By Adam Alstott, Tropical Pools, Inc. / Adam@TropicalPoolsInc.com
ANSI/APSP/ICC-7 2013 American National Standard for Suction Entrapment Avoidance in Swimming Pools, Wading Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs, and Catch Basins.
A PHTA-7 Standard Writing Committee (SWC) has been formed to revise the ANSI/APSP/ICC-7 2013 American National Standard for Suction Entrapment Avoidance in Swimming Pools, Wading Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs, and Catch Basins.
This standard covers design and performance criteria for circulation systems including components, devices, and related technology installed to protect against entrapment hazards in residential and public swimming pools, wading pools, inground spas, infinity edge basins, (infinity edge type pools) and catch pools, and aquatic recreation facilities.
As most of you know, I am part of the PHTA-5 SWC for the Standard for Residential Inground Swimming Pools, and I was recently invited by one of our past members and former Florida pool builder Ken Gregory to the PHTA-7 SWC along with FSPA member John Garner of Pools by John Garner. The PHTA-7 SWC is comprised of 15 voting members including the Chair Ken Gregory of Pentair Water Quality Systems and Co-Chair Philip Escobedo of Fluidra.
At the time of writing this article, we have had three 4-hour video conference calls, and I will say that most of the proposed new language is cleaning up of the definitions and changing the word main drain and cover/grate to Suction Outlet Fitting Assembly SOFA. One of the most important items that this writing committee is proposing is to bring back is the simplified Total Dynamic Head (TDH) to determine maximum system flow rate which was removed in the 2013 update. Another proposed change is adding a table with pipe sizes and max gallons per minute (gpm) up to 12” pipe. These are all just proposals and nothing is final until the balloting process is complete. The standard will be balloted by the PHTA-7 SWC, PHTA Technical Committee and the PHTA Standards Consensus Committee. The standard will also undergo a 45-Day American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Public Review for anyone to provide comments. Our timeline is internal and dynamic; however, we anticipate that we will have an ANSI Public Review (PR) in September 2020. That is assuming we are on track with our deadlines.
Questions may be directed to standards@phta.org or myself.