Worldwide’s President of Asia-Pacific Mar tin Rinck, Accor Asia Pacific’s Chairman and CEO Michael Issenberg, Royal Group of Companies Managing Director Bobby Hiranandani, Far East Hospitality CEO Arthur Kiong and Majid Al Futtaim’s CEO of Hotels, Simon Barlow.

Barlow was formerly the President of Asia Pacific for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and is travelling to the event from Dubai where he is heading one of the Middle East’s fastest growing hotel investment companies.

Local speakers confirmed include Mantra Group’s Bob East, SilverNeedle’s Andrew Turner, Accor’s Simon McGrath, Pan Pacific’s Craig Bond, ICC Sydney CEO Geoff Donaghy, IHG’s Karin Sheppard, Quest’s Paul Constantinou, Crown’s Peter Crinis, TFE’s Rachel Argaman and more.

29 30 April 2015 Grand Hyatt Melbourne

INVESTMENT. MANAGEMENT. INNOVATION. INFORMATION. At AHICE 2015, hear from the best and learn from the best as investment, management, innovation and information collide at the year’s most inspiring and educational hotel industry conference in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Confirmed speakers include

Bobby Hiranandani Managing Director, Royal Group

Jerry Schwartz Director, Schwartz Family Company

Karin Sheppard COO – Australasia, Japan and Korea: Head of Franchising – AMEA InterContinental Hotels Group

Mark Bullock Manager, Tourism & Hospitality Portfolio, Indigenous Business Australia

Key investors James Hines, Jerry Schwartz, IBA’s Mark Bullock, Pro-invest’s Phil Kasselis and Asian Pacific Group’s Will Deague are also confirmed as speakers over the day and a half event.

Tourism Australia’s Managing Director John O’Sullivan and Carnival Australia’s CEO Ann Sherry are also scheduled to give keynote speeches, while Tourism Industry Association New Zealand’s CEO Chris Roberts will provide an update on the hotel industry across the Tasman and Albury Mayor Kevin Mack till talk about the need for governments of all levels to support regional tourism.

A new ‘meet the press’ session will also be held, whereby leading journalists will be asking CEOs about pressing issues in the hotel industry across Asia-Pacific and key members of the panel include the Australian Financial Review’s Property Reporter Larry Schlesinger, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Commercial Property Editor Carolyn Cummins and HM magazine’s Editor-InChief James Wilkinson.

Register now www.ahice.com.au or phone 1300 789 845 Hosted By

To register and for more details visit www.ahice.com.au or call 1300 789 845.

29

Using Lighting

For Your Environment Scott Gracie I Megaman Lighting

When anyone walks into a room or space we instantly make judgement and more often than not it happens unconsciously. Whether it’s the colour of the walls, type of music playing in the background or even a faint scent in the air, it can change our mood, our body language and even our perception for the length of time.

E

verything physical that we see and touch can only be seen because light is interacting with and bouncing off it from a source such as a light bulb or even the sun. Light interacts with everything around us, gives colour its many different hues and gives contrast and depth of field. Light lends to being one of the most simple and easiest ways to manipulate and change the look and feel of anything it touches and this is why lighting is considered most important for institutions such as art galleries and museums. Lighting installations for these types of places evolve to render the various and constantly changing projects and exhibitions to replicate how the curator wants the space to be perceived by visitors. Generally light can similarly and easily be manipulated to change the look and feel of any area or room and following are some ways to create mood and bring a space to life.

Dimmers – One of the most powerful manipulators of light and easiest to install and use.These fantastic devices can often be taken for granted but the range of manipulation they provide can vary from one hundred percent light output for work or reading or other intricate tasks right down to providing low light levels for a relaxing or a romantic setting.Today technology provides more dimming platforms and options when compared to the simple wall dimmer. Bluetooth and RF products are now available from various manufacturers enabling more control and even scene setting where previously perhaps not available especially if

30

wiring cannot be accessed or changed to add an ordinary dimmer switch.

The colour of white – We have all seen or experienced a Seven Eleven store with its bright white lights and they are that way for a simple reason – to make it uncomfortable so customers do not hang around the store but instead purchase what they need and then leave. It’s quite amazing how many hotels and other places I have come across that use the same type of very white light, inadvertently keeping their customers awake by confusing their circadian rhythms and sleeping patterns.

The human body and mind interacts to the colour of light which is why we don’t have nice warm lights in offices otherwise we would all be falling asleep and have a much less productive society. Similarly but oppositely, you wouldn’t want to put very white light in your lounge room or bedroom as it may affect your sleep by confusing the brain to think it is in the middle of the day right before you are about to go to bed. In hotel rooms, bedrooms, massage rooms etc. keep the light at a warm colour temperature of around 2700 Kelvin for a welcoming and happy customer experience.

Technology today provides consumers with the option of being able to manipulate the colour of white from a single light fitting or bulb, changing from very white light to very warm light and gives more control over our immediate environment.

Contrast – Quite simply put, contrast is the difference between light and dark areas.

Contrast while driving can be a distraction and danger especially when entering into tunnels or carparks in the daytime which is why there are more lights at the entrance and end of road tunnels than in the middle as it provides a more uniform look and gives our eyes time to adjust to the difference of bright to dark and dark to light. For non-task related requirements, contrast provides the human eye with differences in what you are looking at and can create a comfortable environment.

In retail especially, contrast is use in many ways to manipulate the way we perceive an area or store. A Kmart or BigW typically wash the stores with even light distribution without many dark areas and therefore purposely creating a cheaper feel to their environment. A more boutique style department or retail store will use spot lighting to create light and dark areas and therefor giving to the illusion that the store is more expensive or high end. Contrast is good as long as there is light where you need it for reading or other similar tasks.This type of lighting can be created with spot lights by highlighting areas of a space while keeping it functional.

When a space is tired or needs an uplift we often think about spending large amounts of money for new furniture, carpet or painting the walls when all the space may need is a good look at the way it is lit. Lighting is very much underestimated but it’s there to be manipulated and is the easiest to change for a fresh different look and feel.

Power - Turn the lights on and off Dimming - Adjust lighting with linear dimming Timer - Pre-set time functions Grouping - Control lighting devices by room Scenes - Programmes your favourite settings Easy Installation - Cost effective no wiring Easy to use

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For more informtion call Megaman Lighting Australia (02) 9557 9800 www.megamanlighting.com.au sales@megamanlighting.com.au

31

Are You Prepared for a

Lightning Strike?

Bob Grieve I Managing Director of Lightning Eliminators Australia

Lightning strikes are far more common than many facilities managers realise and, with the changes in the global climate and changing weather patterns, they are well and truly on the increase. Australia is at particular risk because, according to a joint NASA and National Space Development Agency of Japan study, approximately 70 percent of lightning occurs on land in the tropics, where the majority of thunderstorms occur.

L

ightning seems to most often make the headlines when it causes the death or injury of someone tragically unfortunate enough to be the victim of a cloud-to-ground strike. Fortunately, deaths from lightning strikes are comparatively rare – the global figure quoted by most experts is between 40 and 50 a year – but strikes are much more common than these figures suggest.

According to the USA’s National Weather Service, there are 100 lightning strikes over the earth every second. That equates to more than 8.6 million strikes every single day. To bring that closer to home, recently in one night South Australia experienced around 50,000 lightning strikes, the majority occurring in a three-hour period, starting more than 250 fires.

In reality, there is a limited amount that can be done to protect individuals, other than their following prescribed safety precautions during a thunder storm, and little that can be implemented to protect the countryside from lightning strikes. However, one area where lightning protection can be effective is in the commercial, industrial and public services sectors, safeguarding high-risk, high-value, high-fire-load or business-critical facilities such as: power generating plants; data centres, telecommunications facilities and IT centres; airports; office blocks and leisure centres; sports and entertainment arenas; schools; convention centres; shopping malls; hotels and hospitals.

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How Real is the Lightning Challenge?

Figures prepared by the USA’s National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show that between 2007 and 2011 local fire departments in the States responded to an average of 22,600 fires a year that were started by lightning. These fires caused an average of US$451 million in direct property damage every year.

Among the numerous examples recorded over the past decade or so is a 23,226-square-metre, single-storey manufacturing plant in Arkansas that was full of machinery and completed inventory that ended up with a US$ 25 million repair bill following a lightning strike that hit a roof vent and started a fire in a storage area.

A six-storey hospital in New York suffered direct property damage of US$ 60 million when a fire started after lightning struck the building during a thunderstorm. When lightning struck the roof eaves of a college in Tennessee fire spread rapidly through the upper floors of the building causing US$ 6 million in property damage. In these – and countless other examples – no effective lightning protection was installed.

Of course, one factor that every facilities manager needs to consider is the impact of a fire. It is the age-old fire safety conundrum – an equation that considers the likelihood of a fire (or lightning strike) against the

Lightning strikes over the earth occur more than 8.6 million times every single day.

consequences if one does occur. What however is beyond reasonable dispute is that the cost of prevention is far lower than the cost of the cure. The impact of a lightning strike can be catastrophic. Lightning is an explosive, rapid event that releases huge amounts of energy in just a few milliseconds, with an unpredictable path. A single strike of lightning releases up to 500 million volts and a temperature of around 27,000 degrees C – a staggering three times hotter than the surface of the Sun. Such an explosion can easily cause millions of dollars of damage.

The number of lightning strikes over the earth has been assessed as being 100 every second, which equates to a total of 8.4 million lightning strikes each and every day.

Australia’s Northern Territory, for example, is one of the most lightning-prone areas on the planet, but other parts of the country are

experiencing an increase in the frequency and severity of lightning storms. Just two years ago more than 173,000 lightning strikes hit South Australia’s electricity network in a 24-hour period. Elsewhere around the world lightning has resulted in airports being brought to a standstill, television and radio broadcasts going off-air, and commercial operations paralysed, sometimes permanently.

Achieving Effective Protection From a practical standpoint, there are three aspects of lightning protection that the facilities manager should consider, depending on the precise nature of the building and the contents being protected. Generally speaking, these can be classified as: lightning protection; grounding/earthing; and surge protection.

Traditionally, lightning rods and what is commonly known as early streamer emission (ESE) technology have been used for lightning protection, but largely for performance reasons, these devices have increasingly been superseded in the past 67711_Lightning eliminators v2_final_Layout 1 10/03/2014 08:54

from lightning that can easily damage or destroy sensitive and often business-critical electronics and IT equipment.

Charge Transfer Technology and Dissipation Array The latest lightning protection technology is suitable for almost any type of structure.

couple of decades by what the industry calls Charge Transfer Technology.

Both lightning rods and ESE technology rely on collecting a lightning strike and, effectively, inviting it into the facility being protected, whereas the most recently developed technology actually deters the strike from forming within the area being protected and so avoids the risk altogether. This technology includes grounding/earthing is critical for personal safety, sustainability and uninterrupted operations; proper grounding serves as the foundation for a complete lightning protection solution, reducing risk and optimising performance. Surge protection safeguards sensitive electronics Page 1

Put in its simplest form, lightning is an electric discharge by which nature equalises the voltage between storm clouds and the earth and, in order for lightning to strike, it must connect. The difference in polarity between the bottom of the cloud and the ground is the charge differential. When this charge differential is high, the cloud begins to form downward “leaders”, and objects on the ground begin to form upward “streamers”.

Traditional lightning rods and early streamer emission (ESE) technology rely on collecting a strike and, effectively, inviting it into the facility being protected, whereas the most recent technology actually deters the strike from forming within the area being protected and so avoids the risk altogether.

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ulti ma te

LIG HT NO NING def W I E enc N A LIM I ea gai UST NAT nst O R ligh ALIA RS tnin

There’s only one sure defence against a lightning strike

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Lightning Eliminators’ lightning-strike avoidance solutions are safeguarding high-hazard, critical asset facilities world-wide. To date, 3,000 solutions have been installed, equating to more than 40,000 system years in service, achieving an unrivalled 99 percent success rate.

Available from Lightning Eliminators Australia and meeting all Australian and international standards, the solutions are unique. Unlike conventional lightning protection, these solutions are truly preventive, deterring a strike from forming and so avoid the risk altogether.

