CDC: Can the COVID-19 virus spread through pools and hot tubs?

There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.

Federal Pump Rule Established

The Department of Energy regulation will require all pumps past a certain horsepower rating to meet an efficiency threshold.

The new requirements take effect July 18, 2021.

Effective in 2021, variable-speed pumps will become mandatory for powering a pool’s or spa’s filtration system and other applications.

After working with manufacturers, utility companies and energy-efficiency advocates, the U.S. Department of Energy has finalized a federal regulation setting forth minimum efficiency standards that a pool pump must meet to enter commerce in the United States.

Called “Energy Conservation Standards for Dedicated-Purpose Pool Pumps,” this is the second such regulation applying to the pool/spa industry – the other being efficiency standards for heaters.

The new federal regulation states that self-priming filtration pumps past a certain horsepower threshold – whether residential or commercial – must meet an established performance standard. Right now, that performance standard is only satisfied by variable-speed pumps.

That threshold is measured with a different system than traditional motor horsepower. The regulation states that self-priming filtration pumps rated between 0.711 and 2.5 hydraulic horsepower must meet the performance standard. Converted to motor horsepower, the regulation applies to motors between approximately 1 and 5 horsepower.

This means the industry will have to acquaint itself with a new labeling system. “There will be a learning curve as the labels change, as we reference horsepower in new terms,” said Jeff Farlow, program manager of energy initiatives for Pentair Aquatic Systems in Sanford, N.C. “We anticipate there will be some growing pains.”

With the relative price of variable-speed pumps going down, cost isn’t expected to present as much of an obstacle as before, Fernstrom said. “The DOE decided that the incremental cost of the variable-speed pump is now low enough that there shouldn’t be anybody who ought not to want one, because the payback is so quick,” he said.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Tobledo. R, (2017, May 24th). Federal Pump Rule Established. Retrieved from http://www.poolandspanews.com