LIGHTNING ELIMINATORS A U S T R A L I A WWW.LIGHTNINGPROTECTION.COM/AUSTRALIA Lightning Eliminators Australia is a division of Delta Fire Australasia Pty Ltd

Protecting Your Critical Assets Delta Fire Australasia Pty Ltd Brisbane Telephone: +61 (0) 73349 7817 Email: info@lightningeliminators.com.au www.lightningprotection.com/au Lightning Protection (DAS), Ground Systems (RGA), Surge Protection, Services and Consulting in the following markets: Mining, Petrochemical, Industrial Facilities, Utilities, Airports, Government, Construction

33

When a leader then connects with a streamer, the lightning is given the path it needs to exchange the charge between the earth and the cloud. This reduces the charge differential to upward streamers, which reach up from earth-bound objects when the electrical field is strong enough. The latest technology based on Charge Transfer Technology (CTS) is called a Dissipation Array System (DAS), which interrupts the formation of these upward streamers through point discharge, a phenomenon where a well-grounded point exchanges ions between the air and the ground.

Point discharge becomes more efficient when the points are connected to a low-impedance grounding system, and more ions can be transferred with a greater number of points. DAS technology takes advantage of these principles with an optimal point configuration able to interrupt the formation of upward streamers, thereby preventing direct strikes. Working with grounding and surge suppression to achieve complete protection, a typical system includes: the dissipation array; a low-impedance grounding system using chemically-charged electrodes; a transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS) to protect against transients (short-lived bursts of energy) travelling through data lines and other conductive paths; and modular strike prevention devices to supplement the dissipation array’s area of protection.

To all but specialists in the lightning protection field this can come across as daunting and complicated, and indeed it is, calling for expert guidance.

Dissipation arrays are available in a range of configurations for almost any structure. These include: a hemisphere array for industrial or commercial structures, including poles, buildings, and towers; a parapet array for commercial, healthcare, educational, leisure or A lightning strike releases up to 500 million volts at industrial flat roof buildings a temperature of around 27,000 degrees C – three with a parapet around the times hotter than the surface of the Sun. edge; a conic array for coneroof and dome-roof petrochemical and flammable storage tanks; and a paragon array for use on transmission and distribution lines. Other designs include arrays for flat roofed buildings, smoke/exhaust stacks, and industrial and commercial structures with guy ropes. Indeed, in reality a dissipation array system can be configured for virtually any shape or size structure.

Significantly, in terms of maintenance regimes and on-going operating costs, these solutions require little regular testing, inspection or maintenance other than visual inspection of all moving parts, the removal of dirt and debris, lubrication of the bearings, and the tightening of all mechanical fixings.

Installations can be undertaken at the new-build stage or retro-fitted to existing structures.

Action This Day In many respects, the only safe mind-set when it comes to the lightning risk is to consider the question as being not if lightning will strike, but when.

Few people today need convincing that the weather in this country, like elsewhere around the globe, is changing. Every part of Australia has experienced warming in the past 50 years and CSIRO, in its State of the Climate report, has gone on record as confirming its projections that Australia is going to get hotter and dryer, and storms are going to become more frequent and severe – precisely the breeding ground for more destructive lightning.

The debate as to whether these climate changes are cyclical, reversible, naturally occurring or man-made is not the issue here.

The issue that facilities managers need to address is that these climate changes are a reality that brings in their wake the prospect of a greater number of more destructive lightning events, and the fact that lightning has the very real potential to cause massive disruption to the business and possibly its complete demise. * Photographs courtesy of Lightning Eliminators & Consultants Inc.

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Correcting

concrete corrosion The Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA)

Corrosion of the reinforcing steel in concrete is a worldwide problem that causes a range of economic, aesthetic and utilisation issues. However, if corrosion effects are considered in the design phase and the right decisions made prior to construction, buildings can be built to last and protected for as long as possible.

overall utilisation and can improve its environmental sustainability.

It’s not OK just because it can’t be seen...

Dangerously damaged hand rails with exposed rusting metalwork

T

he corrosion of steel in concrete is accelerated in harsh environments, especially coastal, tropical or desert hotels and resorts where high salt levels or extreme temperatures can accelerate the rate of decay. Usually, the most exposed elements deteriorate first but because the active corrosion may take 5 to 15 years to initiate cracks in the concrete, much of the actual corroded reinforcement is not visible.

It is important that owners of high-value assets, such as hotels, understand the cost implications of ignoring the effects of corrosion on concrete buildings and structures. There are many advantages of planning for corrosion control and mitigation. Two of the main ones are that the life of an asset is extended and maintenance time and costs are reduced. In addition, reduced maintenance requirements increases the asset’s

The alkaline (high pH) conditions in concrete forms a passive film on the surface of the steel reinforcing rods, thus preventing or minimising corrosion. Reduction of the pH caused by “Carbonation” or ingress of chloride (salt) causes the passive film to degrade, allowing the reinforcement to corrode in the presence of oxygen and moisture. A voltage differential of approximately 0.5 V is set up between the corroding (anodic) sites and the passive (cathodic) sites resulting in a corrosion cell where electrons move through the steel from anode to cathode. The rate of the reaction is largely controlled by the resistance or resistivity of the concrete.

Acid forms at the anodic (corroding) site which reduces the pH and promotes the corrosion of the steel.

The Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) works with industry and academia to research all aspects of corrosion in order to provide an extensive knowledge base that supports best practice in corrosion management, thereby ensuring all impacts of corrosion are responsibly managed, the environment is protected, public safety enhanced and economies improved.

37

Spalling concrete on a hotel wall showing corroded reinforcing rods

The two commonest causes of concrete corrosion are carbonation and chloride or ‘salt attack’.

In broad terms, when carbonation, chlorides and other aggressive agents penetrate concrete, they initiate corrosion that results in cracking, spalling and weakening of concrete infrastructure. As reinforcing rods rust, the volume of the rust products can increase up to six times that of the original steel, thus increasing pressure on the surrounding material which slowly cracks the concrete. Over the course of many years, the cracks eventually appear on the surface and concrete starts to flake off or spall.

As the degradation of the steel and weakening of the concrete occurs from the inside and may not be seen for many years, it is often referred to as ‘concrete cancer’. According to Ian Godson, Managing Director of Infracorr Consulting PL, it might take up to 15 years before any cracking is visible. “It is a hidden problem which means that, when you find it, it is often well advanced, very much like the tip of the iceberg” Godson said.

The ACA also conducts educational activities such as seminars and training courses to inform and guide organisations and practitioners about topics including the latest protective technologies and processes.

Throughout the year, the ACA conducts training courses and hosts seminars across Australia and New Zealand. Corrosion specialists certified by the ACA, and other organisations, have the experience and understanding of corrosion causes and solutions that allow them to recommend mechanisms and procedures to consultants and asset owners.

Corrosion affects all concrete buildings and structures around the world to some extent, with an estimated annual cost of billions of dollars to national economies.

However, it is often more of an aesthetic issue for hotels than office buildings because they need to project a certain ambiance to provide guests with a comfortable and pleasant environment. In addition, the falling concrete from buildings, where spalling is occurring, represents a real safety risk. Hotel operators do not want scaffolding, cabling and exposed metalwork on display for extended periods of time.

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There are also constraints on when necessary repair or remediation work can be carried out. Commercial office buildings are usually unoccupied for several hours overnight when disruptive drilling and grinding can be done, but hotels operate 24 hours per day making it almost impossible to find convenient times to do the work.

Carbonation is the result of CO2 dissolving in the concrete pore fluid and this reacts with calcium from calcium hydroxide and calcium silicate hydrate to form calcite (CaCO3).

Within a relatively short space of time, the surface of fresh concrete will have reacted with CO2 from the air. Gradually, the process penetrates deeper into the concrete and

The idyllic location of a tropical beachside resort increases the speed of concrete corrosion

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One type, Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP), is a technique whereby a small, permanent current is passed through the concrete to the reinforcement in order to virtually stop the corrosion of the steel.

The main benefit of ICCP is that the extent of removal and repair of concrete is vastly reduced, with only the spalled and delaminated concrete required to be repaired. Once installed, the ongoing corrosion can be controlled for the long term, eliminating future spalling and deterioration even in severely chloride or carbonation contaminated concrete.

The selection of anode systems is the most vital design consideration for a durable and efficient ICCP system. Incorrect selection and placement of the anode system can result in poor performance and vastly reduced life of the installation.

Elastomeric polymer membrance on a city high-rise mitigates the effects of exposure

after a year or so it may typically have reached a depth of 1 mm for dense concrete of low permeability, or up to 5 mm for more porous and permeable concrete depending on the water/cement ratio.

Chlorides, usually from seaside splash or windblown locations, migrate into the porous concrete over time, causing corrosion when the concentration of chlorides reach critical levels at the reinforcement. In addition, older structures may have utilised calcium chloride as concrete ‘set accelerators’ at the time of construction, again resulting in serious corrosion issues.

Concrete corrosion repair and prevention According to Justin Rigby, coatings consultant at Remedy Asset Protection, “Concrete is a great material and is generally impervious at the start, but to increase durability, a coating should be applied.”

Elastomeric waterproofing membranes can be either rolled or sprayed on to a concrete surface. Flat rooftops allow membranes to be rolled on, but where there are complex geometries, spraying the coating is the most effective method of application.

40

The traditional method of concrete repair is to remove the cracked and spalling concrete to a depth of 20-30mm behind the reinforcing bars to fully expose the rusted material and remove the contaminated concrete from the steel.

All the corroded material is then removed and the steel treated or replaced, after which specialist repair concrete mortars are applied and the surface made good.

A modern development is for the repair mortars to be polymer modified to improve adhesion and resist further ingress of contaminants. Coatings are commonly used in combination with patch repairs to reduce further entry of carbonation or chlorides.

These “patch repairs” that remove the contaminated concrete from the deteriorating sections often do not address this hidden corrosion and result in accelerated deterioration to the surrounding areas, commonly failing again within 3-5 years. Godson added, “One of the limitations of patch repairs is that you have to remove large quantities of sound concrete to solve the problem, causing significant noise and disruption to the building occupants.”

The main alternative to patch repair is Cathodic Protection.

According to Godson, cathodic protection is relatively simple in theory. “Insert anodes into the concrete at set spacing attached to the positive terminal of a DC power supply and connect the negative terminal to the reinforcing steel. ICCP systems commonly operate at 2 to 5 Volts DC,” he said. “The drawback is that you need lots of cables and permanent power supplies which results in this technology being mainly restricted to civil structures such as wharves and bridges with very rare applications to buildings.”

A relatively recent development has been Hybrid CP which utilises zinc anodes installed in drilled holes with the anodes powered for an initial period of around 10 days. The high initial CP current totally passivates the steel reinforcement, migrating chloride away from the bars and restoring an alkaline (high pH) environment in the concrete.

Following the initial impressed current phase, the temporary power supply and cables are removed, with the anodes then connected to the reinforcement via locally placed junction boxes to provide ongoing galvanic protection. This relatively low galvanic current maintains the ongoing passive condition at the reinforcement and prevents further concrete damage. Hybrid CP systems are usually designed to give a 30 year or longer design life.

Hybrid CP offers all the advantages of ICCP, including corrosion control and reduced concrete removal, without the high cost and

maintenance of power supplies, cables and control systems. Areas and structures that were previously difficult and uneconomical to treat with ICCP can now be protected using Hybrid CP technology. This includes small scale and remote structures including those situated in non-powered sites such as bridges, marine dolphins and culverts.

In the case of building repairs, Hybrid CP offers significant advantages over ICCP by eliminating the need for unsightly and costly cabling and power supplies.

The ACA is a not-for-profit, membership Association which disseminates information on corrosion and its prevention or control, by providing training, seminars, conferences, publications and other activities. The industry association was formed in 1955 and represents companies, organisations and individuals involved in the fight against corrosion and promotes cooperation between academic, industrial, commercial and governmental organisations.

Hybrid anode installation, typically with Anodes installed in 30mm diameter holes, typically spaced at approximately 400mm, with titanium connector wires. Repair mortar then completely covers the hybrid system components

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Thinking

Management Dean Minett I Minett Consulting

H

ave you ever wondered what you are doing here, in this job?

I mean, I know that there would have been some initial interview process, possibly some reference checking (although many managers don’t do this well), and then the job offer which you accepted, but why are you still employed, now? I hope it is not just for the money.

Many people tend to focus all their energies on that first interview just to get the job and after that they don’t ever give thought to why they are still employed, or better still, why their employer should still keep them. I think these are important questions.

Our relationship with our boss or our employer is just as important as our relationship with significant others, perhaps in some ways even more so. In an employment situation, companies often have many options for having work completed to ensure the venture makes money. In the hotel business, employers can outsource, subcontract or just employ someone else. Of course I know there are protections in place to ensure that they cannot just fire you because they don’t like you. But, you should think about what reasons they have for keeping you in the first place because this may be the difference between Centrelink and long-service-leave!

Do you genuinely approach your work with a happy disposition and give 100% of yourself every day, or do others perceive you as moody or inconsistent, someone to tiptoe around when you are having bad day? Are you the type of person that leaders would choose to be on their team first each time or the type who ends up on a team by default?

If you were the boss, would you choose you?

Someone famous once said, life is a ‘do it to myself ’ process suggesting that where we end up in life largely depends on our own efforts.

(I know this concept largely applies to those born in the Western world in a safe environment, but that means it applies to us.)

We know that sometimes crap happens and there are mergers, acquisitions and downturns so redundancies can occur. But even then, do we blame others or do we dust ourselves off and look for the next opportunity?

In my consulting practice I sometimes assist with outplacement, where those who have been made redundant get help from me (or others) to find another job. The critical difference here however

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is that I don’t go looking for jobs for the staff affected, I help them develop strategies and techniques to reassess their lives, and repackage themselves to take advantage of what usually ends up as better jobs than their previous one. And the key to this is giving power back to the employee, helping them realise that they are now back in control of their lives and that they need to take pro-active steps to find and keep the next job.

The good thing is that this realisation does not need to wait until we are unemployed. Undertaking a period of reflection can either be a self-indulgent, self-pitying process….or, an opportunity to recalibrate our lives, identify what is really important to us and then setting the plan in place to achieve it.

If you are in a role at the moment where you feel in a rut, or unappreciated, or bored, underpaid etc, then now might be a good time to ask yourself the question, why am I employed?

Dean Minett has over 36 years of experience in the Australian hospitality industry and through his company Minett Consulting offers a full range of services to executives in the hotel and hospitality industry, providing expert advice on development and operations as well as mentoring, training and outplacement coaching. Email: minettco@bigpond.com



  

 

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 

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        

   

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

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

 

Back of House March 2015

Neil Weenink

Edison or Tesla – this indeed was the question.

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r if you like, the glorious battles between the protagonist’s of AC and DC electrical generation in times past. Or to be even more prescriptive, direct current vs. alternating, ho hum...

In the interim, the huge edifice of the Hotel New Yorker. Opened in 1930 and of wondrous significance: the laundry machinery layout, the kitchen overhead there-and-back gantry system. The way ahead of its time pulverised coal blast to the boilers.

And after all these years the hotel – this same hotel, still operates; to be sure with a few significant changes; notably alternating current generally replacing DC for powering motors – of which there are a multitude.

This Hotel New Yorker was the first in the USA to have its own power generating system, and it was this way-before-itstime feature that is fascinating to anyone with a keen interest in steam or in diesel engineering. True you should have arrived on the planet at least some 4 score years ago, and then like me, you can truly marvel at the history of those to whom we owe so much.

Like Edison for example. Surely yes his Elmo Park group eventually got the incandescent lamp working continuously for 40 hours.

Really tough inventioneering through an 8000 hours slog. But as Edison said “heck

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we can write all that off and move on..” He was probably the first true workaholic, was our Ed. The direct-current system generated and distributed electrical power at the same voltage as used by the customer’s lamps and motors. This required the use of large, costly distribution wires and forced generating plants to be near the loads. With the development of a practical transformer, alternating-current power could be sent long distances over relatively small wires at a convenient high voltage, then reduced in voltage to that used by a customer. Alternating current generating stations could be larger, cheaper to operate, and the distribution wires were relatively less costly.

As the competing systems were protected by patents, there was much commercial rivalry between the Tesla and Edison camps. Even to a publicity campaign by Edison highlighting the safety issues of high voltage transmission, including his [Edisons] invention of the Electric Chair, which of course was connected to AC power...

Never the less, the lower cost of AC power distribution prevailed, though DC systems persisted in some urban areas throughout the 20th century. While DC power is not used generally for the transmission of energy from power-plants into homes as Edison and others intended, DC power is still common when distances are small and is used in essentially all modern electronic devices, such as computers, telephones, and automotive systems.

So what about Tesla, the wiz of alternating current?

For those who love dates, it was 1884 when Tesla emigrated to the USA and for a time associated with Edison. The Body juices did not mix however and Tesla went on his own. And importantly made alternating current practical. The great difficulty in the electricity industry of the late nineteenth centenary was that of transporting electricity over cables without too much loss.

Without much fuss, Tesla worked out transformers that could lift electricity to a high voltage for transporting purposes, and then drop it to a low voltage for use at its destination. Seems ridiculously simple now Mavis as so many of these discoveries in science may seem to have been. But as the man said in the 12th Century, we were “discovering truth by building on previous discoveries”.

Thus it followed in the 1960’s that the voluminous blast of newfangled conditioned air into large public spaces had to be followed by somewhat lesser blasts of same into what were now called guest rooms. Complete with Honeywell’s new-fangled air temperature control, a guest could raise or lower the temp in the room.

The list from those early years goes on. The 50 plus girls in the telephone switch room [remember them, or pictures of, or images of that long switch board with the push/pull plugs] Yea Mavis that was a time. The fellows in the lobby area controlling the elevator movements. Fellows easily bribed by guests wishing to get to theirs, or another floor more quickly.

From now looking back to then. Oh what a feeling, when so much was in its infancy and our Industry was willing and able to take it all on board.

Nicola Tesla never married and lived most of his life in a series of New York hotels through his retirement. He died on 7 January 1943 in the Hotel New Yorker.

Stay well.

Neil

TempReport™ Data logging is now so much easier!

The T-TEC RF data loggers stay in fridges, freezers, coolrooms, refrigerated trucks and send automatically to your PC screen. Actual temperatures available anytime.

Back meanwhile at the New Yorker Hotel, the old Chief Engineer was more than happy to talk about, and to show off his extraordinary mix of M&E fittings and fixtures. Plant that powered the hotel from the 1920’s to co-generating test pieces of today.

Thing is, it can get pretty hot in the Big Apple in summer, and as cold as charity in the winter. A clear pathway indeed for co-generational strategies, heck the boiler flue gases rise through 39 floors, which alone provides a significant thermal gradient.

And just as in Sydney town’s early hotels, the big ones that is, where serious HVAC was initially installed in the large public spaces, so too was it so in New York. Get ‘em in to the cinemas and grand meetings, get ‘em cooled down, and pocket the profits! True, and it worked. Carrier and his gang were really on to something, albeit beginning in the early yarn and paper industries.

Temperature Technology

263 Gilbert Street Adelaide SA 5000 www.t-tec.com.au

tt Ph: 08 8231 1266 Fax: 08 8231 1212 sales@t-tec.com.au

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2015 pool feature

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case study

QLD resort benefits from Hydroxypure system

Six-month trial progressing well at Turtle Beach Bryan Goh I Waterco

A Queensland holiday resort has been trialing Waterco’s Hydroxypure, chlorine-free system, and the results have been tangible and rapid.

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t the award-winning Turtle Beach Resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast, swimming pools are a key drawcard.

There are four separate swimming areas, including children’s wading pool, an adult’s only pool, lagoon pool, lap pool, in addition to four spas.

With such large volumes of water, it’s little wonder the resort’s maintenance team was faced with a number of challenges trying to maintain the pools and spas.

“The pools would often be cloudy, and the time taken up by the maintenance team to keep these pools running was very high,” explains Nick Briscoe, inventor of the Hydroxypure system. “The chlorine levels had to be run very high in order to achieve clear water.”

Additionally, all the water areas were running salt chlorinators, which required regular maintenance.

A particular issue was the children’s pool, which consists of three separate bodies of water – Mushroom Waterfall Pool, plunge

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Pool water so Pure, it’s like taking a swim in a natural sPring.

pool with waterslide and spa, and the entry water feature. “The chlorine odour from the kid’s pool was always very strong – even from the road outside,” Briscoe says. “Plus the entry water feature was always very unclean and also had a very strong chlorine odour.

“The reception area is located between the kid’s pool and the water feature, so the first thing you would notice on check-in to the resort would be the strong smell of chlorine.”

Recognising the issues, Briscoe contacted the resort’s manager, Stephen West, and explained about the Hydroxypure chlorinefree system.

“Stephen could see all of the benefits of having a chlorine free system running in the children’s pool, and he was particularly interested in the fact Hydroxypure has the Sensitive Choice endorsement,” says Briscoe.

“He was also interested in the fact the commercial system is remotely monitored and automated.”

a chlorine free swimming pool that’s free of odours and taste, soft and gentle on the skin – what’s more, no shower required after swimming. Just like a refreshing swim in a natural spring. great news for swimmers, people with allergies and asthma, the environment and the pool itself. www.hydroxypure.com only available for QlD, sa and nZ commercial pools

However, Nick says the resort was initially very sceptical that it would work and that it would be approved for use by the local authority (Gold Coast Council).

Council was briefed on the Hydroxypure system prior to it being installed and it approved a six month trial with a strict testing regime.

The Hydroxypure system was subsequently retrofitted to the existing pool plumbing system, but first the resort wanted to completely drain pool and water feature and start again with fresh water in order to remove the salt. Additionally, the media filters were all changed to Waterco Glass Pearls in order to improve filtration quality.

“It really highlights the versatility of the Hydroxypure system to be retrofitted to older commercial pools,” Briscoe says. “There are many such pools which will face the same challenges, so it is important to know that the Hydroxypure system can be adapted to work on just about any hydraulic situation.”

For the six-month trial, Waterco’s Hydroxypure system was installed to the front pool area, which contains the water slide and is the most popular pool area in the resort.

Clean water, no chlorine odour

www.waterco.com For more information, please contact your nearest Waterco branch for more details and availability.

NSW 02 9898 8686 SA 08 8244 6000

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Qld 07 3299 9900 WA 08 9273 1900

vic 03 9764 1211 NZ 09 525 7570

“Both the children’s pool and waterfall now don’t run on chlorine, and the rinse water from the backwash from the swimming pool is used to top up and disinfect the waterfall,” Briscoe says. “A Waterco MultiCyclone plus an existing cartridge filter were also installed into the waterfall.

“And there is enough residential hydrogen peroxide to maintain clean water with constant filtration on the water feature. In addition, the waste water from the backwash cycle on the filters is now being used in the resort. And the trees and bushes are growing much faster with the use of the highly oxygenated water!”

Hydroxypure – at a glance

The result has been no chlorine odour on entry to the resort, and as part of the process a large amount of water has been saved due to the installation of four Waterco MultiCyclones, which are key components of the Hydroxypure system. Backwashing frequency and duration have also been reduced.

• It can be installed in new swimming pools or retrofitted to salt or chlorinated pools

• It’s salt free, odourless, free of taste and you don’t need to shower after swimming • It is only water sanitisation system approved by the Sensitive Choice® program of the National Asthma Council Australia

• It is highly effective in maintaining pool clarity • Hydroxypure uses a combination of ozone and hydrogen peroxide to create one of the most powerful oxidisers in nature. It based on the Peroxone Treatment Process (PTP), a combination of hydrogen peroxide (H202) and hybrid ozone (03)

According to the resort, the children’s pool now has a lot more traffic than previously, it’s consistently clean and the time spent maintaining the pool is significantly reduced. “Plus the maintenance staff have noticed most of the kids using the pool have ditched their goggles,” Briscoe adds. “Some of the comments relate to the positive effect on children with asthma and sensitive skin.”

• Specially-made control unit maintains adequate levels of hydrogen peroxide to be retained within the swimming pool, automatically adjusting its dosing for high bathing loads, hot weather, rain and pool top ups • Extends the life of the pool surface and pool equipment

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SWIMMING POOL TRENDS

Paul Stevenson I MIEAust CP Eng, NPER 789339, Stevenson & Associates Pty Ltd

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ver the last few years there have been a number of trending developments in swimming pools, some good and some not so good!

A few that spring to mind and worth a review are as follows: • Ultra Fine Filtration • Heat pumps and tariff control • Fresh water chlorinators • Splash Pads • Variable speed control of pumps

Ultra Fine Filtration Most in the world of swimming pools will know of Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) Filtration. It’s been around for years, especially in domestic swimming pools.

Unlike traditional Sand Filtration, the filter media is temporary and coats a fabric inside the filter to provide excellent water clarity.

The media is then replaced each time the filter is cleaned. This type of filter is now often described as an Ultra Fine Filter or UFF as other types of filter media are now used.

UFF is now widespread and has become the preferred filtration method by many leading pool consultants and contractors.

The primary function of filtration is to remove turbidity to achieve acceptable standards of clarity but UFF can do much more than this. Unlike sand filters that use

a semi permanent filter media (sand), UFF use a replaceable filter media that is added after each and every filter clean.

The concept of using a replaceable filter media is generally considered to provide comparatively cleaner filtration as the media is replaced at each clean, the media cannot become biologically corrupt.

All filtration media used in UFF are generally recognised as “safe” although a simple dust mask is required when handling any fine powdery substance.

The unique benefit of UFF lies in the fact that it can provide a particle selectivity of 1 to 2 microns. Given the high level of filtration provided by UFF, they are able to provide positive protection against modern chlorine resistant pathogens. For this reason UFF’s are a natural choice for all high risk pools that have comparatively warm water.

Key advantages of using UFF’s are as follows: • UFF wastes about 15% of the water that a sand filter would, • Significantly better water clarity, • Significantly smaller plant room in area, • Smaller balance and cleaning tanks, • Less chemical usage, • Removal of Cysts such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, • Less manpower required, • Less heating required.

The only perceived disadvantage of UFF is that it has a higher capital cost but this is largely offset by the considerable reduction in plantroom space, cleaning & balance tank sizes, let alone the savings in energy and water.

The final selection of UFF’s should be based on an interpolation of the following factors: • The place of manufacturer. Some are made here in Australia and some are made Overseas.

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• The product’s service history in similar applications, especially over a long of period of time. Existing filter installations of over 10 years old are worth reviewing.

• The product’s construction materials and their suitability for the application.

Shell materials can vary, SS316L, lined steel and FRP are typical. Some will last considerably longer than others • Filtration rates which effect filter size and hence cost. Some filter manufacturers have a recommended rate of less than 3.5m/hr and some recommend a rate of less than 4m/hr. In theory some UFF filters will work well up to a rate of 5m/hr but this is now not recommended.

• Filter element spacing. UFF’s have a very large number of filter elements and the spacing of these elements is critical to the performance of the filter. The greater the distance between elements the more effective the flow will be between and around the elements.

• The ease of operation. Some filters need quite a lot of support equipment to operate such as compressed air, control valves, pressure sensors, computers etc and others need no support equipment at all. Some filters need to operate for sd short period of time in a closed loop to coat the filter socks before water is allowed to circulate to the pool.

Some filters can be simply switched on with flow immediately to the pool. My personal view is that the simpler the filter the better.

• The amount of regeneration required.

Regeneration is a feature of UFF’s to extend their filter cycle length. Basically the filter is switched off for a short period of time and the media falls to the bottom of the filter. On restart, the media recoats the filter elements and the pressure in the filter is lower than before the shutdown.

This is called regeneration. Some filters have to have regeneration shutdowns everyday where others can go weeks between regenerations. In some cases regeneration is not required at all.

• The degree of operator training required.

The more complex filters require a good deal more training than others.

• Service costs. Some UFF’s have long life filter elements but these elements can be very expensive to replace so might not be as cost effective as a UFF which needs more frequent filter element replacement where the elements are not expensive.

As can be seen, selection of UFF is complex and it is strongly advised that expert independent advice is sort before making a decision.

Pool Heating Heat pumps are a common form of pool heating nowadays but whether this is the most economic choice will depend on which State you live in.

A heat pump simply removes heat from the air or a water source and via an electric driven refrigeration process turns it into low grade heat suitable for heating swimming pools.

Tariffs and climate in different States will impact on the viability of a heat pump which is the most capitally expensive form of pool heating available.

The viability of heat pumps has become even more attractive over the last few years with the introduction of time-ofuse electricity pricing and tariff control.

All tariff control does is lower the water temperature set point during higher tariff periods, typically 0.25degC, resulting in the heat pump working less during these expensive times. When it comes to low tariff periods, the set point is raised, again typically 0.25degC, resulting in the heat pump working harder during these cheaper times. The temperature variation caused by these adjustments would rarely if ever be noticed by bathers.

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year. Due to rising costs the possible viability of solar heating is as follows: • Solar heating is now almost always viable if gas boilers are used.

• Solar heating is probably viable with a heat pump if the electrical tariff is greater than 25c/kWhr. Selection of a heat pump should consider the following: • Reliability of heat pump efficiency data.

Suppliers test results can often be unreliable and NATA test results are recommended.

Assuming that both electricity and gas are available, a simple way to establish the possible viability of a heat pump compared to say a gas boiler or gas boiler is as follows: • Climate Heat pumps are difficult to justify where the local climate can get below 0oC. • Is time-of-use or extended off peak electricity pricing available?

If yes, heat pumps are likely to viable.

• Is the electricity supply a flat general tariff?

If the tariff is greater than 30c/kWhr then it is unlikely that heat pumps would be viable over gas boilers. This is based on a typical Gas tariff of 2cents/MJ. Solar heating is also an option but is always a supplementary system as it cannot maintain the desired water temperatures for the whole

• Place of manufacture.

I make no excuses for preferring Australian manufactured heat pumps. They have been designed for the Australian climate and spare parts are readily available and of course, their purchase better supports our own economy. They are not necessarily the cheapest but in my view have shown to be the most reliable source of heat pumps.

• Durability of materials.

The materials used in construction can have a great impact on the plants life and hence it’s viability.

Probably the most important to review would be the following:

- Air and Water coils - Compressors - Fans - Framing materials.

Of course, a detailed study is necessary before proceeding and this will always be best carried out by a suitably qualified independent consultant.

Electrolytic Chlorinators “Salt Water” chlorinators have been successfully used in Australian outdoor domestic swimming pools for many years but are now frequently used in public outdoor pools.

Highly specialised Aquatic Consulting Engineers offering a wide range of design and documentation services including:

+ Pool & Feature Water Treatment Systems

+ Pool Structures, Finishes & Fitout

+ Pool Heating & Cooling Systems

+ Pool Hall Condensation & Corrosion Strategies

+ Building & Pool Construction Methods & Material Selection

+ Pool Hall Mechanical Ventilation Systems inc Structurally Integrated Systems.

+ Energy Efficient Plant

T: 02 90 189 189 I M: 0417 899 454

www.sa-consultants.com.au

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Due to heavier bathing loads in outdoor public swimming pools, correct sizing is essential to ensure there is sufficient chlorine production when faced with a sudden heavy bathing load. One way to achieve this is to size the chlorinator without the use of stabiliser and then to in fact use a stabiliser. This oversizes the chlorinator by some 40%.

Whilst “Salt Water” chlorinators are common in outdoor pools, they are rarely used on indoor pools due to corrosion concerns over the presence of high levels of salt water. A recent innovation in electrolytic chlorination are “Fresh Water” chlorinators. Essentially these work the same as “Salt Water” chlorinators but on as little as 1,200ppm TDS as opposed to 4,000ppm typically required for a “Salt Water” chlorinator. A TDS of 1,200 is not difficult to achieve and along with the normal TDS of incoming mains, commonly 500ppm, all that is needed is an initial boost to the TDS by either balancing chemicals or a little salt. The natural increase in TDS in a swimming pool should then keep the “Fresh Water” chlorinator working well.

“Salt or Fresh Water” Chlorinators are arguably the most viable form of disinfection available removing the need for large stores of liquid chlorine or the use of more expensive dry chlorine. “Salt

Water” chlorinators are more expensive to install than many other options but generally have a simple payback period of the additional capital cost of less than 3 years. “Fresh Water” chlorinators are a little more expensive (10% to 15%) to both install and run but still have good payback periods.

Benefits of Electrolytic Chlorinators include: • Reduced dangerous chemical handling.

• Low running costs so cost effective compared to other forms of chlorine.

• Eliminate dependence on chlorine deliveries.

• Less eye irritation.

Having specified and seen both “Salt Water” and “Fresh Water” chlorinators in action, they appear to perform with very few problems, even in highly loaded public pools so certainly worth consideration.

Where the design of the water treatment system has included twin circulating pumps, on a lead lag basis, one pump can be switched off during low load periods to save significant energy and hence costs.

It should be noted that for a public pool, the water treatment system should be in constant operation. This would always be my preferred method of pump design for a swimming pool as it both provides for energy control and provides a level of backup.

Where there is just a single pump providing 100% of the plant flow, a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) can be fitted to provide for lower flow rates during low load periods and this should be cost effective.

Unfortunately there has however been a history of poor water quality after the introduction of variable speed drives and then their subsequent removal or isolation.

When installing a variable speed drive to a swimming pool pump, the following should be considered:

Variable Speed Control Of Pumps

• Is there a history of poor water quality or water quality dropping off towards the end of the day? If so, then the introduction of VSD’s is not recommended.

Due to rapidly rising electricity costs, many pool owners are investigating ways to reduce their energy bills and let’s face it, swimming pool pumps cost a lot of money to operate, so who can blame them.

• Automatic controls of the VSD based on turbidity and ORP (disinfection capacity) can lead to insufficient water being circulated within the pool. It is recommended that the plant is never run at below 65% of it’s full capacity.

There are two easy ways to save pump energy, turn it off or vary its speed and hence energy drawn.

• A good water distribution system should be present to ensure that lower flow rates do not compromise fresh treated water

Formidra Italy appoints Emaux Water Technology Perth to distribute their innovative Outdoor Solar Showers.

Designed for hotels, resorts and beaches these showers connect straight to a garden hose, while letting the sun do all the work.

Various models and colours available Hot/Cold water connections also available

Outdoor Solar Showers Australia

47 Catalano Circuit, Canning Vale WA 6155

Ph: 1300 293 633 I www.outdoorsolarshower.com.au

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getting to all parts of the pool. If the water distribution is suspect, then the introduction of VSD is not recommended.

• Dye tests are important to access water distribution. They should be taken before a VSD is installed to check on the existing distribution on full capacity and then again with the pump throttled to 65% flow to access the impact that VSD will have on the distribution.

Installing VSD’s to a swimming pool plant should be done carefully and by someone who understands pool water treatment systems.

Outdoor Splash Pads Outdoor Splash Pads are becoming very popular but unfortunately the health industry as a whole hasn’t yet caught up with their recommendations for water treatment for these types of water play grounds.

A simple approach to ensure good water quality for Splash Pads is to treat the Splash Pad as you would a swimming pool, assuming that the wetted area of the Splash Pad is 200mm deep of water.

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All of the various local health authority codes can then be applied as if the Splash Pad were a shallow swimming.

A holding tank is necessary, which the Splash Pad drains into, and this should have a volume as close as possible to the volume of the “assumed” volume of water created by the 200mm depth rule above.

This volume of water is what is treated by the water treatment plant and the water feature pumps draw their water from this tank.

Ultra Violet (UV) Radiation is recommended for all Splash Pads so as to deal with Chloramines, an aggressive, nasty bi-product of chlorination. This is important on a Splash Pad due to there being no volume of water for the sun’s natural UV radiation to act upon and destroy the Chloramines.

Due to the very nature of Splash Pads, good water treatment is especially important and should be treated with as much diligence as you would a heavily loaded kid’s shallow swimming.

For more information please visit: www.sa-consultants.com.au

Chemical Controllers – New Technology overview

David Brauer I Ozone 1

C

hemical Controllers are used for several different applications within your property from Swimming Pool/s Spa/s Grey Water Treatment and Cooling towers.

These controllers are relied upon heavily to ensure compliance with local regulations while saving water and chemicals.

Traditional Methods Pools & Spas Traditional controllers use sensors (ORP, FAC, pH) to determine the quality of water and dose chemicals accordingly, however this method requires ongoing calibration as sensors can become effected by contaminants and Stabiliser (Cyanurate). Once the Sensors become affected they will tend to overdose resulting in pool water not suitable for swimming and costing unwanted Chemical costs.

Traditional Methods Cooling Towers Each Cooling Tower will have an automatic Chemical Controller which again uses sensors (ORP, pH & Conductivity) similar to your pool controller. Once the sensors become contaminated overdosing is apparent this not only affects your chemical usage but also will affect your water usage, if the controller overdoses the conductivity will rise resulting in discharge water charges and top up town water charges.

Quick Tip – depending on local councils Chemical Controllers should be calibrated every 6 months.

New Technologies In recent years we have found new methods of controlling systems take hold of the industry due to the way they measure the sanitation levels, these controllers use a totally different approach resulting in substantial savings in labour and chemicals. This technology is called “Colormetric” DPD method and eliminates the need for sensors; however this method does require ongoing DPD Reagents.

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ORP controllers

why they drive us all nuts dAVID wATSON I sHENTON aQUATIC

This month I have been struggling with this article. When I originally planned it as part of a series it all seemed rational, clear and simple. However sitting and actually writing it has proved more problem than solution. I must have started 10 times and discarded each attempt. Perhaps this is why artciles like this don’t appear often.

I

am wanting to examine ORP controllers and why they drive us all nuts with their more or less constant under shooting and over hooting... and yet in other situations they seem to operate effectively with little if any intervention... or do they?

Lets first look at an ORP controller curve.

I tried to get one from Chemigem as a current controller many will be familiar with, however they no longer have a copy of the one they were producing, so we will settle for the tried and tested Chemtrol curve..

Then where the pH line intersects the chlorine residual target we want I have highlighted the curve for 3 mg/l

All is wonderful in the world. We now know based off this manufacturers chart if we set the pH to 7.5 and have a chlorine target of 3.0 mg/l to maintain this we need an ORP set point around 805 mV. Great. So why doesn’t it work this way?

A pool is not a static water body. The best way to demonstrate this is in your spa, if you have one. IF you are reading this far I am hoping you are interested enough to try this experiment for yourself.

Using this curve, and please understand they are different for each manufacturer which I will come back to later, we can trace a line across at the pH of the pool. So for clarity below I have dragged a line across at 7.5

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We can then drop a line down to the bottom of the graph to get an ORP target value

At your spa, with the spa at rest (and chemical controller off) and not being used, take a pH reading. Doesn’t matter what it is.

Write it down.

Now activate the spa blower or jet pump.

Depending on your blower or jet pump if they are really agitating the water you only need to wait a few moments. Now take another pH reading. Write it down.

Was this second pH the same as the first?

Wait for the blower or jet pump to stop.

Wait a bit of time for all the air to come out of the spa perhaps five minutes will be long enough. Take a pH reading again. Write this down.

Chances are the third pH is the same or close enough the same as the first pH. Why? Go back a couple of issues and read the article on pH if you haven’t. The aeration most likely blows the dissolved gaseous carbon dioxide from the spa water during the time it is operating, this increases the pH, when the spa calms down again it absorbs back in the gaseous carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reduce pH again.

Going back to our ORP curve what happens when we raise the pH and leave our ORP value the same?

depends on aeration and carbon dioxide factors outside the operators control.

However, this isn’t the end of the story.

It is only half the story.

Over the years I have noticed there are a lot of articles that appear from time to time explaining the down sides of using cyanuric acid. Invariably these articles are promoting the use of ORP controllers and recommend either very low cyanuric or none at all. In almost every outdoor pool in Western Australia this is very difficult if not impossible to maintain. You may as well fill the pool with liquid chlorine to try and maintain the chlorine residual without cyanuric.

Why is this?

Is it that cyanuric is evil? Is it that cyanuric coats the ORP probe? Or as the ORP proponents would like to have us believe cyanuric is the enemy of good pool sanitation?

I would like to suggest another reason. One which wouldn’t normally be considered.

For this I need to discuss how probes work out the ORP in the pool. In this effort I have found some ORP manufacturers mathematical formulas on the net.

As you can see, and depending on your spa you may have achieved a pH of around 8.0 this will cause the chemical controller to dose copious amounts of chlorine to maintain the ORP at about 805 as at this ORP 10 mg/l of chlorine are required.

This means when the blower stops and the spa pH stabilises back to what it previously was the chlorine is now way over target and the ORP is now way high. To fix this as a technician your pool operator will reduce the ORP target value. This of course will lower the eventual chlorine residual at this pH point so eventually after the over dose (overshooting) of chlorine reduces the chlorine will now under dose (undershooting).

In a spa this is easy to demonstrate. The same thing is happening in the pool just the time lines are slower and the results more gradual. This is why some pools are okay with ORP and some not so much. It

Chemtrol: http://www.sbcontrol.com/orppaper.pdf =IF(B$326>0,13081000*(LN(10)*8.314472*B$233/ ((2.6-0.24*pHinit)*96485.3415))* (-LOG(B$326)+(2.6/1.250.24*pHinit)*pHinit),#N/A) ORP(mV) = 1308 – (0.19842*((5/9)* (TempºF – 32) + 273.15) / (2.6 – 0.24*pH))*(-log10([HOCl] + (2.08 – 0.24*pH)*pH)

Oakton: http://www.troublefreepool.com/ threads/8690-DiChlor-vs-Bleach?p=71250& viewfull=1#post71250 =IF(B$326>0,13991000*(LN(10)*8.314472*B$233/ (0.635*96485.3415))*(-LOG(B$326)+0.24 *pHinit),#N/A)

Aquarius: http://www.aquariustech.com.au/pdfs/techbulletins/ORP_snsr_for_Disinf.pdf =IF(B$326>0,17091000*(LN(10)*8.314472*B$233/ (0.39*96485.3415))*(-LOG(B$326)+0.164 *pHinit),#N/A) ORP(mV) = 1308 – (0.19842*((5/9)*(TempºF – 32) + 273.15) / 0.39)*( -log10([HOCl] + 0.164*pH)

Sensorex: http://www.sensorex.com/support/more/ orp_sensor_technical_education =IF(B$326>0,1308-1000*(LN(10)*8 .314472*B$233*(11.21-0.87*pHinit)/ (96485.3415))*(-LOG(B$326)IF(pHinit>7.5, 2.99,2.99+0.13*(7.5-pHinit)) ),#N/A) ORP(mV) = 1308 – (0.19842*((5/9)* (TempºF – 32) + 273.15)*(11.21 – 0.87*pH) )*(-log10([HOCl] - IF(pH>7.5, 2.99, 2.99 + 0.13*pH)) Looking at these published formulas there is a few constants across all manufacturers.

They all start from a theoretical maximum ORP value then they correct for temperature, somehow take into account the pH and derive a theoretical chlorine.

What is noticeable to me is no allowance for cyanuric.

Cyanuric is a bugbear for a probe manufacturer. The problem with cyanuric was discussed in an article back however suffice to say it is not a constant in the pool or spa water. Cyanuric of 25mg/l is not half the power of a reading of 50mg/l.

As discussed in this article it is no wonder your ORP chemical controller drives you and your operators nuts sometimes. The machine is trying to deal with a lot of variables some of which is cannot influence and many of which influence it. If this article has struck a chord or two in your mind or memory, please feel free to contact us to discuss it further.

ORP(mV) = 1308 – (0.19842*((5/9)* (TempºF – 32) + 273.15) / 0.635)* (-log10([HOCl] + 0.24*pH)

57

The best technology can offer for an indoor pool Part 1

Alan Lewis I Pool Consultant, Aquazure

This is about applying the best technology the world has to offer in water and air management for indoor Hydrotherapy Pools. Though the study is on a recent hospital installation, this applies to any indoor pool including hotels and is ideal for an upgrade.

I

t can be said that this might be the first time in the world that this particular combination of features has been brought together in the one pool. It is exciting to know that this can be achieved in Australia – here and now – in this day and age. Further-more, the design and the implementation of these latest ideas contribute not only to better quality water and pool hall air, but also demonstrate how careful design can save running and maintenance costs for the entire life of the pool.

By wisely employing the knowledge that has accumulated over the last four or five decades of swimming pool research and development, it is not necessarily beyond the reach of good, cost effective, high quality results. This has happened in a modest small Private Repatriation Hospital in Chatswood, on Sydney’s north shore, with an owner who showed the foresight, initiative and guts to reach out for the best. Hirondelle Hospital will be the first to show the world that it can be done. Indeed the Hirondelle model will pioneer and exemplify good

58

The Stripper left and the Drum Filter on the right.

Hydrotherapy pools of the future. It is fitting that a hospital is able to show how the best therapies are able to enjoy high quality

conditions in both the water and the air for the purpose of repatriation of its patients.

Some of these features are simply the result of developments and research which originated overseas while others developed here quietly over the years – and have proven highly successful because they bypass otherwise well know systems which have somehow neglected details which are important in arriving at better outcomes.

These are the features which make it stand out:

BASIC DESIGN Good design of any pool must start by gathering together all the aims, values and qualities that the customer wants to achieve and piecing together those alternative solutions which will provide the most cost effective result. In the end the custom design must fit the expected bather loads and be able to provide optimum conditions at all times. In some cases this might also include partial leasing the pool to outsiders under specific conditions.

Chlorine is currently the most cost effective disinfectant we have and is readily available throughout this country. Every pool design

must start from the point of knowing the bather load limit that one must provide for:

SKIN CELLS + CHLORINE = CHLOROFORM (CHCl3)

BATHERS + CHLORINE = INORGANIC CHLORAMINES (NH2Cl; NHCl2; NCl3)

Chloroform is rarely tackled directly, as it is in this pool. Research shows we should be more concerned about this chemical whether in the liquid or the gas phase. In Hirondelle thought has been given to this issue and research in Denmark (Supported

by Government funding) has shown that the solution used here actually does remove the vast majority of both Chloramines and Chloroform (one of the Trihalomethanes common in pools) – particularly in the gas phase.

Knowing how to achieve effective disinfection (kill the bugs) with a minimum of chlorine is the real art of minimising the nasty by-products (DBPs) this chemical produces. The more we can treat the water before it actually reaches the pool itself the better; and this is why in Hirondelle, in spite of the constrictions of space in the plant room, we were able to accommodate all the features necessary for the associated equipment. These include: 1) Design of the circulation so that the injection of the treated water is close to and parallel to the floor. The aim being to sweep skin cells that fall to the floor, quickly and efficiently into the gutters. This circulation scheme is rarely designed in Australia with the result that skin cells either finish up in the sand filter or simply remain in poorly circulated areas of the pool floor.

THE GUTTERS are deep enough so that as water is pushed over the pool edge into them, the water will fall and be drained through down pipes gravitationally into a pipe which will feed that water at the desired rate into the Drum Filter and from there the filtered water will continue gravitationally into the Balance Tank. The design of the gutters allows drawing of air across the surface of the pool through the grate into the upper part of the gutter, and from there is drawn by a fan into the

59

skin cells shed by the bathers are filtered out of the pool in a matter of 3-5 hours depending on the bather load. The outcome is, that in this pool, far less chloroform is created in the first place.

The filtered water flows gravitationally into the balance tank and from there the main circulation pump only has to draw the water from the balance tank and into the return spigots just above the floor of the pool – so as to keep the circulation flowing in a continuous circular motion – bouncing off the wall opposite and from there back along the surface of the pool into the gutter.

The Blue I Controller

upper air space of the balance tank. Thus, when both chloramines and chloroform are created in the pool hall due to splashing of swimmers, or massage jets/aerosols, or splashing through the gutter grate – they are drawn by the fan through small pipes in the uppermost region of the gutter below the grate, and finish up in the air of the balance tank.

It should be remembered that in most pools these gases are usually trapped on the surface of the pool and this air is heavily contaminated with gaseous chloramines and chloroform. This is the air that competitive and pool lappers grab, as they turn their heads to breathe. This often leads to Bronchiolitis or exacerbates asthma attacks.

THE BALANCE TANK acts as a large mixing tank for all the subsidiary treatment loops in this pool including the chemical treatment (pH control with CO2, Chlorine, and Ozone). The air in the balance tank is vented out to the open air in a place where there is little or no circulation of people. More of this later. Here too the air is pushed from the surface of the water to the outside but is treated at the same time to small doses of Ozone “off gas”. Normally this wasted Ozone “off gas” is sent to the open air separately – here it can help break down any chloramines or chloroform gases that might still be present in the balance tank air.

ULTRAFINE FILTRATION A lot of work and research has gone into the development of this drum filter for pools in both Sweden and Denmark.

Drum filters have been used in irrigation

60

and industrial processes for many years.

Only recently Hydrotech has focussed on swimming pool applications. Together with Ole Gronborg from Denmark and other researchers they have finally arrived at a membrane on the drum of the filter with a 5 micron mesh! This means that smaller immature cysts of Cryptosporidium Oocysts might still get through the mesh with difficulty. The smaller the cysts the more they are susceptible to high ORP (Oxygen Reduction Potential) of the ambient pool water, or heavy doses of chlorine, because their outer chlorine resistant shell is not yet fully developed. In this case we are using the former parameter (ORP) as is recognised in NSW. The most important aspect of this filtration system is that as the mesh “clogs up”, the water rises in the drum until it reaches about half the height of the drum. All this while, the drum is static. When the water reaches its maximum level limit, sensors start the motor which rotates the drum through about 400 degrees. At the same time the membrane is cleaned with fine high powered jets, which cease once the drum stops rotating. In this case it takes just 9 litres of filtered water to clean the drum and this is the amount of water that is used each time the drum automatically cleans itself.

If for argument’s sake this process happens 5-6 times a day – then it would use less than 350 litres odd per week. The equivalent sand filter would need about 3000 litres once a week. Clearly this is a huge saving in water over a year. It is also important to note that in this case the

DISINFECTION WITH MINIMUM CHEMICAL BY-PRODUCTS The Primary Disinfection in this pool is liquid chlorine (Sodium Hypochlorite NaOHCl). The difference is the way in which it is used, and where in the system,it fulfils its primary purpose of preventing cross infection between bathers and/or their carers.

INJECTION OF CO2 (blue hose on right) AND LIQUID CHLORINE (from below on left) INTO THE SERPENTINE

In the photograph above you will see a serpentine with about 30 metres of 1” diameter pipe. Water from the balance tank is driven through this serpentine. On the right hand section of vertical clear pipe it is possible to see bubbles of CO2 Gas as it is being injected into the beginning of the serpentine. The left hand clear pipe is the end of the serpentine, and at the bottom, can be seen a with-drawable injection spear for the injection of the liquid chlorine. There

are also 1” ball valves (red handles) which can control the speed of flow of the water in the serpentine. Likewise there is a flow control for the CO2 gas attached to the lower edge of the Blue I Controller HG302 (see below).

This controller has been chosen for many reasons but primarily because it has an in-line photometer which can measure colorometrically at regular intervals – day and night – the free available chlorine and the combined chlorine as well as sense the ORP and the pH electronically. This controller has served several Olympic pools admirably and is capable of holding a pool to tight residual set points – such as needed in this case.

CO2 SERPENTINE

The point of this CO2 Serpentine is that (i) It is always possible to adjust the flow to ensure that every last bubble of CO2 is dissolved before it leaves the serpentine.

Thus none is wasted. (ii) By the time the water reaches the end of the serpentine the pH in the water has been reduced to about 6.3 – 6.4.

At this level of pH - 96% of the Sodium Hypochlorite is converted to Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) which is the free available (active) chlorine that does the disinfection work. If the pH in the pool is 7.2- 7.3 only 66% of the Chlorine (were it injected directly into to the pool) is converted to HOCl. (iii) So now, all of the water that leaves the serpentine is being “superchlorinated” as it moves on to the next stage of its return to the balance tank.

It is important to note here that most installations simply inject the CO2 into the return to pool line without bothering to ensure the dissolution of the gas. This results in a huge waste because CO2 does not

dissolve readily in hot water (34 degC ).

When injected in this way about ¾ of the gas is simply wasted as it passes through the return-to-pool pipe directly into pool (usually injected about 600mm below the surface or alternatively in the centre line of the pool floor) – From there it quickly rises in bubbles into the air above the pool surface and joins the Chloramines and chloroform gases sitting on that surface.

Carbon Dioxide gas too is heavier that air.

THE SECONDARY DISINFECTANT IS OZONE (03) The super-chlorinated water in the CO2 serpentine – is now directed to the Ozone system just after the injected Ozone passes through the two Venturis that suck the manufactured Ozone into the four mixing vessels. The concentrated chlorinated water from the serpentine now mixes with the Ozone as they pass together into the mixing vessels themselves so that by the time that mixture leaves the mixing vessels on their return to the balance tank that water is highly laden with short lived Hydroxyl Radicals which are the strongest disinfectants we have available. All of the treated water is now capable of inactivating even the hardiest of Cryptosporidium Oocysts that might appear in this pool.

Fortunately in Australia our pools have rare reported outbreaks of Cryptosporidiosis about once or twice every three years and these are usually quickly brought under control by the health authorities. The USA on average has 25 outbreaks every year – which lead to major close downs of pools experiencing such an event.

THE FAST TURN-OVER of 55 minutes for this pool (volume: 45,000 litres) is above standard. The reason for this higher standard is to enable prompt responses to critical events which might lead to extended closure of the pool. Hospital, School, and Learn to Swim school pools, have to be able to cope with faecal accidents from time to time – which normally require lengthy closures, if the turn-over is slow. A dye test run during the commissioning of the pool showed that chemical injected into this pool – is fully dispersed to all corners of the pool within 2.5 minutes! This means of course that the pool can quickly be brought back to a healthy safe condition within an hour.

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY; WATER; CHEMICALS; & MAINTENANCE In relation to “conventional pools” with Sand filters, it has been clearly shown that there are very significant savings in energy . Where this pool is able to fine tune the turnover rate during the daytime with a 1.1 kW- efficiently run- pump; the equivalent pump for the same sized pool would require at least a 2.5 kW pump – which amounts to a saving of 56% of the energy expended on circulation. On top of that we will be able to run this pool at night time with even less energy, by extending the speed of turnover by 30% approximately.

The cost of running pool circulation pumps is the most costly part of public pool maintenance, so one like this that relies on gravitational flow and filtration – rather than having to push the water through a deep sand bed to achieve the same quality water – pays for itself very quickly. My calculations lead to possible savings of over $5000 in one year – as against the equivalent sand filter.

The conservation of water that the Drum filter brings is massive – more the 66% of waste water is saved against that required by a sand filter. In this case, about 150,000 litres per year, or roughly three times the volume of this pool/year. With this saving of water comes of course comes additional saving in chemicals. On top of this the weekly backwash of an equivalent sand filter often takes more than half an hour every week.

The CO2 Serpentine reduces CO2 wastage to zero and reduces chlorine demand by roughly 30% so that when the pool is run at ORP of 780 mV and pH 7.1 – 7.3 – the free chlorine residual will be around 0.8 mg/l – without sacrificing the “kill power” of the water. Since no dissolved (free) Ozone is allowed in the pool (NSW regs) while bathers are present, the Ozone dosage is raised at night and weekends when the pool is closed with the aim of breaking down any remaining chloramines.

The final piece in this configuration is another imported development from Denmark – namely the CHLORAMINE/ THM STRIPPER. Here water from the balance tank is allowed to drip down like a small fountain inside the vessel – as air is

61

drawn up through the droplets showering downwards. This converts the chloramines and the chloroform from liquid to gas which then is also blown into the balance tank and from there into the outside air. This process removes more than 85% of the unwanted liquid chloramines and chloroform from the water that passes through it.

A small 1/3 kW pump works day and night at slowly and steadily removing these nasties from the system before they get to the gas phase in the pool hall.

THE CHLORAMINE/CHLOROFORM STRIPPER

GOOD MANAGEMENT OF POOL HALL AIR It is only in the last year or two that advanced competitive pools around the world have begun retrofitting the management of the pool hall air at levels where it will do some good. Prior to that all pool hall circulation in Australian pools happened above the heads of the deck hands and life guards – and many had to find alternative work as they suffered severe Bronchiolitis from the constant breathing of Chloramines and Chloroform gases present in the lower parts of the pool hall space. This might be only the second pool in Australia (after the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre) that has been purpose designed to remove the unwanted DBP gases from the pool hall.

Readers are invited to contribute their own opinions on the content of this article or seek further elaborations and clarifications of anything they have found difficult to comprehend. Part two will deal in further detail with the pool water chemistry involved here; and attempt to show how important Ozone is in breaking down unwanted DBPs which have not been discussed as yet, and demand much more attention than has been given in the past.

You can reach the author Alan, whom was recently awarded a Splash Environmental award, saving in energy, water, chemicals and labour, by emailing on aquazure34@gmail.com This article has been reprinted from the Hospital Engineer.

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65

Water Testing –

Selecting the Right Instrument Waterlily Australian pty ltd

Those who run a professional swimming pool or spa know how important good and accurate testing of the water is. Those who own a domestic pool are keen to ensure it is kept fully functional and pristine clean.

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ood measurement and control of the quality of the water are essential not only to the water’s appearance. More importantly it plays an essential role in the consideration of bather comfort and safety. Regular and careful analysis also helps in the control of chemicals, keeping costs down, and the protection of the plant/pool and its equipment.

There are several options out there for water analysis equipment.

First and foremost, none of the options is wrong. However, some are more appropriate to specific application. Therefore, before selecting which system to use and before embarking on the testing itself, it is important to consider the options available and select the method most suited to your needs.

Contact us at save@soapaid.com or call 1 800 810 476 to find out more on how to get involved.

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Lovibond® Water Testing Tintometer® Group

At very least, the following considerations should be taken into account: • The tests you need to carry out – which parameters are you looking to measure? At the lowest level, Chlorine (or Bromine for Spas), pH values and Alkalinity are typical.

• The accuracy required to meet operating procedures. This is of particular importance for pools/spas utilised by the public.

• Do the results need to be recorded for potential audits? This is of particular importance for pools/spas utilised by the public.

• Where the tests will be carried out?

Electronic Pooltester Lovibond® – The Original

• Who will be doing the testing?

Once a response to these questions has been found, you will probably be faced with one of the two following alternatives: a visual comparator or an electronic photometer based system.

Each method has its own respective advantages and disadvantages.

Awar winnind Scuba g II

Photometers Photometers are electronic instruments designed to measure parameters via the colorimetric principle. The units give a direct, accurate digital reading of the test being carried out – clearly displayed on the screen. This removes any potential subjectivity being imposed on the reading. They are easy to use and can be operated in any lighting conditions. Most photometers can also be battery operated so still appropriate for in situ use.

Results to be transferred to either a printer or, alternatively, to a PC where they can be stored for review or historic reporting.This is beneficial to any facility where water quality might be subjected to audits.

Being electronic, however, does mean the instruments do need to be well maintained, kept clean and regularly calibrated. Check Standards are now available to help verify the instrument’s calibration.

Comparators Comparators are visual instruments that use a series of discs with continuous colour scales to take a measurement. These easy-to-use colour match systems are economical, consistent and enable reliable testing. Typically, the systems are colour-stable, made of non-fade glass and ensure consistent results over many years without the need for recalibration. However there are some disadvantages.

The readings are, by their nature, subjective and can be affected by a number of external influences. Comparators should be used in natural daylight so additional lighting systems may be needed.

They rely on an individual’s ability for colour matching. Finally, although readings can be recorded, they must be noted by hand.

There is no ability to print or store the results electronically.

Scuba II Low cost & convenient test equipment for pool & spas Chlorine free & total • pH Cyanuric Acid • Total Alkalinity

Most importantly, if you operate a public pool you need to test with instruments that adhere to local council or health department guidelines.

Often the minimum requirement is a Photometer instrument.

water-lilly@bigpond.com waterlillyaustralia.com Tel.: +61 (2) 9798 9975

The Lovibond handbook, Swimming and Spa Pool Water Treatment Guide is available from Waterlilly Australian Pty Ltd, free of charge and is a useful training guide for pool operators of all experience. Contact Waterlilly Australia Pty Ltd on 02 9798 9975 or visit www.waterlillyaustralia.com

Waterlilly Australia Pty Ltd Lovibond® Product Specialists

67 scubaII_hoch_waterlilly_270x90_gb.indd 1

16.03.15 16:25

SOLVE YOUR SMELLY DRAIN PROBLEMS! Drain Mate® fits easily into your existing 100 mm floor drain – you can install it yourself. Proudly invented, designed and made in Australia, Drain Mate® traps bad smells and pests, reduces drain noise and stops overflow.

Effective, Long Lasting, Low Maintenance.

For further information please visit www.aussiedrainmate.com.au or call Mark on 0400 19 38 21

Drainmate Ad HE HP D2.indd 1

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WaterMark

Australian Made

18/03/2015 10:33 am

advertorial

ONE DAY, EVERY HOTEL POOL WILL HAVE A SECURITY BLANKET! A swimming pool is a mandatory requirement for any major hotel, but pools bring with them as many problems as they do benefits.

The health and safety risks are obvious. These don’t just apply to guests; staff can also be at risk maintaining the pool. Then there are the costs of keeping the pool heated and clean.

That’s why Sunbather created their Security Blanket.

The dictionary defines a security blanket as something that provides it’s possessor with a sense of reassurance, of well-being and comfort, and for hotel owners and operators, that’s exactly what the Sunbather Security Blanket does.

It is one of the safest pool covers in the world. Its floating, interlocking CVX foam-filled slats form a rigid surface across the pool. If a small child or pet strays into the pool area when the Security Blanket is in place, the cover will suppor t their weight. It will even suppor t the weight of an adult!

For added security, a key-lock operating mechanism ensures that the Security Blanket cannot be retracted without the operators consent.

It’s called a ‘blanket’ because it acts like a doona for the pool; locking in the pool’s warmth overnight so guests can swim early each day. On unheated outdoor pools, it extends the summer by allowing guests to swim for double the number of days each year.

Foam-filled CVX slats gliding across a hotel pool.

On heated pools, it dramatically reduces the energy bills. These alone will recoup the purchase price in just 5 years. And reducing the consumption heating fuel reduces the production of damaging ‘green-house’ gases.

The interlocking slats stop light getting through so there’s no chance of algal build up. They also keep leaves, dust, litter and wildlife out of an outdoor pool.

On indoor pools, they eliminate the evaporation and condensation that can cause so much corrosion to the building superstructure.

Unlike traditional pool covers, the Security Blanket isn’t ugly or awkward to use so the hotel’s interior designers won’t object. It’s easily the most stylish and convenient pool cover in the world.

It’s totally unobtrusive when extended across the pool. It has a sculptured, high tech look that blends well with both contemporary and period settings.

And more importantly, when fully retracted it completely disappears into a slot at the end of the pool.

Best of all, Security Blanket does everything automatically. Turn the key and the drive mechanism silently glides the cover out over the pool. Turn it the other direction and retracts it again when you’re guests have finished swimming.

For more information on the ultimate hotel pool cover just call Sunbather on 1800 228 437 or contact them through their website at www.sunbather.com.au

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SWIMMING POOL & SPA ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA LTD (SPASA AUSTRALIA) Association Profile

T

he Swimming Pool & Spa Association of Australia Ltd (SPASA Australia) is Australia’s peak swimming pool & spa industry body. It is committed to advancing the health, integrity and sustainability of our industry at a national level, by promoting safety, professionalism and integrity of the industry to key national stakeholders.

Our members include: SPASA Queensland; SPASA South Australia; SPASA Victoria; SPASA NSW; and SPASA Western Australia, as well as Poolwerx, Swimart, Clark Rubber and Poolside. SPASA Australia also represents a number of National Suppliers to the swimming pool and spa industry.

1. Liaise with Federal and State Government and Regulatory Bodies on important legislation that affects our industry ; 2. Actively engage with Standards Australia through Membership on various review committees; 3. Administer the Awards of Excellence with the State Gold winners vying for the National Awards; 4. Provide consumer confidence as member companies use construction contracts; 5. Host Pool & Spa Expos and Trade Shows;

There are 6 Directors on the Board of SPASA Australia, one from each state association and one who represents the retail aftermarket.

6. Provide training to industry ; and

As the largest Association of its kind in Australia, SPASA Australia represents over 1250 industry professionals and has established a common logo across the nation. It retains the largest group of peak national members who lead Australia’s aquatic leisure industry.

SPASA Australia is the national contact point within Australia, and is the first point of call for international interaction with our Swimming Pool & Spa Industry.

SPASA Australia’s charter is not simply to advocate and respond on national issues of importance to our industry, but also to actively create and execute strategies to enhance the credibility and longevity of the national industry in a proactive sense.

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In conjunction with its members, SPASA Australia’s role is to:

7. Develop Consumer Fact Sheets & Publications.

The Lovibond handbook, Swimming and Spa Pool Water Treatment Guide is available from Waterlilly Australian Pty Ltd, free of charge and is a useful training guide for pool operators of all experience.

Contact Waterlilly Australia Pty Ltd on 02 9798 9975 or visit www.waterlillyaustralia.com

Pool Water Testing That’s Been Proven Fast And Accurate: WaterLink Spin®

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arket acceptance is pretty hard to beat as proof of just how good a product really is. The LaMotte WaterLink Spin® (WLS) pool water testing system was released only two summers ago and has already taken the pool industry by storm.

“In fact, over two-thirds of pool shops today have taken on WLS. With this market penetration, it’s easy to see that we’ve been noticed by other sectors including pool managers,” notes Terry van Heerden, managing director of Vendart Pty Ltd, exclusive Australian distributors for LaMotte of the USA.

The problems with pool water testing have been the time it takes, the hassle and tediousness of the process and, of course, accuracy.

A product of seven years of research by LaMotte, the testing system ticks all of the boxes for speed, simplicity and accuracy.

Explains van Heerden, “WLS allows the user to test all parameters simultaneously rather than one at a time.This makes it possible to test as many as nine different parameters in 60 seconds rather than the usual 10 minutes.”

He points out that the testing process is much simpler than it used to be with old-style photometers. “There is no longer any need for crushing tablets, cleaning testing and timing reactions. All that is required on the part of the tester is a simple injection of 3 ml of water into a disc,” he adds.

The speed and simplicity of WLS makes it practical to carry out more comprehensive water testing. Each reagent disc comes standard with tests for total and free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, total hardness, cyanuric acid, copper and iron. Other available tests include borate, biguanide shock, bromine and phosphate.

Pool managers interested in checking out the WaterLink Spin testing system can ask for a free demonstration, by contacting Vendart on 9450 0466 or info@vendart.com.au For more information, please contact: Mr Terry van Heerden Vendart Australia Pty Ltd Ph: (02) 9450 0466 Fax: (02) 9450 0755 Email: info@vendart.com.au Terry van Heerden, Managing Director of Vendart Pty Ltd, shows off WaterLink Spin, which is now used in over three quarter of pool shops in Australia today. WaterLink Spin uses specially-developed technology to provide a pool water testing system that performs nine tests simultaneously in just 60 seconds.

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Introducing Right Air

ADVERTORIAL

R

ight Air is an Australian Tea Tree and lemongrass oil based product developed to provide a healthy air environment by inhibiting the growth of mould and yeast spores in air conditioning systems.

Right Air is now manufactured in Darwin, a tropical city, where mould is a hot topic!

“Our products are made fresh to order, so they are ready to perform when you open the lid” says Geoff Barber, Managing Director of Right Air Australasia Pty Ltd. “We are continuing to see great results with our products this wet season too, one of our new clients recently said ‘they are not chasing mould around their buildings like previous years’’.

Testimonial Kim & Andrew Page are savvy operators of a 64 room motel, which this year will be more than doubled in size and transition to a hotel.

Right Air Australasia Pty Ltd was engaged to provide a quarterly aircon hygiene service, which includes replenishing the Right Air Gel, spraying a Right Air Instant mixture into the evaporative coils and drain.

“Right Air’s service is excellent and punctual, our air conditioners are now always clean and not running so

hard, which means savings in power costs.” says Kim. “Our rooms also smell fresh everyday”.

Previously Andrew had been carrying out a complete clean on their air conditioners every 6 months. Now with the Right Air program, they have premium air quality in their rooms everyday, not just after the air conditioner has been cleaned.

Best Western Airport Gateway Motel, Darwin, Northern Territory

Tea Tree oil, one of the active ingredients in Right Air, has been used for over a century as an antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory agent.

Consistent use of Right Air products will present a superior air quality in your rooms for your clients with the added benefit of providing preventative maintenance on your equipment.

Made nat with Ingre ural dient s

Inhibits mould and bacteria growth in your air conditioner MADE WITH NATURAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

1800 437 668 (Free call) / / www.rightair.com.au

AIR CONDITIONER SANITISER INHIBITS MOULD & BACTERIA SPORE GROWTH

1800 437 668 - rig ht air.co m.au AIRCON HYGIENE SERVICE & SALES

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

MEMBERSHIP FORM PLEASE CHOOSE THE STATE: NSW 

QLD 

VIC 

WA 

I WISH TO APPLY FOR: Renewal of my Membership 

Membership Number (if known):

I WISH TO BECOME A NEW MEMBER VIA: (a) Fellow – a member of at least 10 years standing who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of hotel engineering (as determined by the management committee) or this association may be advanced by the management committee to the grade of Fellow.

This membership class is a life membership of the institute. (b) Honorary Fellow – any person who has rendered conspicuous service to the hotel industry (as determined by the management committee), or any person prominently connected with but not necessarily in the hotel industry who may be approved by the management committee, shall be eligible as an Honorary Fellow.

This membership class is a life membership of the institute. (c) Member – a person shall be eligible as a Member if the applicant holds a certificate, degree or diploma or such other qualification in engineering approved by the management committee, and has at least 5 years experience in a head of engineering position and shall be directly engaged in hotel engineering. (d) Associate Member – a person shall be eligible as an Associate Member if the applicant holds a qualification in engineering approved by the management committee and is directly engaged in hotel engineering and his/her qualifications and/or experience do not in the opinion of the management committee entitle him/her to admission as a Member. (e) Student Member – a person who is attending an appropriate course of instruction at an Institution approved by the management committee shall be eligible as a Student Member (f) Affiliate Member – shall be a person of 21 or more of age who is associated with the Hotel Industry and whose, qualification or experience do not in the opinion of Council entitle them to admission as a Member or Associate member. (f) Corporate Member – entitles applicants endorsed by the Council to be eligible for Corporate Membership, which will carry those rights and entitlements of an Affiliate Members, with a maximum of (5) members of the corporation being eligible to attend monthly meetings. In addition, this membership will entitle the Corporation to receive all specialised material sourced and published by the Institute for overall benefit of the Hotel Industry.

All applicants’ membership classification shall be determined by Council in accordance with the above guidelines.

Membership  Corporate Membership  Associate Membership  Student Membership  Affiliate Membership  Honorary Fellow Membership (no fee)  Fellow Membership (no fee)  SURNAME: GIVEN NAME(S): COMPANY NAME: POSITION: POSTAL WORK ADDRESS: WORK TELEPHONE: WORK FAX: WORK EMAIL: WORK MOBILE: HOME POSTAL ADDRESS: HOME TELEPHONE: HOME FAX: HOME EMAIL: PERSONAL MOBILE: Please send all my correspondence to my:

Work Email 

Please send me an Invoice (if required) for payment by:

Email  Mail (a receipt will be sent by mail) 

Please send me newsletter by:

Email  Mail 

Please send ‘Hotel Engineer’ to my:

Work address 

Home Email 

Home address 



QUALIFICATIONS/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

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FEES: Membership/Associate Membership:

New Member AUD$130

Yearly Renewal AUD$100

Student Membership:

New Member AUD$90

Yearly Renewal AUD$60

Corporate Fees: New Member AUD$550

Yearly Renewal AUD$550

PAYMENT CAN BE MADE BY: NSW Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (NSW) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 062 014 Account Number: 0090 2426 Commonwealth Bank of Australia

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

QLD Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (QLD) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 084 462 Account Number: 205126424 National Australia Bank

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

VIC Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (VIC) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 013 403 Account Number: 4988 69693 ANZ Ringwood Nth

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

WA Chapter: Cheque payable to:

Australian Institute of Hotel Engineering (WA) Chapter

EFT Transfer/Direct Deposit to:

BSB: 086 006 Account Number: 518 190 216 National Australia Bank

(Please use surname/company name as reference)

MAIL COMPLETED FORMS TO: NSW Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE NSW Chapter, PO Box H263, Australia Square NSW 1215 QLD Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE QLD Chapter, PO Box 5118, Gold Coast Mail Centre 9726 VIC Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE VIC Chapter, PO Box 2136, Caulfield Junction VIC 3161 WA Chapter: The Secretary, AIHE WA Chapter, PO Box 6191, East Perth WA 6892 Your membership application will be processed, which includes the following:: o Certificate of membership

o Membership number

o Member name badge

o Official AIHE receipt

* Note: Allow up to four weeks for processing.

I have read, understood and agreed to conform to the Institute’s Code of Ethics as set out, conditional upon acceptance of my application for membership.

Note: your membership includes receiving ‘Hotel Engineer’ quarterly. As the AIHE is a non-profit organisation, GST is not applicable.

Signed: Date:

FOR INSTITUTE USE ONLY Date received: Fee received: Grading: Cheque #: Entered:

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PRODUCT NEWS

Efflock A new product has emerged that promises a unique solution to the obstinate problem of efflorescence.

‘Efflock’ is a water based concentrate additive that dilutes with tap water 100 times for use in all concrete mixes to prevent efflorescence.

It prevents crypto-florescence, rising damp and salt attack, and provides primary defence against waterproofing failure in bathrooms and on balconies. For wet area tiling, Efflock is 80%

less cost than secondary membranes, and cuts out drying times and weather delays. It’s also the only method that prevents efflorescence from all potential sources, as it is compatible with tile adhesive and tile grout.

By negating the need for secondary membranes in tiling, Efflock speeds up construction time by days and potentially weeks, cutting out drying times and extra processes that are often prolonged by inclement weather.

The extraordinary hydrophobic function of Efflock maintains cleaner building facades by repelling water absorption, dirt, moss and lichen growth. The same hydrophobic effect prevents the absorption of salts carried in solution, which crystallise and expand within the pores of masonry to cause salt attack, making Efflock ideal for pool areas, saline soils and coastal locations.

For more information visit www.efflock.com.au

Pool heating by Chromagen – Reliability at last Heating commercial pools can be an ongoing headache. With failing components from aggressive pool water and hard to perform maintenance all amounts to wasted time & money down the drain.

This is where Chromagen’s Gas Indirect Swimming Pool Heater can provide some relief.

Utilising quality components this system efficiently heats and maintains the ideal pool temperature using an indirect heating method. Starting with the closed loop water cycle which generates high 80°C+ temperatures via the ultra-efficient 7 star condensing unit, this heated water cycles

through the ever reliable Bowman titanium heat exchanger and transfers its heat energy to the pool water flowing through it. With this simple heating method, the aggressive pool water only comes in contact with the titanium heat exchanger and as this is backed by an incredible 10 year warranty you can rest assured your pool water heating will last for years to come.

Supplied as custom made pre-plumbed systems, these units are designed & built to meet your swimming pool heating requirement. Completely assembled on a premium aluminium frame with

a compact footprint, the clean open design of these systems makes installation a breeze and any future maintenance straight forward.

So don’t continue to put up with costly, hard to maintain pool heating methods and switch to the affordable gas indirect swimming pool heater

by Chromagen.

For more information contact Chromagen on 1300 367 565 or visit www.chromagen.com.au/gaspoolheating

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Time to Get Smart with Bluetooth Clock Radios The Nero Bluetooth clock radio is custom designed by Weatherdon for use in hotels, apartments and resorts.

From the unobtrusive dimmer light for hotel guests to the neat design that will suit any décor, this is an all-rounder.

With the added feature of 2 handy USB ports for charging phones and Bluetooth technology which allows you to pair with any Bluetooth system.

• Compatible with any Smart Phone, Android tablet or iPad • Wireless Bluetooth technology • FM radio and dual speakers for a sharper sound • Large 22mm blue LED display with high, low and off dimmer • 12 or 24 hour time & alarm settings • Sleep & snooze function • 2 USB ports on top of unit for charging phones & tablets (USB cable not included) • Auxiliary input • Battery backup: will hold time and alarm settings • 2 AAA batteries (not included) • Colour: silver & black

• One year warranty

• Size: 200mm (L) x 100mm (W) x 82mm (H)

They can be purchased in cartons of 12 and carry the product code 7433301.

For more information on our wide range of products please email sales@weatherdon.com.au or visit our website at www.weatherdon.com.au

Solve smelly bathroom drains with Drain Mate® Having a clean and hygienic environment for guests is paramount for a successful hotel business. You can clean all you like, but it can be difficult to get rid of those bad smells coming from the bathroom floor drain and the last thing you want is the smell being what your guests remember about their stay. Smells can also be prevalent in unoccupied rooms that have remained closed for a period of time.

Using harsh and nasty chemicals is a short term and costly solution. The simple, easy, cost effective and environmentally friendly solution is Drain Mate®.

How it works Drain Mate® is a one way floor drain that fits easily into your existing standard 100 mm (4 inches) floor drain. Drain Mate’s unique selfclosing trap door lets waste and water through

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but keeps smells, pests, noise and overflow out.

Designed, invented and made in Australia, Drain Mate® has also been subjected to testing by a recognised testing laboratory for Australian Standards and has been granted Level 2 Certification and complies with approved specifications ATS 5200.040:2005. Drain Mate® is easily installed; no plumber required and attaches to your existing floor drain grate cover using one of our four supplied washers and two screws (white and chrome stamped). There is also no need for any additives, like water, for Drain Mate® to function correctly.

Drain Mate® has been installed in many hotel and motel rooms throughout Australia. It can also be fitted in commercial kitchens and in common areas of the hotel, in fact anywhere there is a 100 mm floor drain.

Visit our website www.aussiedrainmate.com.au for a demonstration video, installation slide show and further information or simply contact Mark on 0400 19 38 21 to discuss how Drain Mate can solve your 100 mm floor drain problems.

Available from Reece Plumbing, Samios Plumbing, Robert Fergusson Electrical & Plumbing, Area Plumbing Supplies (Griffith NSW) and direct from us via our website.

Non-invasive pipe rehabilitation A blocked, damaged or leaking pipe can result in significant destruction, disruption and inconvenience. Typically, excavate and replace has been the preferred method utilised to repair pipes, this is understandable, as historically few other alternatives were available. The traditional excavation and replace method can have significant impacts, ranging from uninhabitable buildings to guest displacement and expensive restorations costs, all resulting in an impact on revenue and reputation.

Nuflow Technologies offers comprehensive pipe repair and pipe relining solutions across Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. Whether you need to fix a blocked drain or are looking for a pipe relining service, our experienced technicians are ready to assist you.

How does the process work?

What pipes can be repaired?

What pipes can be repaired?

• PVC, earthenware or clay, asbestos, galvanised steel, cast iron, copper, concrete and HDPE

• Copper and galvanised pipes

• Diameters from 40mm to 1000mm

How do you know if pipes are corroded?

• Vertical or horizontal, square, rectangular or round pipes

• Water may discoloured

How do you know if there is problem?

• Water pressure may be poor • Water may have an odd taste to it

• After flushing, toilets fill up then recede slowly

• Blue stains from copper on pipes and fixtures, or rust stains if on iron piping

• Drainage may overflow outside • Bad odours • Water fills up and recedes slowly in sinks What can cause pipes to become blocked?

• Deteriorated physical condition • The flushing of foreign items • Tree roots entering a broken pipe

Key advantages of utilising Nuflow: • Existing pipes in extremely poor condition can be cleaned out to its original state then relined to reinstate its structural integrity, extending the life of the asset • Any type of sewerage or stormwater pipe in diameters from 40 to 1000mm • The repair process can be stopped and started anywhere in the drain line, this means entire pipes no longer have to be relined

• Pipes with pinhole leaks and corrosion

• Ground movement

What can cause pipes to become corroded?

• The flow velocity of water can increase deterioration of materials resulting in corrosion • The temperature of water has complex and varied effects on corrosion • The imbalance between the pH, alkalinity, and carbon dioxide in water can lead to corrosion

• The seamless liner prevents infiltration and exfiltration, restores structural integrity and eliminates joints that can weaken and allow root intrusion and ground water penetration • Minimal downtime, disruption and no occupant displacement compared to re-piping

For more information visit: http://www.nuflowtech.com.au/

SOAPAID COMES TO MELBOURNE Soapaid is a charity established to collect waste bars of room soap from hotels worldwide, send it to a central processing plant where the discarded soap is cleaned, reprocessed and boxed into new useful bars of soap. It is then shipped overseas for use in countries where hygiene and sanitation is currently a low priority.

the success of this programme , retired Executive Housekeepers Erica McDonagh and Barbara Sargeant have joined forces with Soapaid along with Marian Stratford as voluntary “ambassadors” to assist in promoting awareness to hotels, motels and other institutions and providing assistance in doing so.

Currently it is estimated that approximately 6000 child deaths per day are as a result of poor sanitation and hygiene, diarrhea being one of the main causes.

Erica and Barbara have extensive first-hand experience in the amount of waste generated having between them worked for over 76 years in large 5 star hotels both in Australia and overseas as Executive Housekeepers. Marian is still employed in the hospitality industry having worked in Housekeeping since 1996.

As well as helping to save and improve lives for many people, by saving and collecting used room soap, your organisation will also be helping in the reduction of discarded soap that ends up in landfill.

Before Christmas, a pilot programme was launched in Sydney managed by renowned Executive Housekeeper, Maureen Jolowicz.

This proved so successful that a small similar programme was launched in Melbourne with several hotels participating. In order to extend

Just by registering on the website (www.soapaid.org) you will receive all the information you should need to assist staff as well as labels for boxes and the contact person for collection. Collection in Melbourne will be by a nominated Rotary representative at a time that is convenient to both parties.

Soapaid has partnered with several large organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Rotary International, the latter who will collect locally and arrange distribution overseas. Details of these organisations can be found on the website.

Further details and support can be obtained by contacting; Erica McDonagh on 0418 502 387 Barbara Sargeant on 0407 173 943 Marian Stratford on 0411 590 136

BECSys5 Pool pH & Chlorine Controllers lead the way in remote communications BECS Technology ‘Sys5’ pool pH & Chlorine controllers, from the USA, lead the world in remote communications – making it easier for commercial pool owners and operators to stay in touch and in control of multiple pools. Examples of this are at Centenary Pool, Brisbane and at the new Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in south east Queensland – venue for the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games Swimming – as well as at the exciting new Wet’nWild Sydney waterpark.

Whereas previously this feature was only available to modern aquatic centres by making the controllers report to expensive and complicated building management systems, it is now readily available to any size of pool or aquatic centre using a single CAT5 cable or BECS WiFi module and the PC connection software provided with BECSys controllers. ‘BECSys for Windows’ PC software is Windows 8 compatible and is extremely easy to install, set up and use by operators and staff.

Using a single blue CAT5 Ethernet cable to the plantroom it’s now possible to view all of the site’s pool plant performance simultaneously on the one PC screen (the attached photo is from the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre). This feature not only gives immediate notification of any alarm conditions, with automatic alarm callout by e-mail or SMS to up to 8 contacts, but it allows simple remote adjustment of setpoints and alarm points by the operator from the office.

Considerable savings can now be made on new Aquatic Centre projects in the amount of cabling and electrical engineering required between the plantroom and offices, with the system being fully compatible with most PC’s or Council networks. Modbus compatibility is an option for BMCSystems.

BECS Technology also offers a ‘mobile device server’ if operators wish to control their pool

from anywhere using an iPad, iPhone or similar Android based device. A free App is already available with BECSys controllers for remote monitoring of the control systems, enabling monitoring of all aspects of filtration and chemical dosing plant performance, if required.

For information on BECSys controllers and for your local installation/service representative, please contact Tim Batt of Tim Batt Water Solutions on 0438-889268 or timtbws@bigpond.com

I came, I saw, I toasted Nero 20L Microwave

• Drop down crumb tray, grill rack and food tray

• Comes in stylish, hygienic white with a push open door and child safety lock

• Features user-friendly switches for 4 stage heating, a power indicator light, 30 minute timer, top and bottom heating elements, 1000W output

• Has an easy to read digital LED display with clock • Features 11 power levels, 6 cooking menus, a defrost setting, a 99 minute timer and 700W output • I s a compact 338 mm wide x 230 mm high x 335 mm deep with a generous 250 mm turntable.

Self catering, on a small or large scale, is increasingly the go in the accommodation and hospitality industry.

Whether it’s to heat a baby bottle or a frozen meal, toast a baguette or grill a light snack, today’s guests increasingly demand home away from home comfort and convenience.

The new Nero 20L microwave oven and the Nero 10L toaster oven, from the Weatherdon Corporation, tick all the boxes when it comes to stylish looks and robust design.

Importantly too, both the Nero microwave and toaster oven are easy to use, easy to clean, safe to operate and can squeeze into the smallest of spaces.

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The Nero Microwave is also available in larger 23L and 30L sizes.

Nero 10L Toaster Oven • Bakes, toasts, reheats • Gloss white exterior, stainless steel interior, pull down glass door

• Compact design: 368 mm wide x 205 mm high x 265 mm deep with an outer power cord length of 0.75 m.

Now in its 40th year, Weatherdon is a familyowned and operated business that has provided the accommodation and hospitality industry with essential stylish, quality products since 1975.

For more information on the Nero microwave or the Nero toaster oven please visit www.weatherdon.com.au, send an email to sales@weatherdon.com.au or call (02) 9906 2202.

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®

Make sure you are environmentally responsible...  Reduce your water usage  Clean up without turps  Control your paint waste  Recycle your paint cans

Dulux® Envirosolutions® range of products provide responsible alternatives to traditional painting clean up methods.

For further information, please visit www.dulux.com.au/trade or email: propertyservice@dulux.com.au

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Worth doing, worth Dulux

®